Southwest officials in the release said the changes are “aimed to deepen and reward loyalty between Southwest and its most engaged Customers.”
DALLAS — Starting soon, bags won’t fly free for everyone on Southwest Airlines.
The Dallas-based airline, which has long touted its free bag policy, will now charge travelers for their first and second checked bags, starting May 28, according to a press release Tuesday.
Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and customers who are flying business select will still get the standard two free checked bags, Southwest officials said. A-list members will get one free checked bag, and Rapid Rewards Credit Card members will get credit for one checked bag.
Southwest officials in the release said the changes are “aimed to deepen and reward loyalty between Southwest and its most engaged Customers.” Southwest has not yet said how much each checked bag will cost.
“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our Shareholders expect,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in the release. “We will do all this while remaining focused on what’s made us strong—our people and the authentic, friendly, and award-winning customer service only they can provide.”
Southwest is also rolling out a few other changes, including offering a “Basic” fare option and making flights available to book through Expedia, the latter of which began last month, officials said. Southwest has also rolled out redeye flights — which began in February.
However, the biggest change on the horizon for Southwest will be the airline’s new assigned seating options, a major departure from Southwest’s long-standing open seating policy. The company hasn’t announced a specific date for when assigned seating will begin.
The changes in Southwest policy come at a tumultuous time for the company.
In February, Southwest announced mass layoffs for the first time in its 53-year history. The company announced it would lay off 1,750 employees at its Dallas headquarters, around 15% of all corporate positions. Among those 1,750 employees, 11 senior leadership positions were eliminated as a result of “restructuring.”
The layoffs and changes to flight policies have happened amid a recent board shakeup at Southwest, driven by the carrier’s board activist investor Elliott Management, which began ramping up its involvement with the company last summer.