The period of free luggage on Southwest Airways is over … sort of. The airline now fees bag charges for all flights, an unlucky change for Southwest and finances flyers who loved two free checked luggage on all flights.
Should you examine a bag most of the time and Southwest is your service of alternative, we advocate making use of for one of many airline’s cobranded playing cards (which have been refreshed in July of 2025).
This manner, you may get free checked luggage as a substitute of getting to pay $35 for the primary bag and $45 for a second one.
1 free checked bag with Southwest bank cards
Southwest overhauled its whole enterprise mannequin in 2025 by including bag charges, extra-legroom seats, new fare courses and seat choice.
These modifications make being a Southwest cardholder that rather more beneficial since cardmembers now obtain one checked bag freed from cost. This perk additionally applies to as much as eight companions touring with the principle cardholder on the identical reservation.
Eligible bank cards that provide a free checked bag for Southwest flights embrace:
The knowledge for the Southwest Speedy Rewards Premier Credit score Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Should you fly Southwest a few instances a 12 months, the $99 annual payment Southwest Plus card could also be sufficient for you. By checking a bag 3 times a 12 months, you may fully offset the price of this card.
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Along with making it straightforward to examine a bag on all Southwest flights with out paying a hefty annual payment, the entry-level card additionally supplies commonplace seat choice 48 hours earlier than departure (when obtainable).
If you’d like further advantages past a free checked bag — resembling choosing a most popular seat on the time of reserving — contemplate different playing cards just like the Southwest Precedence or the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise.
Elite standing
One other option to get a free checked bag or two is with Southwest Speedy Rewards elite standing. A-Checklist members will get one free checked bag, and A-Checklist Most popular members will nonetheless get two free checked luggage.
Should you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, elite standing will repay when it comes to baggage allowance. Simply ensure so as to add your Speedy Rewards loyalty quantity when making your reservation to make sure your tier-related advantages kick in.
In actual fact, Southwest cardholders can even use a unique non-Southwest card to pay for a flight whereas nonetheless benefiting from the free checked bag perk by making certain their Speedy Rewards quantity is hooked up to the reservation.
Backside line
The day is lastly upon us, and Southwest has joined the ranks of all the opposite legacy carriers in charging for checked luggage.
Do not let these modifications discourage you. Being a Southwest cardholder (or having the suitable elite standing) can nonetheless get you free checked luggage.
In the end, when you’re dedicated to Southwest however aren’t a cardholder, it is best to use for a Southwest bank card. Should you fly typically or as a household, a Southwest bank card may also help you save lots of of {dollars} a 12 months.
Associated: Finest Southwest Airways bank cards
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