Final boarding call for free bags at Southwest as airline abandons a cherished 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 policy

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 carrier from its rivals.

The airline 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 policy 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 expects to statesman operating flights with passengers in assigned seats adjacent year.

The hose besides said past twelvemonth that it would charge customers other for much legroom and connection red-eye flights.

Southwest has struggled recently and is nether unit from activistic investors to boost profits and revenue. The hose reached a truce successful October with hedge money Elliott Investment Management to debar a proxy fight, but Elliott won respective seats connected the company's board.

The hose announced successful February that it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, oregon 15% of its firm workforce, successful the archetypal large layoffs successful the company’s 53-year history.

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