Southwest Airlines to Start Charging $35 for First Checked Bag Under New Policy

Southwest Airlines has set its pricing baggage fees for customers flying on certain fares.

A Southwest Airlines plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on April 2, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Southwest Airlines will start charging $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for the second on select fares, ending its decades-long “bags fly free” policy.

Southwest confirmed the baggage fees in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, noting that they will apply to flights booked or voluntarily changed on or after May 28.