Southwest Airlines Rids Of Free Checked Bags Offer

Southwest flyers will need to pay $35 for one checked bag and $45 for a second starting Wednesday.

Southwest airline customers will now need to pay fees for checked bags.

The airline had announced the plan to charge for checked luggage in March without offering pricing details.

However, we now know flyers will need to pay $35 for one checked bag and $45 for a second starting Wednesday.

Aside from charging for checked luggage, the airline will also start offering a new “Basic” fare tier starting tomorrow, a low-cost, no-frills offering that will replace the airline’s current cheapest “Wanna Get Away” tier.

Basic ticket holders will be among the last to board the plane and will not receive perks like advanced seat assignments once it becomes available later this year.

The airline described the changes as a “strategic” bid to boost revenue.