Southwest Bag Fees 2026: First Bag Now $45 (Ultimate Guide)

If you booked Southwest expecting free checked bags, check your confirmation again. Here’s the reality of Southwest bag fees 2026: the airline that built its entire brand on “Bags Fly Free” ended that policy on May 28, 2025 — and then raised the new fees less than a year later. For reservations ticketed on or after April 9, 2026, a single checked bag costs $45 each way on most fares.

This guide to Southwest bag fees 2026 covers the current fee table, who still gets free bags, weight and size limits, and seven legitimate ways to avoid paying.

Southwest Bag Fees 2026: Current Checked Bag Fees

Southwest charges per bag, per one-way flight. These are the fees for Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares on bookings made or voluntarily changed on or after April 9, 2026:

Bag	Fee (each way)
1st checked bag	$45
2nd checked bag	$55
3rd bag and beyond	$150

A few things worth noting:

• It’s the booking date that matters, not the travel date. If you ticketed before April 9, 2026 and haven’t changed the reservation, the older $35/$45 rates still apply to that trip.
• Fees are per direction. One checked bag on a round trip costs $90 total. A family of four each checking one bag on a round trip pays $360 — money that cost nothing before May 2025.
• Hawaii inter-island flights have their own scale: for non-residents, the first bag doubled from $15 to $30 and the second jumped from $20 to $40.

A quick history of how we got here

For 54 years, Southwest gave every passenger two free checked bags — the last major U.S. carrier to do so. On May 28, 2025, that ended overnight: $35 for the first bag, $45 for the second. Then in April 2026, citing higher operating costs, Southwest added $10 to each: $45 and $55. That’s a 29% increase on the first-bag fee in under twelve months.

Who Still Gets Free Checked Bags on Southwest?

The fee hike doesn’t hit everyone. These passengers still check bags free:

• Choice Extra fares — two free checked bags included with the fare.
• A-List Preferred members — two free checked bags, and the benefit extends to up to eight companions on the same booking.
• A-List members — one free checked bag.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers — one free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation (on qualifying bookings). As fees rise, this perk keeps getting more valuable.
• Active-duty U.S. military — baggage benefits unchanged; still fly bags free.

If you fly Southwest even a few times a year and check a bag each time, the math on the credit card or A-List status is worth doing. Under Southwest bag fees 2026, one free bag per round trip saves $90.

Carry-On and Personal Item: Still Free

Here’s the good news, and it’s a genuine advantage over competitors: every Southwest passenger — including Basic fare — gets a free full-size carry-on plus a free personal item. American, Delta, and United don’t extend full carry-on access to their basic economy fares.

Current size limits:

• Carry-on: up to 24 x 16 x 10 inches (fits in the overhead bin). Note this is slightly larger than the 22 x 14 x 9 inch standard at most other U.S. airlines.
• Personal item: up to 16.25 x 13.5 x 8 inches (must fit under the seat in front of you).

If you can make the carry-on work, you skip the $45 entirely. More on packing strategy below. For what you can and can’t pack in either bag, check the TSA’s What Can I Bring tool before you head to the airport.

Weight and Size Limits

• Weight limit: 50 lbs (23 kg) per checked bag.
• Size limit: 62 linear inches (length + width + height).
• Overweight (51–70 lbs): expect a surcharge of roughly $100–$150 on top of the bag fee, per bag, each way. (Southwest has not published major changes to overweight pricing with the 2026 update — confirm the current figure in Southwest’s official checked bag policy before you fly, as these surcharges can shift.)
• Oversized (63+ linear inches): additional oversize charges apply.

Extra-bag and overweight rules work similarly on international budget carriers — see our guide to Flydubai extra baggage charges.

The practical rule: keep every checked bag under 50 lbs. A $10 luggage scale pays for itself the first time it saves you a $100 surcharge.

7 Ways to Avoid (or Reduce) Southwest Bag Fees

1. Fly carry-on only

The obvious one, and easier on Southwest than anywhere else thanks to the generous 24-inch carry-on allowance. For trips under 5 days, most travelers can make it work with packing cubes and a laundry stop.

