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Southwest deep diveSouthwest checked bag fees, and why the price depends on when you booked
The date attached to your booking picks which of the two tables you pay from, and changing an old ticket on or after that date can move it onto the higher one.
“Bags fly free” is over
For years that was Southwest's signature promise. Its own policy page now says the opposite, in four words:
Quoted from Southwest
“Checked baggage fees apply.”
The price depends on when you booked, not when you fly
| 1st bag · booked before Apr 9, 2026 | $35 |
|---|---|
| 2nd bag · booked before Apr 9, 2026 | $45 |
| 1st bag · booked and/or changed on or after Apr 9, 2026 | $45 |
| 2nd bag · booked and/or changed on or after Apr 9, 2026 | $55 |
Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares, U.S. mainland travel. Southwest states these fees “are represented for one-way travel”, so a round trip is charged twice.
Southwest, travel fees page, read July 30, 2026
Southwest does not write “booked on or after April 9, 2026”. It writes:
Quoted from Southwest
“For U.S. Mainland travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after April 9, 2026”
Southwest's fee page does not define what counts as a change beyond that phrase. What it does say is which date decides the price: the date the reservation was last booked, ticketed, or changed.
Who still flies bags free
| Choice Extra fares | Two bags free |
|---|---|
| A-List Preferred | Two bags free |
| A-List | First bag free |
| Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers | First bag free |
| Active-duty military, valid ID | Free |
| Carryon + personal item, every fare | Free |
Southwest's own labels: Choice Extra is “Free / Free”; Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers get the first bag free.
Southwest, travel fees page, read July 30, 2026
The credit-card row has a catch easy to miss if you only skim the dollar figures:
Quoted from Southwest
“Must include Rapid Rewards account number at the time of booking.”
Add the number at check-in and you have already missed it. Military flies free too, but on proof: Southwest's own phrase requires “their current, valid military ID”.
Go oversized or overweight, pay again
The table up top assumes a bag inside Southwest's standard allowance:
Quoted from Southwest
“Standard Size Limit: 62 inches in size (length + width + height). Wheels and handles should be included when measuring.”
Quoted from Southwest
“Standard Weight Limit: Up to 50 pounds each”
Go over either limit and a second set of charges stacks on top:
| 3rd+ checked bag | $150 |
|---|---|
| Oversized, 63 to 80 inches | $200 + standard fee |
| Overweight, 51 to 70 lbs. | $100 + standard fee |
| Overweight, 71 to 100 lbs. | $200 + standard fee |
“Standard fee” is whichever row from the booking-date table above applies. These surcharges stack on top of it, not instead of it.
Southwest, travel fees page, read July 30, 2026
One piece of relief: a bag that is both oversized and overweight is not charged twice.
Quoted from Southwest
“only one $200 charge applies if the piece is both oversized and overweight, regardless of the weight as long as it does not exceed 100 lbs.”
Read that as a cap, not a bargain. A single problem bag can add $100 to $200 to whichever standard fee already applies.
The payment trap at the airport
Southwest, checked baggage policy page, read July 30, 2026
Apple Pay, Google Pay, a tap card at the gate counter, none of them work for this specific charge. Pack an actual credit card if there is any chance a bag runs over 62 inches or 50 pounds.
What still costs nothing
Carryon allowance, quoted directly:
Quoted from Southwest
“one carryon bag (e.g., roller bag, garment bag, tote bag) that does not exceed external dimensions of 10 x 16 x 24”
plus one personal item, free. Southwest's change and cancel fees are still:
Quoted from Southwest
“$0”
The change itself is free. Make one on or after April 9, 2026, and it can move an old ticket onto the newer, higher baggage table.
Southwest also reserves the right to move these numbers again: Southwest reserves the right to amend pricing listed above at any time.
Everything above is what Southwest published on July 30, 2026, not a promise it stays there.
Southwest, travel fees page, read July 30, 2026
Southwest baggage fee FAQ
How much is a checked bag on Southwest now?
It depends on when the ticket was booked and ticketed. Before April 9, 2026, the first bag is $35 and the second is $45. Booked, ticketed, or changed on or after that date, the first bag is $45 and the second is $55. Fees are “represented for one-way travel”, so double them for a round trip.
Do credit cardmembers still get a free bag?
Yes, first bag free, but only if you “include Rapid Rewards account number at the time of booking”, not after. Choice Extra and A-List Preferred get two free bags, A-List gets the first free, and active-duty military with a valid ID fly free.
Can changing an old booking move me to the higher fee?
Yes. The higher table covers travel “booked and ticketed and/or changed” on or after April 9, 2026, so a change alone, on a ticket originally booked under the older table, can pull it onto the newer prices without a full rebooking.
How big and heavy can a bag be before extra fees apply?
62 inches (length plus width plus height, wheels and handles included) and up to 50 pounds. Over that: $150 for a third or further bag, $200 plus the standard fee for oversized, $100 to $200 plus the standard fee for overweight depending on how far over, and only one $200 surcharge if a bag is both oversized and overweight at once.
Can I pay an airport bag fee with Apple Pay or a tap card?
No. Weight or size fees at the airport must be paid with a physical credit card; Southwest does not accept tap to pay, contactless, or mobile payments for that specific charge.
Is checked baggage free on Southwest's Hawaii interisland flights?
Southwest publishes separate fee tables for those routes that differ from the mainland figures above. We have not reproduced them here; check Southwest's fee page directly before flying between islands.
Other policies we have decoded
Every one of these is read from the company’s own document and dated. See all 59 questions we have answered.