Update 5/21/25: Just a quick reminder that Southwest’s new baggage policies will come into force in a week’s time on May 28. For flights booked through May 27, the old baggage policy applies, so it could be worth booking by next Tuesday if you won’t otherwise be eligible for one or more free checked bags.
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Not content with gutting earnings on paid flights, Southwest announced today that it’ll no longer be Southwest.
It’ll still be named Southwest (at least for now anyway), but some of the things that make Southwest Southwest will be changing and not in a good way.
You can find the full announcement here. Here’s a summary of these awful changes.
(Side note: the URL slug for the announcement page is southwest-airlines-outlines-changes-to-drive-revenue-growth-and-reward-its-most-MCR5UCS6BF65HVRGPWNL43DHWTFY. The title of the announcement is ‘Southwest Airlines Outlines Changes to Drive Revenue Growth and Reward its Most Loyal Customers’, so when creating the URL it’s almost like someone got to the ‘Loyal Customers’ part and smashed random keys in frustration.)
Two Bags Won’t Fly Free
Chief among the upcoming changes will be that you’ll no longer be able to check two bags for free by default. This has long been a clear point of differentiation by Southwest, so it’s sad to see this key policy going away.
For flights booked on or after May 28, 2025, this will be the new checked baggage policy for Southwest:
- Two free checked bags
- A-List Preferred Members
- Business Select fares
- One free checked bag
- A-List Members
- “Other select customers” (no indication yet as to who’ll be selected)
- Southwest credit cardholders
- Zero free checked bags
- Everyone else
Southwest hasn’t disclosed yet what the fees will be for each bag. If they decided to include nominal fees like $5 for your first bag and $10 for your second checked bag then that obviously wouldn’t be as bad. Given the focus by the investment company that’s driving these changes though, I highly doubt that’ll be the case and that instead will see baggage fees in the $35-$50 range.
Dynamic Award Pricing
Southwest has always had dynamic award pricing to an extent because Rapid Rewards points redemptions have been tied to the cost of cash tickets. However, it looks like Southwest will be decoupling the value of its points from cash rates to some extent.
In the announcement it says that Southwest “will also introduce variable redemption rates across higher-demand and lower-demand flights.” I suspect that we’ll initially see some good discounts on lower demand flights so that the airline can say “Look! Aren’t we providing great value for your points?!”, only to steadily reduce the prevalence of those discounted awards in favor of charging far more for more in-demand flights.
Basic Economy
Southwest had already announced that it would be introducing assigned seating and extra legroom seats. In this latest announcement though, they’ve also confirmed that they’ll be launching a basic economy fare.
There are no details available yet as to what their version of basic economy will entail, but it’ll no doubt include unassigned seating unless you pay a fee. With the checked baggage changes mentioned above, hopefully they don’t follow United’s lead and also charge you if you want to bring a carry-on.
New Flight Credits Will Expire
Not content with devaluing the program in three further ways today, Southwest included a fourth method. Currently when you book a paid Southwest flight you can cancel for free up until just before it takes off and you’ll receive a flight credit that never expires.
Not anymore. From May 28, 2025, if you cancel your flight that was booked with cash rather than points, the flight credit you receive will only be valid for 12 months, dropping to a validity date of only 6 months if you booked a basic economy fare.
What’s The Point Of Southwest Anymore?
I can somewhat understand the reasoning behind these changes as Elliott Investment Management – an investment firm that’s taken a large position in Southwest – wants the airline to make more money.
However, the changes they’re making mean that Southwest will simply be becoming a generic airline. No free checked bags for most customers, basic economy fares, assigned seating, low earnings on paid flights, expiring flight credits, etc. Unless you’re a Companion Pass holder, what incentive will there be to remain loyal to Southwest versus any other airline of a similar or lower price?
Impact On Flight Attendant Morale?
Something that I’m curious about will be the impact on flight attendant morale. I’ve found that Southwest’s flight attendants are generally much more personal and perky than those of other airlines, they enjoy their job (or at least give a good impression that they do) and that they seem proud of the airline they work for.
With the seemingly never-ending cost-cutting, revenue-raising and rewards-slashing announcements, I can’t help but feel that this is going to have a knock-on effect on staff morale. With no free checked bags for most customers, basic economy fares, reduced points earnings, expiring credits, etc., the airline they’ll be working for going forward will be an entirely different one from the one they joined. If flight attendants are less happy in their job, that’s going to start becoming noticeable for passengers.
If passengers are going to pay more and be rewarded less while flying on aircraft with surly flight attendants, why pick Southwest instead of one of the many other airlines that’s happy to offer that same experience? It looks like there’s going to be very little reason to Luv Southwest in the future.
Your Thoughts
What do you think about these changes that were announced today? Will it be the end of the journey for you with Southwest, or is it likely to have minimal impact on your decision to fly with them? Does it make getting a Southwest credit card more appealing (due to the checked bag) or less appealing (because of everything else)? Let us know in the comments below.
