Southwest Airlines baggage fees and fare rules

IATA: WN

Last verified: 2026-05-06

Answer-first summary

Carry-on allowance

Southwest still includes one carry-on bag and one personal item on every fare.

Personal item rules

The personal item needs to be small enough to stow under a seat or in an overhead bin, so soft backpacks and laptop bags are safer than rigid totes.

Checked bag baseline

Southwest's old bag simplicity is gone. The current model separates included allowance from paid checked bags: Choice Extra keeps the first two checked bags included, while Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred use paid first- and second-bag pricing on U.S. Mainland bookings ticketed or changed on or after April 9, 2026.

Notable restrictions

Basic is now the clear restriction point: no seat selection, no included first bag, and no free same-day change unless the fare is upgraded.

Last verified note: The newest Southwest checked-baggage details shown here were last verified on 2026-04-28. Carry-on, seat, change, and cancellation details were last verified on 2025-12-19.

Bag-fee decision engine

Estimate the bag-fee hit before you book.

Use the current published fee rows for Southwest Airlines to test a simple scenario. If the price depends on route, fare, or purchase timing, this module will send you to the full calculator instead of pretending there is one universal fee.

TravelersBags eachTrip typeTrips / year

Estimated bag fees: $180 per roundtrip.

Across 2 trips, that is about $360 before elite status, fare bundles, waived bags, or route-specific exceptions.

If an eligible card covers the first checked bag for this party, the modeled first-bag exposure is about $360 per year before annual fees.

Open full bag calculator Compare eligible cards

Core fee breakdown

Published fee rows below are grouped by fee type and retain the route, fare, and timing limits that matter for booking.

Carry-on rules

See also the broader carry-on fee reference.

When the issue is whether a bag will physically pass at the gate, compare the published rule with sizer enforcement reality.

Applies to	Region / route	Amount	Timing	Conditions	Source
All fares	All routes	0.00 USD	per flight	One carryon up to 10 x 16 x 24 inches plus one smaller personal item included	Source

Personal item rules

The personal item needs to be small enough to stow under a seat or in an overhead bin, so soft backpacks and laptop bags are safer than rigid totes.

Checked baggage fees

See also the checked baggage fee reference. For a side-by-side baseline comparison, review Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue.

For a broader comparison of published airline card checked bag benefits, see the airline credit card baggage benefit reference.

Applies to	Region / route	Amount	Timing	Conditions	Source
Basic Fare	All routes	35.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Basic Fare	All routes	45.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Fare	All routes	35.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Fare	All routes	45.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Preferred Fare	All routes	35.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Preferred Fare	All routes	45.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Extra Fare	All routes	0.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag: free for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Extra Fare	All routes	0.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag: free for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026	Source
Basic Fare	All routes	45.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Basic Fare	All routes	55.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Fare	All routes	45.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Fare	All routes	55.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Preferred Fare	All routes	45.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Preferred Fare	All routes	55.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Extra Fare	All routes	0.00 USD	one-way	1st checked bag: free for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
Choice Extra Fare	All routes	0.00 USD	one-way	2nd checked bag: free for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026	Source
All fares	All routes	150.00 USD	one-way	3rd+ checked bag (for travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after May 28, 2025)	Source

Excess and overweight baggage

Applies to	Region / route	Amount	Timing	Conditions	Source
All fares	All routes	100.00 USD	one-way	Overweight item: 51–70 lbs; charge is in addition to the standard checked bag fee	Source
All fares	All routes	200.00 USD	one-way	Overweight item: 71–100 lbs; charge is in addition to the standard checked bag fee	Source

Oversized baggage

Applies to	Region / route	Amount	Timing	Conditions	Source
All fares	All routes	200.00 USD	one-way	Oversized item over 62 inches and up to 80 inches; standard bag fee also applies	Source
All fares	All routes	200.00 USD	one-way	Oversized and overweight item up to 100 lbs; one $200 charge plus standard bag fee	Source

Seat and fare-related fees

See also the seat selection fee reference.

