Southwest Airlines started charging for checked baggage on May 28, 2025. From this date onward, passengers booking or changing flights will be charged $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for their second. This marked the end of Southwest's long-standing policy of allowing two free checked bags, a benefit the airline had offered for about 60 years. Some exceptions remain for certain loyalty program members, Business Select or Choice Extra fare passengers, and those with the airline's co-branded credit card, who can still check bags for free depending on their status. Tickets booked before May 28, 2025, still included the free checked bags benefit.