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Why are you recommending to “consolidate”? You should just make sure all your credits are transferable, but leave in small enough chunks to avoid making your whole stash expire after buying a $49 fare
as long as your credits were issued before 5/28, even remaining balances from a credit issued prior to 5/28 used toward a ticket purchased after 5/28, will not expire b/c they are tied into the original expiration policy of the original ticket when you bought it. so they will not expire. Example: you have $500 flight credit from a ticket canceled on 5/1/25. on 6/1/25 you purchase a $100 flight and use that $500 flight credit. the remaining $400 will still have NO expiration date, b/c that credit was generated from the original flight you canceled on 5/1/25, when there was a no expiration policy. Of course if you cancel your $100 flight you just purchased, that credit WILL expire in 6 or 12 mos, depending upon the type of fare you bought. I clarified this with SW both on chat and over the phone.
It’s a little unnerving that when I went to book flights today the banners under the Wanna get away/plus fare types already read flight credits “Expire in 12 months”. The footnotes, however, still read “never expire”
We live in Northern California and SW is the only way to get to Southern California and Las Vegas. But now we will be looking at other airlines to go East.
We used Jet Blue from NYC to SJC. SWA to NYC.
The thing is other Airlines have cancel fees and SWA doesn’t.
I like to say I feel lucky that I was able to take advantage of the Companion Pass, the extra points from their credit-card bonuses and the (mostly) happy flight experiences of the past few years while these were all still available. If history teaches us anything, it’s that another airline at some point will find another way to differentiate themselves and make flying slightly less miserable. I’ll use them when they appear and be glad for the chance. “To every thing….there is a season”
Everything dies. RIP
We actually used hubbys sw points on a jal flight last fall for our son hkg to nrt ‍♀️. I basically quit flying southwest during covid. 13 pax on 187 seat plane and the flight attendant still had to go on a loud yelling bitchfest rant in the aisle to a man who didnt tell her how he wanted his coffee. “You need to say black if you don’t want anything in it”
Whatever im outta here. Final straw
Too much water under the bridge
[…] likely, travelers will adapt to the new fees, perhaps even discovering value in the revamped rewards program. Prioritizing its loyal customer base, particularly those already engaged with the rewards system, […]
So I’ve got a bunch of SW flight credits from the AMEX Game, that have no expiration date, and a bunch of SW points. From the changes, it looks like I should use up the points first before I use the non-expire flight credits (which can also be transfered), since SW is devaluing the points. Commentary on my reasoning/rational is appreciated.
Yep, that would probably make sense. It sounds like Southwest’s dynamic pricing could provide opportunities to get better-than-average value for your points too on flights that are less in demand, but I imagine the prevalence of those will be less than flights where you get worse-than-average redemption value.
I was happy about assigned seating but now I dread trying to board with a carry-on bag.
“Thrifty” occasional travelers will be bringing on full-size luggage they “didn’t know” was oversized, and it’ll be a big headache for flight attendants.
There will just be more carryons period, which will slow boarding and make the airline run late
People keep saying that Southwest will now be no different than the Big 3. Actually, they will be worse since they have no real First or Business Class. And Delta provides free wifi to boot.
Also no lounges, no alliances, and limited airline partnerships. Only strength now is their extensive domestic network.
Clarification, please? We have a single SW card – SW Priority card. Interestingly, the fee just posted (3/1) so I’ve got a decision to make.
I get that this will provide a free checked bag for me. What about my P2 flying with me? We would typically be using awards … and I suppose I do have that $75 a year credit with the card. But do we have to pay for my P2’s bag?
We’ve never been overly loyal to SW. They fit a niche for us … but much as changed over time. We’ve had a CP twice, used the crap out of it the first time checking off National Parks. The second time? Sort of a waste … well, we wasted it by taking more great international trips than domestic. As of recently, we fly SW once, maybe twice a year. May have to do some thinking and gozintos in the next couple of months.
So, again, with a CC, does only the single CC holder get free bags? What if I add my P2 as an AU? Card is old enough not to show up on her /24 list.
TIA
Southwest hasn’t provided full details of this change yet. My suspicion is that people in your party would get a free checked bag too, but that’s not been confirmed yet.
I’ll cross my fingers, because if not the case, well, another negative for us. Thanks.
Same situation with the fee posting 3/1 – I’ll likely keep it but certainly plan to call for a retention offer before my 30 days is up to see if they can sweeten the offer to keep the card for another year while there are no details.
What I read is that up to 8 people on your reservation will get the free bag
I just got a Southwest credit card for my wife to lock in companion fare and one free bag each.
Will will stay with them through our current CP (2026), but we are done after that. We LOVED SW, but no more. They are identical to the lowest tier of United, American and Delta. Absolutely nothing to distinguish them. And I suspect you are right about the flight attendants. Cheerful and fun has already begun to leech away if yesterday’s flight was any indication.
One thing I note is that basic economy on Southwest has the big advantage that you can still cancel it last minute and still get full credit. Does any other airline offer this?
you must cancel your flight at least 10 minutes prior to the flight’s original scheduled departure time. If you do not cancel, your points and funds may be forfeited.
I am very disappointed with the changes. I have faithfully flown with SW, only, for the past 25+ yrs. I currently have $700+ in credit & now need to scramble to use, so not to lose. Shamd on you SW.
Current credits won’t expire – only those received after May 28th. No need to scramble.
If I book a fare now using credits and then after 5/28 reprice the fare bc it went down (and then maybe do that again if the price goes down again ) then do my credits now have a 6 month expiration bc they are based upon the new ticket which was created after 5/28/25?
My guess is yes, but we don’t know for sure.