Applies to	Region / route	Amount	Timing	Conditions	Source
Basic Fare	All routes	0.00 USD	check-in / boarding	No seat selection with Basic; standard seat assigned at check-in from Jan. 27, 2026	Source
All fares	All routes	Depends on flight and seat type USD	per segment	Paid seat upgrades (for flights departing on or after January 27, 2026)	Source

Change and cancellation references

For cancellation, significant schedule change, and refund timing rules in U.S. markets, see the U.S. DOT refund rules reference.

Applies to	Region / route	Timing	Conditions	Source
All fares	All routes	before departure	No cancel fee; cancel at least 10 minutes before departure to preserve eligible funds	Source
Choice / Choice Preferred / Choice Extra	All routes	day of travel	Free same-day change available only for Choice Extra, Choice Preferred, or Choice fares; Basic fares not eligible unless fare is upgraded	Source
Eligible fares	All routes	day of travel	Same-day standby; request before departure, with earlier app/mobile deadlines	Source

How to avoid paying this fee

Do not assume Southwest still means two checked bags for every fare. Compare Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred against Choice Extra if anyone in the party is checking bags.
For U.S. Mainland bookings, check the ticketing or change date before relying on a baggage amount; Southwest separates bookings before and after April 9, 2026.
Keep the trip carry-on-only when possible. Southwest still includes one carry-on and one personal item, so the cleanest way to avoid the checked-bag fee is not checking a bag.
If same-day flexibility matters, avoid Basic unless the lower fare still wins after bag, seat, and change restrictions are priced in.

Fare-class behavior

Basic Fare

Basic is the fare most likely to surprise longtime Southwest flyers. It keeps the carry-on, but on newer U.S. Mainland bookings it charges for the first and second checked bags and does not include seat selection or same-day change.

Choice Fare

Choice has the same newer first- and second-bag charges as Basic on U.S. Mainland bookings, but it restores free same-day change.

Choice Preferred Fare

Choice Preferred keeps the same checked-bag charges as Choice for later U.S. Mainland bookings, with same-day change listed at USD 0.

Choice Extra Fare

Choice Extra is the Southwest fare to compare when you are checking bags. The first two checked bags and same-day change are listed at USD 0.

Real-world scenarios

Traveling with only cabin items

A carry-on-only Southwest trip still works cleanly across fare families because the carry-on and personal item remain included.

Checking one standard bag

On U.S. Mainland Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred bookings ticketed or changed on or after April 9, 2026, the first checked bag is USD 45 one-way. Choice Extra lists the first checked bag at USD 0.

Checking an overweight bag

Southwest lists overweight pricing at USD 100 one-way for 51-70 lbs and USD 200 one-way for 71-100 lbs, in addition to the standard checked bag fee.

When fees may not apply

Choice Extra fares show the first and second checked bags at USD 0 in both U.S. Mainland booking windows.
Before April 9, 2026, U.S. Mainland first- and second-bag amounts remain USD 35 and USD 45 for Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares.
All fare types are eligible for cancellations without a cancellation fee, but Southwest still requires canceling before departure to preserve eligible funds.

Compare with other airlines

Comparison links below are limited to airlines with closely related fee structures or booking models.

Alaska Airlines Delta Air Lines American Airlines JetBlue

Legal Disclaimer

• Information subject to change without notice.

• This site is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any airline.

• Fees are documented only from verifiable, airline-published sources.

This reference reflects the published fee rows and linked source documents available for this airline.

Estimate the bag-fee hit before you book.

Core fee breakdown

Carry-on rules

Personal item rules

Checked baggage fees

Excess and overweight baggage

Oversized baggage

Seat and fare-related fees

Change and cancellation references

How to avoid paying this fee

Fare-class behavior

Basic Fare

Choice Fare

Choice Preferred Fare

Choice Extra Fare

Real-world scenarios

Traveling with only cabin items

Checking one standard bag

Checking an overweight bag

When fees may not apply

Compare with other airlines

Related guides