Southwest announces revamped fare bundles: What to know
FILE - A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 airplane approaches San Diego International Airport for a landing from Las Vegas on April 20, 2025, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
DALLAS - Southwest Airlines announced new fare bundles this week as it prepares for other major changes coming in the weeks ahead.
The Dallas-based airline said the new fare choices will be available for booking in the third quarter of 2025 for flights beginning in 2026. Here’s what to know:
Southwest’s new fare bundles
What we know:
Southwest’s new fare bundles, branded as "Choice Extra," "Choice Preferred," "Choice," and "Basic," will start as the airline begins selling assigned and premium seating.
- Choice Extra, the most expensive option, comes with an extra legroom seat, early boarding, two free checked bags, in-flight internet and more.
- Choice Preferred includes early general boarding and access to a preferred standard seat at booking.
- Choice comes with general boarding for the ticketholder and a standard seat assignment in the back of the plane at booking.
- Basic, the cheapest bundle option, means the ticketholder will get a seat assignment at check-in (generally in the back of the plane) and will board last. The Basic fare replaces Southwest’s "Wanna Get Away" fares.
What they're saying:
"With new choices like seat selection and extra legroom, our enhanced fare bundles let customers customize their trip while still enjoying our industry-leading reliability and hospitality," Tony Roach, Southwest’s executive vice president of customer & brand, said in a statement.
Southwest checked bag policy
What's next:
For reservations booked and ticketed or changed on or after May 28, 2025, Southwest previously announced that checked baggage fees will begin applying to most customers.
Southwest Airlines to end free bags policy
Southwest Airlines will end its decades-old policy allowing "bags to fly free" as their marketing put it. Starting in May, passengers will be required to pay for checked bags.
The backstory:
Previously, Southwest had famously offered two free checked bags for every flight and every fare purchased.
What we don't know:
It’s still unclear how much it will cost to check a bag, but Southwest said it "will align with industry standards."
Dig deeper:
Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will receive the first checked bag for free, as well as up to eight additional passengers traveling on the same reservation.
Southwest seating policy
What's Changing:
Southwest will begin offering booking for assigned and premium seating in the second half of 2025, and expects to begin operating with assigned and premium seating in 2026. Previously, Southwest had famously offered a love-it-or-hate-it open seating policy.
Southwest ending its open seating policy
A lot of news coming out of the airline industry as Southwest is officially ending it's long-standing open seating policy and Delta is being investigated after over 5,000 flights were cancelled in the last week. Kyle Potter joins LiveNOW with the story.
RELATED: Real ID deadline arrives in May: What to know now
Southwest layoffs
Dig deeper:
Earlier this year, Southwest said it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company's 53-year history.
What they're saying:
The job cuts, which are scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan by the airline to slash costs and transform the company into a "leaner, faster, and more agile organization," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Southwest Airlines on April 28, 2025. It was reported from Cincinnati, and Megan Ziegler contributed.