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You’ve probably heard the saying “nobody rides for free.” That sentiment used to go against everything Southwest stood for when it came to checked bags, but those days are long gone. Unless you book an eligible fare, hold A-List or A-List Preferred status, or carry a Rapid Rewards credit card, your bags won’t ride for free anymore. You’ll have to pay. But how much, exactly?
Here’s what you can expect to pay the next time you check bags with Southwest and how to avoid those fees altogether.
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What Does Southwest Airlines Charge for Checked Bags?
Southwest Airlines announced in March 2025 that it would begin charging for checked bags on flights booked starting May 28, 2025. What the airline didn’t disclose at the time was how much those bags would actually cost. Now that the end of “Bags Fly Free” has come, we finally have the full details.
On its “Optional Travel Charges” webpage, Southwest has posted updated tables outlining fees for checked bags, carry-on bags and personal items (still free for now), and just about everything else. Checked bag pricing varies depending on your destination, with separate tables for interisland Hawaii travel and all other routes.
Southwest bag fees for domestic and international travel
Here are Southwest’s one-way bag fees for both domestic and international flights:
| Checked Bags | First Checked Bag | Second Checked Bag | Third Checked Bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic (formerly Wanna Get Away) | $35 | $45 | $150 |
| Choice (formerly Wanna Get Away Plus) | $35 | $45 | $150 |
| Choice Preferred (formerly Anytime) | $35 | $45 | $150 |
| Choice Extra (formerly Business Select) | Free | Free | $150 |
| A-List Members | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | $35 | $150 |
| A-List Preferred Members | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | $150 |
| Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation; must include Rapid Rewards account number at time of booking) | $45 | $150 |
| Active-duty military | Free | Free | $150 |
Southwest bag fees for interisland Hawaii travel
And here are Southwest’s one-way bag fees for interisland Hawaii travel, which only apply to flights that both begin and end within Hawaii:
| Checked Bags | First Checked Bag | Second Checked Bag | Third Checked Bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii residents | Free | Free | $50 |
| Non-Hawaii residents | $15 | $20 | $50 |
| Non-Hawaii residents who are Rapid Rewards A-List Members | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | $15 (price extends to member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | $50 |
| Non-Hawaii residents who are Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | Free (member plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation) | $50 |
| Active-duty military | Free | Free | Free |
How to pay for checked bags on Southwest
If you need to pay Southwest for a checked bag, you might wonder how to do it. While you'd think you could pay either online or at the airport, only one option works. For now, the only way to pay is at the airport.
This quirk was first flagged by Thrifty Traveler and later confirmed by AwardWallet through Southwest’s customer support team. That said, it’s unclear how long the policy will remain in effect, and it’s not mentioned anywhere on Southwest’s website.
How to Check Bags With Southwest for Free
There are four easy ways to avoid paying Southwest Airlines $35 (or more) to check a bag: book an eligible fare, carry a Rapid Rewards credit card, earn elite status, or use a travel or airline fee credit to cover the cost.
Carry a Southwest credit card
Southwest offers a variety of credit cards, and if you have one or are thinking about applying, you can leverage it to check a bag for free on your next flight.
Every Rapid Rewards credit card, from the $69 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees) to the $199 annual fee Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), now comes with the same perk: one free checked bag for the primary cardholder plus up to eight passengers on the same reservation.
Depending on how often you fly and check bags, this benefit, along with other perks that vary by card, can easily justify the annual fee. Just keep in mind that this free checked bag perk only applies to the primary cardholder, not authorized users.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Free Bags, Seats, and More: 3 New Southwest Card Benefits to Debut as Soon as May 2025
Earn A-List or A-List Preferred elite status
Whether you're a frequent flyer or just know how to stack tier-qualifying points, earning A-List or A-List Preferred status can unlock free checked bags on Southwest for you and those traveling with you. Here's a look at what each elite tier gets you:
- A-List
- Domestic and international flights: Check one bag for free for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation.
- Interisland Hawaii flights: Check one bag for free for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation.
- A-List Preferred
- Domestic and international flights: Check two bags for free for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation.
- Interisland Hawaii flights: Check two bags for free for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation.
If you hold either of these elite tiers and have a Companion Pass, the checked bag benefits also extend to your designated companion.
Book an eligible fare
The third way to get a “free” checked bag on Southwest is by booking an eligible fare. Southwest recently revamped and renamed its fare structure, and now one of its fare types, Choice Preferred (formerly Business Select), includes complimentary checked bags. If you book a Choice Preferred fare, you’ll be able to check two bags for free.
That said, Choice Preferred fares are typically much more expensive than Basic (most restrictive) or Choice (not as restrictive) fares. So if you’re thinking about paying up just for the perk of two checked bags, do the math first. In most cases, you’ll save more by booking a cheaper fare and just paying for the bags out of pocket.
Use a credit card travel credit or airline fee credit
If you fly Southwest a few times a year and regularly check bags — but don’t fly enough to earn elite status or justify a co-branded card — you might consider using a card with a travel credit or airline incidental fee credit to cover the cost. Plenty of cards include these perks.
One of the best options is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees). It comes with a $300 annual travel credit that reimburses travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. If you use it to pay for checked bags, you could save a bundle over time. It’s one of the most flexible travel credits out there.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)
- 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on all other travel
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
Another option comes via The Platinum Card® from American Express. If you enroll and select Southwest as your preferred airline, you can receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees, including checked bags, when charged to your card.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- With American Express Global Lounge Collection® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID - this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.¤
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
Even better, these credits can also be used to cover extra legroom seat selection fees, which Southwest will also begin charging for this year.
Related: Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits
Final Thoughts
It’s frustrating to start paying for something that used to be free, but c’est la vie. Thankfully, there are still a few ways to check a bag or two without paying, and some are rather affordable. If you’re sticking with Southwest, the best options are picking up a Rapid Rewards co-branded credit card or working your way toward A-List or A-List Preferred status. The former, at least, can pay for itself pretty quickly.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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