{"id":107992,"date":"2025-03-11T09:24:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T13:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/?p=107992"},"modified":"2025-03-11T09:24:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T13:24:39","slug":"free-checked-luggage-no-longer-on-southwest-airlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/free-checked-luggage-no-longer-on-southwest-airlines\/","title":{"rendered":"Free checked luggage no longer on Southwest Airlines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Travel before May 28th if you like to check your bags for FREE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Big changes were just announced for Southwest Airlines, dropping free checked bags and other benefits, unless you book the more expensive flight classes, hold one of their credit cards or are an A-list member. Read their email sent out today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

“Today we announced updates to some of our policies and benefits within our fare bundles. Sharing them with you is important to us, as we\u2019re working to offer you more choices to create travel experiences that fit your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Updates to Checked Baggage Policy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards\u00ae A-List Preferred Members and Customers traveling on Business Select fares. We will also offer one free checked bag to A-List Members and other select Customers. In addition, Southwest will credit one checked bag for Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers. All remaining Customers will pay to check their first and second bags, and we will continue to charge for the third and fourth checked bags. Changes will apply to flights booked on or after May 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Updates to Our Fare Bundles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re updating the benefits of our fares bundles in phases. Whether you\u2019re looking for a lower price with fewer perks, or more benefits for added flexibility, you\u2019ll have the choice to pick what works best for your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 1:<\/strong> Beginning this month, we increased our Rapid Rewards earn ratio on our Business Select fares and lowered the earn ratio on our Wanna Get Away\u00ae and Wanna Get Away Plus\u2122 fares. We will also begin to vary our redemption rates across our fare products on some high- and low-demand travel periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 2:<\/strong> Beginning May 28, we will introduce a new Basic fare. This new Basic fare will be our lowest price point and will have less flexibility than other fares. Additionally, we will be adding expiration dates to our Flight Credits, which will vary based on which fare you choose to purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chart below gives you a full picture of the revised fare products as of May 28, 2025, ranging from most flexible to value-first.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further explanation of the above, see their webpage here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Travel before May 28th if you like to check your bags for FREE on Southwest Airlines. Other more expensive changes being phased in as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"Free checked luggage no longer on Southwest Airlines","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[140,251,4863,4861,4862,4860,3644],"class_list":["post-107992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-airfares","tag-baggage","tag-free-baggage","tag-southwest","tag-southwest-airlines","tag-swa","tag-travel"],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=150%2C75&ssl=1",150,75,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=300%2C150&ssl=1",300,150,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=768%2C384&ssl=1",768,384,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"rpg_gallery_admin_thumb":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"rpg_gallery_thumb":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"gb-block-post-grid-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1",600,400,true],"gb-block-post-grid-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1",600,400,true],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1",400,250,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=400%2C284&ssl=1",400,284,true],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=510%2C382&ssl=1",510,382,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=800%2C400&ssl=1",800,400,true],"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=480%2C240&ssl=1",480,240,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"

Travel before May 28th if you like to check your bags for FREE on Southwest Airlines. Other more expensive changes being phased in as well.<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Travel<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Doug","url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/author\/admindoug\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","author_meta":{"display_name":"Doug","author_link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/author\/admindoug\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=300%2C150&ssl=1","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Doug","author_link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/author\/admindoug\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SWA.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Travel<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Travel<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Airfares<\/a>","baggage<\/a>","free baggage<\/a>","Southwest<\/a>","Southwest Airlines<\/a>","SWA<\/a>","Travel<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Airfares<\/span>","baggage<\/span>","free baggage<\/span>","Southwest<\/span>","Southwest Airlines<\/span>","SWA<\/span>","Travel<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 year ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on March 11, 2025","modified":"Updated on March 11, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on March 11, 2025 9:24 am","modified":"Updated on March 11, 2025 9:24 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p21Ejy-s5O","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":133,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/5-quick-and-dirty-travel-tips-how-to-get-a-better-seat-or-bed-and-save-money-too\/","url_meta":{"origin":107992,"position":0},"title":"5 Quick and dirty travel tips – How to get a better seat or bed, and save money too.","author":"Doug","date":"April 21, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Cheap fare search engineLooking for a cheap flight?\u00a0 I mentioned in this article that Kayak.com was my favorite flight search engine. Well, for domestic travel that was correct; unless you wanted Southwest Airlines, who does not publish their fares on Kayak. To solve that problem and also to cover world-wide\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/latest-news-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_-lDfC-5y5Zk\/S89zBSMQUCI\/AAAAAAAAAMI\/WOL_q90UeE8\/s200\/500--0745.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24642,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/take-that-getaway-without-losing-your-shirt\/","url_meta":{"origin":107992,"position":1},"title":"Take that getaway, without losing your shirt","author":"Guest Post","date":"June 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many family getaways can be spur of the moment events. \u00a0Johnny's baseball weekend got postponed? Great - let's getaway. But wait, if not done properly, you can overpay for your travel expenses big time. Here, however, are eight\u00a0tips from Andrea Woroch, on how to make sure you don't overspend. Be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel"","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/travel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Family-in-Airport.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Family-in-Airport.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Family-in-Airport.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Family-in-Airport.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/when-you-travel-do-you-pack-a-tripod\/","url_meta":{"origin":107992,"position":2},"title":"When you travel, do you pack a tripod?","author":"Doug","date":"March 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Traveling photographers are always facing decisions. What can we leave behind to maintain the airlines weight and height restrictions? A tripod is generally heavy and large, both enemies of the luggage limits. So when do you pack it, and when do you leave it at home?Flying out of Cleveland Hopkins\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/latest-news-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_-lDfC-5y5Zk\/S5kKhz7BW8I\/AAAAAAAAAJI\/PMbTd4Ks4ZM\/s400\/500-090809_3005707-Fireworks-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3295,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/if-it-doesnt-fit-sit-on-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":107992,"position":3},"title":"If it doesn\u2019t fit \u2013 sit on it","author":"Doug","date":"October 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"That\u2019s been the experience of far too many travelers when trying to\u00a0over-stuff\u00a0their suitcases. And it\u2019s usually a formula for disaster. Over-stuffed bags are the primary cause of broken zippers \u2013 often at the most inopportune times. Briggs and Riley heard the curses and came to the rescue. In what is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/latest-news-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Baseline CX by Briggs & Riley","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Baseline-CX-00.jpg?fit=370%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":32617,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/are-you-a-normal-traveler-an-infographic\/","url_meta":{"origin":107992,"position":4},"title":"Are you a normal traveler? An infographic","author":"Guest Post","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you the average traveler?\u00a0 Compare your travel ideals with the following infographic from theeurope.com. It\u2019s always interesting to observe various patterns in the travel industry and among the things to have caught our eye in recent\u00a0months include the rise of low-cost long-haul airlines, the shift\u00a0\u00a0towards once-in-a-lifetime experience holidays and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel"","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/travel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":105399,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/travel-hell-proven-2022-was-a-disaster-the-worst-i-ever-saw\/","url_meta":{"origin":107992,"position":5},"title":"Travel Hell – proven! 2022 was a disaster – the worst I ever saw","author":"Doug","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost everybody knows somebody that went through travel hell this year. Now we've got the statistics to prove it. 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