Southwest is subsequent: Checked bag charges to extend by $10

It has been lower than a yr since Southwest Airways ended its longtime “baggage fly free” coverage and began charging most prospects to test a bag.

Now, the airline is elevating its costs.

Southwest simply revealed the price to test a bag will rise from $35 to $45 starting with tickets booked later this week. That is a leap of $10, or about 28%.

The modifications will apply to all tickets booked from Thursday, April 9, and past.

The Dallas-based provider additionally hiked charges for patrons’ second checked bag by $10.

The transfer comes as airways have confronted skyrocketing jet gas prices amid a speedy run-up in international oil costs.

Southwest attributed this week’s charge hike to “an ongoing evaluation of the enterprise and towards the evolving international backdrop.”

The transfer comes after JetBlue and United Airways already introduced increased baggage charges final week. And Delta Air Strains adopted go well with on Tuesday.

U.S. airways have traditionally tended to comply with each other in mountain climbing baggage costs.

Southwest, although, was beforehand immune from that business pattern for a few years because it let all prospects test two baggage totally free. However that coverage ended final Might amid a bigger transformation of the airline’s insurance policies, which included launching assigned seating in January.

Now, the airline has carried out bag charges — and raised them — in lower than a yr’s time.

Bear in mind, A-Record members of the airline’s Fast Rewards loyalty program will preserve their baggage perks, as will prospects who carry a Southwest cobranded bank card.

As of Tuesday night, three of the 4 largest U.S. carriers had hiked bag charges inside the previous week — with American Airways (for now, at the least) the lone holdout.