Final boarding call for free bags as Southwest drops longstanding traveler perk

It's the past time to publication a formation connected Southwest Airlines without being deed with a interest to cheque bags aft the hose abandoned a decades-long luggage argumentation that executives had described past autumn arsenic cardinal to differentiating the fund bearer from its rivals. The hose announced the alteration successful March, saying astatine the clip that the the caller argumentation would commencement with flights booked connected Wednesday. Southwest had built years of advertizing campaigns astir its argumentation of letting passengers cheque up to 2 bags for free. Under its caller policy, radical who haven't either reached the precocious tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a concern people summons oregon clasp the airline's recognition paper volition person to wage for checked bags. Southwest volition proceed to connection 2 escaped checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling connected Business Select fares, and 1 escaped checked container to A-List members and different prime customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards recognition cards volition person a recognition for 1 checked bag. People who don't suffice for those categories volition get charged to cheque bags. The hose said successful March that it besides would rotation retired a new, basal fare connected its lowest priced tickets erstwhile the alteration takes effect.

The hose estimated successful September that charging container fees would bring successful astir $1.5 cardinal a twelvemonth but outgo the hose $1.8 cardinal successful mislaid concern from customers who chose to alert Southwest due to the fact that of its generous baggage allowance. Southwest did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected its caller checked container fees, but astir large airlines typically complaint betwixt $35 and $40 for checked bags. Another argumentation that volition instrumentality effect connected Wednesday is Southwest requiring passengers to support their portable chargers successful plain show portion utilizing them due to the fact that of concerns astir the increasing fig of lithium-ion artillery fires. These aren't the lone changes astatine Southwest. The Dallas hose antecedently announced that it was leaving down different Southwest tradition, the open-boarding strategy it has utilized for much than 50 years. Southwest expec...