Southwest Airlines baggage fees and fare rules
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.
Using the published first-bag fee we can model two travelers, one checked bag each, roundtrip at about $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.
Check nearby fee models before you decide.
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.
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.
Compare 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 modeled card | 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 | $180 | $180 | $180 / year JetBlue Plus Card | 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 fare family and purchase timing. |
| Air France | Route lookup needed Missing first bag fee. | Route-priced | No modeled card | 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 modeled card | 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 modeled card | Standard-size input | Price this airline Usually depends on route or market and fare family. |
Core fee breakdown
Published fees below are grouped by fee type and keep 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 | Carryon plus personal item remain free across fare types; checked-bag benefits now vary by fare/status/card/military path | Source |
Personal item rules
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 |
| Sports equipment | Southwest-operated flights | Standard bag fee plus any overweight fee USD | one-way | Sports equipment uses standard checked-bag fees; qualifying sports oversize fee waived up to 115 linear inches | Source |
Excess and overweight baggage
Oversized baggage
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
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 | Source |
| 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 | Source |
| Eligible fares | All routes | 0.00 USD | 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.
Related guides
Legal Disclaimer
This reference reflects the published fee rows and linked source documents available for this airline.