The internet is full of opinions when it comes to commercial travel, ranging from helpful to downright controversial. And yet, everyone seemed to be on the same page regarding Southwest Airlines’ new policy updates, which included cancelling the popular “two free checked bags” program.
Already critical of Southwest’s track record of disorganization and delays, the airline faced massive backlash from online users who felt that checking two free bags was the only perk of flying Southwest.
What happened to Southwest’s free bag policy?
On March 11, 2025, The Southwest Newsroom made an announcement on their website, titled “Southwest Airlines Outlines Changes to Drive Revenue Growth and Reward its Most Loyal Customers.”
That same day, Southwest emailed customers an abbreviated version of the newsroom memo, “a message from Bob Jordan” (Southwest’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors).
What are Southwest’s new policies?
The email detailed changes and updates to their current popular policies, most notably that it would start charging for checked bags. Customers with high loyalty status would continue to not incur any fees for checked bags, but all other travelers will have to pay for checked bags on flights booked on and after May 28.
Southwest also made note that they were updating their fare bundles to create a more individualized experience when flying, and changing the rewards redemption process based on high and low demand travel windows.
The airline also introduced a new “basic fare” ticket, which will be Southwest’s lowest price point option with the least flexibility, and will also be adding expiration dates to flight credits.
Why did Southwest’s policies change?
According to The New York Times, Southwest struggled in recent years to contain costs, and faced intense investor pressure to make changes within its infrastructure, including pressure from Elliott Investment Management, which bought a 10% stake in the company back in the Summer of 2024.
In September 2024, Southwest announced that it was adding premium seats with extra legroom, began offering red-eye flights and told the public that it was transitioning out of its open-seating policy. At that time, Southwest asserted that it would retain its beloved two free checked bags policy, which studies had found was a key selling point for many Southwest customers.
To make matters worse, in February 2025 the company announced it had laid off around 1,750 employees, to “create a leaner and more agile organization as part of the airline’s transformational plan.”
Given its history and the new changes soon to be in place, customers are re-evaluating whether Southwest is the optimal carrier for them. “I defended you against all the haters Southwest, and you do this to me?” one comment read. “Everybody heading over to Delta and American Airlines since Southwest removed Free checked bags,” said another.
‘You’re now free to fly with literally anyone else’
While most were critical of these changes, the end of the two free checked bags hit particularly hard with passengers, as it was a longtime policy that seemed to set Southwest apart from other commercial carrier airlines. “Southwest letting you check two bags for free was the only thing keeping them in business,” read one comment on X.
“If Southwest Airlines had assembled a focus group and asked them ‘what’s the stupidest thing that we could do to ruin our company,’ this is what they would have come up with.” Read another comment.
“May whoever decided to ruin Southwest Airlines be immediately fired and never allowed to touch the company again,” said another. “You’re now free to fly with literally anyone else,” another comment read.
“I think we’ll remember today as the day that Southwest died,” Brett Snyder, a former commercial aviation insider said in a post on Tuesday. “Its entire value proposition — everything that made it different — has disappeared faster than you can say, ‘Elliott Investment Management.’”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Southwest via their media contact email. The airline did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
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