Southwest Baggage Policy 2026: Bag Fees, Sizes, Free Bags

How much does Southwest charge for checked bags?

Southwest ended Bags Fly Free on 28 May 2025, then raised the price by $10 a bag for tickets booked on or after 9 April 2026. Which fee you pay depends on when the ticket was bought, not when you fly. Here's the US mainland chart as Southwest publishes it, checked on 1 November 2026.

On a round trip, everything doubles. Two travelers flying Denver (DEN) to Las Vegas (LAS) and back on a Basic fare with one bag each pay $45 x 2 x 2, so $180 for the trip, and $400 if each checks two bags.

Related: How Delta's bag fees compare · Alaska Airlines bag fees, for comparison · First checked bag fees on other US airlines, compared

Who still checks bags free on Southwest?

• Choice Extra fares: two free checked bags, the only fare type that includes them.
• A-List Preferred members: two free bags on any fare, Basic included.
• A-List members: the first bag free, the second $35.
• Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers: the first bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 8 other people on the same reservation. Your Rapid Rewards number must be in the booking when you make it, the card must be open, and a new card can take up to 14 days to show. Authorized users don't qualify, and it doesn't apply on partner airline flights.
• Active-duty military: first and second bags free.
• Getaways by Southwest packages: first and second bags free for each person on the booking.

The free-bag benefit of a fare or status also covers a Companion Pass companion, according to Southwest's fee page. One catch we see people miss: the card benefit follows the reservation, so a partner booked on a separate reservation pays for their own bag.

Is Choice Extra or the Southwest card cheaper than paying for bags?

Do the sum before you book. Choice Extra replaces bag fees of $45 for one bag or $100 for two, each way. So if Choice Extra costs less than $45 more than Basic per person each way and you're checking one bag, it wins, and with two bags the break-even is $100. It also brings Group 1 boarding and an Extra Legroom seat choice.

The card works differently: one cardmember covers the first bag for up to 9 people on the reservation. A family of four checking one bag each on a round trip saves 8 x $45, so $360, on one trip. The card carries an annual fee, so compare that fee with what you'd spend on bags in a year. Our advice: price the card first if you travel as a family or group, because one card covers the whole reservation, while Choice Extra is paid per person.

What are Southwest's carry-on and personal item rules?

Every fare, Basic included, gets one carry-on bag and one personal item free. The carry-on can be up to 24 x 16 x 10 inches, wheels and handles included, and goes in the overhead bin. Southwest doesn't publish a size for the personal item; it only says it must fit under the seat in front of you, like a purse, laptop bag, small backpack or camera.

That 24-inch limit is roomier than many US airlines, but since bag fees started, travelers on Reddit report more bag sizers at the gate and later boarding groups being asked to gate-check. That's their experience, not a published rule. We'd measure your bag with the wheels on before you leave home, and keep medicine, power banks and anything fragile in the personal item in case the bigger bag goes under the plane.

• Neck pillows don't count toward your carry-on limit.
• A pet carrier counts as either your carry-on or your personal item.
• A child's car seat used on board doesn't count toward the carry-on limit when the child has a ticket.
• Power banks and spare lithium batteries must stay in the cabin, never in a checked bag, under FAA rules: up to 100 Wh is allowed, 101 to 160 Wh needs airline approval.

Related: Carry-on size limits on every major US airline

How big and heavy can a Southwest checked bag be?

A standard checked bag can be up to 62 inches (length plus width plus height, wheels and handles counted) and up to 50 pounds. Go over and these charges are added to the normal bag fee.

A 60-pound bag on a new Basic fare costs $45 plus $100, so $145 one way. Splitting it into a 50-pound bag and a 10-pound second bag costs $45 plus $55, so $100, which saves $45.

Related: Frontier's stricter 40 lb limit

How do you pay for and check bags on Southwest?

1. Check in online from 24 hours before departure in the Southwest app or on southwest.com, and say how many bags you're checking.
2. Pay the standard bag fee during or after online check-in, by credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay.
3. At the airport, print bag tags at a kiosk where there is one, or at the ticket counter, and attach them.
4. Drop the bags at the bag drop line with your ID. Online bag check closes 60 minutes before a domestic flight and 90 minutes before an international one.
5. Pay any overweight or oversize charge at the airport with a physical credit card; tap-to-pay and phone wallets aren't accepted for those charges.

What changes for Southwest bags in 2027?

Rapid Rewards tiers get new names and bag allowances on 1 January 2027. A-List becomes Silver with one free checked bag, A-List Preferred becomes Gold with two, and a new Platinum tier gets three. Cardmembers keep the first bag free for themselves and up to 8 companions on the same reservation. If you're booking trips for next year, it's worth checking which tier you'll hold on the day you fly.

What if Southwest delays your bag?

File a mishandled bag report with Southwest. Under the US Department of Transportation's refund rule, if a checked bag isn't delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight reaching the gate, or 15 or 30 hours on an international flight depending on its length, the bag fee you paid must be refunded. Keep your bag tag receipt and the report reference until the refund shows on your card.

Common questions

Does Southwest charge for checked bags now?

Yes. Southwest ended Bags Fly Free on 28 May 2025. On Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares booked on or after 9 April 2026, the first checked bag costs $45 and the second $55, each way. Choice Extra fares, A-List Preferred members and active-duty military still check two bags free.

Is a carry-on free on Southwest?

Yes. Every Southwest fare, including Basic, includes one carry-on bag up to 24 x 16 x 10 inches and one personal item that fits under the seat in front of you. Southwest charges only for checked bags, plus extra for bags that are overweight, oversized or a third bag.

Does the Southwest credit card free bag cover everyone on my booking?

The primary cardmember and up to 8 other travelers on the same reservation each get their first checked bag free. The Rapid Rewards number has to be in the booking when you make it. Someone booked on a separate reservation doesn't get the benefit, and authorized users on the account don't qualify either.

Do I get two free bags on a Southwest Choice fare?

No. Only Choice Extra includes two free checked bags. Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares pay $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second on tickets booked from 9 April 2026, unless your Rapid Rewards status, credit card or military status covers the bag.

What is the Southwest checked bag weight limit?

Southwest allows up to 50 pounds and 62 inches in total dimensions per checked bag. A bag of 51 to 70 pounds costs an extra $100, and 71 to 100 pounds an extra $200, on top of the normal bag fee. Southwest's overweight chart stops at 100 pounds, so pack anything heavier as two bags.

Are strollers and car seats free on Southwest?

Southwest lets each ticketed traveler check one stroller and one car seat free of charge, at the ticket counter or at the gate. A car seat used on board for a child with a ticket doesn't count toward the carry-on limit. A portable crib or pack and play counts as a regular checked bag.

Why do I pay $35 and my friend pays $45 for the same bag?

Southwest bag fees go by the date the ticket was booked. Tickets bought before 9 April 2026 keep the old $35 first-bag price, and tickets bought on or after that date pay $45. Two people on the same flight can pay different fees if they booked on different days.

Do military members check bags free on Southwest?

Active-duty military members check their first and second bags free on Southwest, according to the airline's published fee chart. A third bag and any overweight or oversized charges still apply. Check the bag fee shown in the Southwest app before you pay, and ask at the ticket counter if the free bags don't show.

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