2. Get the Southwest credit card

One free checked bag per flight for you and up to eight companions. If you check bags on 3+ round trips a year, the card pays for itself in fee savings alone.

3. Book Choice Extra when the price gap is small

Sometimes the fare difference between Choice and Choice Extra is less than $90 round trip — in which case the two free bags (plus the other Extra perks) make it the cheaper total.

4. Earn A-List status

25 qualifying one-way flights or 35,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year gets you A-List and one free bag per flight.

5. Ship it instead

For long trips or moves, services like UPS or FedEx Ground can be cheaper than $90–$150 in bag fees — and your stuff meets you there.

6. Split weight across bags — strategically

Two 40-lb bags cost $100 total ($45 + $55). One 55-lb bag costs $45 + ~$100 overweight surcharge = ~$145. The second bag is almost always cheaper than the overweight fee.

7. Wear your heaviest items

Coats, boots, and jeans on your body instead of in your bag. It sounds silly; it saves real money at the 50-lb boundary.

Southwest Bag Fees 2026 vs. Other Airlines: Full Comparison

Airline	1st bag	2nd bag	Carry-on
Southwest	$45	$55	Free (24″)
American	~$35 online / ~$40 airport	~$45	Free (22″)
Delta	~$45 online / ~$50 airport	~$55	Free (22″)
United	~$45 online / ~$50 airport	~$55	Free (22″, not Basic Economy)
Spirit	~$34–$99 (dynamic)	varies	Paid
Frontier	~$53–$63 (dynamic)	varies	Paid

Southwest bag fees 2026 are now squarely in line with the legacy carriers — the “Bags Fly Free” pricing advantage is gone for most passengers. What remains is the carry-on advantage: free full-size carry-on even on the cheapest fare, which American, Delta, and United basic economy don’t match.

For a full side-by-side of every major U.S. carrier, see our 2026 checked bag fee comparison. Flying internationally? Compare with our guides to Asiana Airlines baggage allowance, Korean Air baggage allowance, and Japan Airlines baggage allowance.

FAQ

Did Southwest really end free checked bags?
Yes. The “Bags Fly Free” policy ended May 28, 2025. Since then, most fares pay for checked bags, and fees increased again on April 9, 2026.

How much is a checked bag on Southwest in 2026?
Under Southwest bag fees 2026, it’s $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, each way, for Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares booked on or after April 9, 2026. A third bag costs $150.

Do I pay the new fee if I booked before April 9, 2026?
No — existing bookings keep the old rates unless you voluntarily change the reservation, which reprices it under the new fee structure.

Is a carry-on still free on Southwest?
Yes. One carry-on (up to 24 x 16 x 10 inches) plus one personal item remain free on all fares, including Basic.

What’s the weight limit for Southwest checked bags?
50 lbs and 62 linear inches. Bags between 51–70 lbs face an overweight surcharge (roughly $100–$150 on top of the bag fee — verify current figures on southwest.com).

Who gets free bags on Southwest now?
Choice Extra fare passengers (2 bags), A-List Preferred members (2 bags), A-List members (1 bag), Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers (1 bag), and active-duty military.

Is Southwest still cheaper than other airlines with bags?
For checked-bag travelers, mostly no — fees now match American, Delta, and United. Southwest’s remaining edge is the free full-size carry-on on every fare and no change fees.

Key Takeaways

• Southwest bag fees 2026: $45 first bag / $55 second bag / $150 third+, each way (bookings on/after April 9, 2026).
• “Bags Fly Free” ended May 2025 — don’t rely on outdated advice.
• Carry-on + personal item remain free on all fares, with a generous 24-inch carry-on limit.
• Free checked bags survive for Choice Extra fares, A-List/A-List Preferred, credit cardmembers, and military.
• Never pay overweight fees if you can avoid it — a second bag ($55) beats a ~$100+ overweight surcharge.
• The fee is set by booking date, not travel date — changing an old reservation reprices it.

Fees verified against Southwest’s official April 9, 2026 fee update and current reporting, September 2026. Airlines adjust fees periodically — always confirm in Southwest’s official checked bag policy before you fly.