Southwest flyers fire back over airline ending free checked bag policy: Nail in the coffin

Travelers who claim to be loyal customers of Southwest are sounding off after the airline announced changes Tuesday to its popular passenger perk.The Texas-based carrier revealed several changes are being made in an effort to drive revenue growth and return to profitability shareholders expect, FOX Business reported.These changes will include an adjustment to its checked bag policy, which allows all passengers to check two bags for free.Southwest has not yet announced how much travelers will be charged, though the fee for a third checked bag is listed at $150 on southwest.com.The move, announced Tuesday, is triggering strong reactions from travelers on social media, with some even threatening to stop flying with Southwest if they can no longer receive free checked bags.“Call it what you will — boycott, mass exodus, defecting.Can we do that in a massive wave right now?” one person wrote in a Southwest Reddit thread.“Nail in the coffin,” another person wrote.“This was literally the last reason I still flew Southwest.

Now it’s just Spirit with different colors,” another user commented in a different thread.“I used to favor [Southwest] for the lack of baggage fees.They definitely will not be my first choice if their prices stay the same,” a Reddit user wrote.Fox News Digital reached out to Southwest for comment.Starting May 28, only Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares will get two free checked bags.Rapid Rewards credit card members will receive their first checked bag for free.Any other customers who do not fall into those two categories will be charged for both checked bags, according to Southwest’s press release.“It makes sense to be angry at Southwest because they have literally announced an intention to reverse their brand promise, that they have promoted as ‘transfarency’ regarding lack of fees or charges for checked baggage,” Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and ...