COLORADO — Southwest Airlines is doing away with its policy that bags fly free. For 54 years, Southwest Airlines has touted its perk, waving traveler's checked bag fee, but that ends this spring.
Starting May 28, only Rapid Reward A-List Preferred Members and business select passengers will receive two free checked bags. Frequent flyer A-List Members and Southwest credit card holders will be allowed with one checked bag.
The airline has not announced how much it will be to check a bag, but passengers are not happy to hear about the change.
"One of the reasons I use Southwest is because of their bag policy, their existing bag policy," said Dennis Cates, a traveler. "I don't think I'll stop using Southwest. I love it, but it's just going to cause me to have to carry more luggage through the concourse and then stow it in the overheads."
Others at the Colorado Springs Airport say they understand the decision, citing rising costs across the airline industry. This change comes after Southwest Airlines announced it is doing away with its open seating policy next year.
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