Bag fees will go into effect at Southwest Airlines on Wednesday, May 28.
The carrier, which long made its bags-fly-free policy a centerpiece of its commercial offering, will charge $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for a second bag. The fees will apply to flights booked or voluntarily changed on or after May 28.
Under the new policy, holders of a Southwest co-branded credit card and flyers with Rapid Rewards A-list status will be entitled to one free checked bag. Travelers who book Southwest's top-level fare, Business Select, will continue to get two free checked bags, as will those with Rapid Reward A-list Preferred status.
Southwest effective May 28 also is introducing a branded basic economy fare, Basic, which replaces the carrier's longstanding low-end option, Wanna Getaway. Once Southwest moves to assigned seating, expected to happen early next year, the Basic fare will resemble other basic economy products in the industry, with those ticket holders only receiving a seat assignment upon check-in and being last to board.
Also, Southwest's policy of awarding flight credits that don't expire will end on May 28. Instead, issued credits will expire after a year.
The elimination of free checked bags marks the end of an era for Southwest and the U.S. airline industry. Southwest is implementing bag fees 17 years after the other major U.S. carriers started charging for checked bags.