Southwest baggage fees: checked bags and free carry-on
Southwest still includes one carry-on and one personal item, but it no longer gives every fare two free checked bags. On current U.S. Mainland Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred bookings, the first checked bag is $45 each way and the second is $55; Choice Extra includes both.
Southwest still includes one carry-on bag and one personal item on every fare.
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.
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.
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.
Price a common Southwest Airlines roundtrip before booking.
For two travelers with one checked bag each, the published first-bag fee produces an estimated roundtrip total of $180 before fare, status, card, and route exceptions.
Run the checked-bag calculator- 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.
Southwest bag pricing is now an eligibility decision.
Was the U.S. Mainland trip ticketed or changed on or after April 9, 2026?
Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred then charge $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second, each way. Older bookings use the earlier $35 and $45 amounts.
Would Choice Extra cost less than the bag bill?
Choice Extra includes the first two checked bags. Compare the fare upgrade against the entire party's roundtrip bag total instead of assuming the cheaper displayed fare stays cheaper.
Are you relying on a Rapid Rewards credit card?
The primary cardmember and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation can receive the first standard bag free when the Rapid Rewards number is included. The card benefit does not make the second bag free.
Does A-List or A-List Preferred apply?
A-List covers the first bag, while A-List Preferred covers the first two bags, with published same-reservation extensions. Those are different benefits and should not be modeled as one generic status waiver.
Is this interisland Hawaii or an overweight or oversized bag?
Interisland Hawaii has its own resident and nonresident table. Excess-size and excess-weight charges are added to the standard bag fee, so the $45 or $55 base amount may be only the first charge.
Estimate the bag-fee hit before you book.
Use the current published fees 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.
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 calculated first-bag cost is about $360 per year before annual fees.
If you fly Southwest Airlines repeatedly with checked bags, run the card math before paying cash.
The card calculator uses the same airline and bag pattern, then tests whether calculated checked-bag savings beat the card annual fee before counting points, bonuses, lounge access, or unrelated perks.
Start by pricing the bag bill for travelers and roundtrips. Then compare eligible card tiers only if the checked-bag cost is recurring enough to matter.
2 travelers, 1 checked bag each, 2 roundtrips per year.
Does Southwest Airlines still win after the fees?
Start with Southwest Airlines preselected, add the competing flight, and compare the whole party's fare, checked bags, overhead carry-ons, and seats. Choose the exact fare profile only when it matches the booking.
Compare true trip costCompare the bag bill before the fare wins.
Pick travelers, bags, route context, and bag size. The table estimates only when the stored fee data has a usable fixed amount. Route-priced airlines stay flagged for lookup instead of showing a false $0.
| Airline | Trip bag cost | Annual exposure | Best card waiver | Overweight / oversize | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines Current page | $180 | $180 | No eligible card benefit | Standard-size input | Price this airline |
| Alaska Airlines | $180 | $180 | $180 / year Atmos Rewards Visa Business card | Standard-size input | Price this airline |
| Delta Air Lines | $180 | $180 | $180 / year Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Standard-size input | Price this airline |
| American Airlines | $180 | $180 | Standard-size input | Price this airline | |
| JetBlue | $0 | $0 | Check card rules | Standard-size input | Price this airline |
| United Airlines | $180 | $180 | $180 / year United Explorer Card | Standard-size input | Price this airline |
| Air Canada | Route lookup needed Missing first bag fee. | Route-priced | Check card rules | Standard-size input | Price this airline Usually depends on route or market and fare family. |
| Air France | Route lookup needed Missing first bag fee. | Route-priced | No eligible card benefit | Standard-size input | Price this airline Usually depends on route or market and fare family. |
| ZIPAIR Tokyo | Route lookup needed Missing first bag fee. | Route-priced | No eligible card benefit | Standard-size input | Price this airline Usually depends on route or market and fare family. |
| Frontier Airlines | Route lookup needed Missing first bag fee. | Route-priced | No eligible card benefit | Standard-size input | Price this airline Usually depends on route or market and fare family. |
Core fee breakdown
Published fees below preserve the fare, route, card, status, and timing conditions that can change the amount.
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 | Carryon plus personal item remain free across fare types; checked-bag benefits now vary by fare/status/card/military path | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
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.
Eligible Rapid Rewards primary cardmembers can receive a first-standard-bag waiver for themselves and published same-reservation companions, but the second bag remains a separate charge unless another fare or status benefit covers it. Test the trip in the Southwest card break-even calculator and verify eligibility in the 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| Basic Fare | All routes | 45.00 USD | one-way | 2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| Choice Fare | All routes | 35.00 USD | one-way | 1st checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| Choice Fare | All routes | 45.00 USD | one-way | 2nd checked bag for U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| 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) | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| All fares | All routes | 200.00 USD | one-way | Overweight item: 71–100 lbs; charge is in addition to the standard checked bag fee | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
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 | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
| All fares | All routes | 200.00 USD | one-way | Oversized and overweight item up to 100 lbs; one $200 charge plus standard bag fee | Official sourceChecked 2026-08-22 |
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 | |
| 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) |
Change and cancellation references
See also the change and cancellation fee reference.
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 | Amount | Timing | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All fares | All routes | 0.00 USD | before departure | No cancel fee; cancel at least 10 minutes before departure to preserve eligible funds | |
| Choice / Choice Preferred / Choice Extra | All routes | 0.00 USD | 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 | |
| Eligible fares | All routes | 0.00 USD | day of travel | Same-day standby; request before departure, with earlier app/mobile deadlines |
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.
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.
Related guides
Legal Disclaimer
This reference reflects the published policy details and linked official sources available for this airline.