Southwest Baggage Fees (2026)

Since May 28, 2025, most fares pay for checked bags; Bags Fly Free® no longer applies to them. Carry-on and personal item remain free on all fares. U.S. Mainland checked bags (booked and ticketed, or changed, on or after April 9, 2026): Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred $45 for the 1st bag and $55 for the 2nd; Choice Extra 2 free; 3rd bag and later $150 each. Standard checked bag up to 50 lb and 62 in (length plus width plus height); no prepaid discount published. Free checked paths: Choice Extra, A-List Preferred (2), A-List and Rapid Rewards® credit card (1st bag), active-duty military (2), Getaways.

Prices are for Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred tickets on the U.S. mainland, booked or changed on or after April 9, 2026. Southwest charges each way, so a round trip pays twice.

Solo traveler, carry-on only: $0. Your carry-on and personal item are free both ways.

Round trip with 1 checked bag: $45 out plus $45 back makes $90.

Family of four, 2 checked bags, round trip: if two people each check one bag, that's 2 bags at $45, or $90 each way, so $180 for the trip. If one person checks both bags, it's $45 plus $55, or $100 each way, so $200. Splitting the bags between two travelers saves $20.

More trips worked out side by side: airline bag cost examples.

Based on Southwest’s optional travel charges and fees page (separate tables for tickets before and after April 9, 2026) and checked baggage policy (also carry-on policy). Key changes: Bags Fly Free® ended for most fares on May 28, 2025; mainland 1st and 2nd bag fees rose by $10 to $45 and $55 for tickets booked and ticketed, or changed, on or after April 9, 2026. Always re-check southwest.com: a change date can move you onto the newer table.

We also compared Southwest’s mainland and Hawaii interisland fee tables for tickets before and after April 9, 2026, and its checked baggage policy. The fees on this page match those tables ($45 and $55 on mainland tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026; $35 and $45 on older tickets; Choice Extra 2 free; 3rd bag and later $150; overweight and oversize fees unchanged; A-List 2nd bag still $35). Cabin carry-on and personal item still free on all fares. Always re-check southwest.com: a voluntary change date can move a ticket onto the newer table.

Current default: U.S. mainland tickets booked and ticketed, or changed, on or after April 9, 2026 (one way; same at digital check-in, kiosk or counter):

Always free: 1 carry-on (24 × 16 × 10 in) and 1 personal item on every fare (Basic through Choice Extra).

Paid checked bags (mainland, tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026): Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred pay $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second. 3rd bag and later: $150 each (even when the first two are free, unless a higher published allowance applies).

Free checked: Choice Extra (2); A-List Preferred (2); A-List (1st); Rapid Rewards® credit cardmembers (1st); active-duty military with valid ID (2); Getaways by Southwest™ (2 each person).

Fare names: lowest product is Basic (not Wanna Get Away® on the current fees table). Treat Basic as the Wanna Get Away successor for bag rules.

• Out-of-date “Bags Fly Free®” pages still show up in search. Since May 28, 2025, checked-bag fees have applied to most fares.
• Change date catch: voluntarily changing a ticket bought before April 9, 2026 can move you onto the $45 and $55 table.
• Southwest does not publish a $5 online prepaid discount like American’s.
• A-List 2nd bag is still $35 for tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026; it was not raised to $55.
• Oversize and overweight: one $200 fee plus the standard fee (up to 100 lb); you don’t pay $200 twice.
• Bags over 80 in (other than sports equipment or instruments) or over 100 lb are generally not accepted as standard.
• Hawaii interisland uses a different schedule; don’t apply mainland $45 and $55 prices there.

1. Fly with a carry-on and personal item only when possible.
2. Book Choice Extra if you need two free checked bags.
3. Having your Rapid Rewards number and A-List status on the reservation, and paying with an eligible co-brand card when it covers the 1st bag, can save the fee.
4. Stay within 50 lb and 62 in to avoid overweight and oversize add-ons.
5. Use military or Getaways benefits when eligible.
6. An itinerary change that re-tickets your trip can move it onto the newer fee table.

For published cabin dimensions, see Southwest carry-on size (24 × 16 × 10 in) and Southwest personal item (under-seat; no published L×W×H). Measure including wheels and handles before you fly.

Is Southwest still bags fly free?

Not on most fares. Since May 28, 2025, Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares pay for checked bags. On the U.S. mainland, tickets booked or changed on or after April 9, 2026 pay $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, each way. Choice Extra includes two free checked bags.

How much is one checked bag on Southwest for a round trip?

$90. Southwest charges $45 each way for a first checked bag on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred mainland fares, so the bag is charged once going out and once coming back.

Do I have to pay for a carry-on on Southwest?

No. One carry-on and one personal item are free on every Southwest fare.

I booked before April 9, 2026. Do I pay the new bag price?

Not unless you change the ticket. Older mainland tickets keep the $35 first bag and $45 second bag prices, but a voluntary change can move your trip to the $45 and $55 prices.

What does a third checked bag cost on Southwest?

$150 for each bag after the second, each way, on the U.S. mainland.

• Southwest carry-on size
• Southwest personal item size
• American baggage fees
• Delta baggage fees
• United baggage fees
• Frontier baggage fees

Fees and rules change; confirm on the southwest.com travel-fees page before travel. BagRule is not affiliated with Southwest Airlines.