Southwest prides itself on its perks and freebies, even extending to the Southwest baggage coverage. Southwest Airlines is the one home airline the place each passenger — no matter standing, fare class and even the bank cards of their pockets — can examine two luggage without spending a dime.
Moreover, all passengers can convey a carry-on and a private bag on board for no further cost. Southwest is your finest wager should you’re on the lookout for an airline the place you will not have to pay additional to convey baggage.
Southwest carry-on tips
With Southwest’s carry-on tips, you might be allowed as much as one carry-on measurement bag and one small, private merchandise — all for no additional charge. Southwest counts pet carriers as your private merchandise or carry-on, and you will additionally have to pay an additional pet-in-cabin charge.
Your carry-on merchandise might be saved within the overhead compartment on the aircraft and should be no bigger than 24 inches lengthy by 16 inches huge by 10 inches tall.
Private objects embody purses, briefcases, backpacks, digital camera luggage, laptop computer luggage, blankets and pillows (excluding neck pillows). These smaller objects might be saved beneath the seat in entrance of you and must be no better than 16.25 inches lengthy by 13.5 inches huge by 8 inches tall — as that’s the measurement of the house beneath Southwest seats.
Nonetheless, Southwest does not depend some objects as private objects or carry-on objects. Along with your private and carry-on objects, you may as well convey the next on board for no additional price:
- A toddler restraint system
- Assistive/mobility units for people with a incapacity (there is no restrict to the variety of assistive/mobility units you may convey on board)
- Outer clothes or different wearable articles of clothes
- Meals in disposable packaging
- Strolling canes or umbrellas
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Southwest checked luggage
With the Southwest baggage guidelines, your first two checked luggage are free in the event that they match inside the allowed weight and measurement limits. Particularly, every checked bag ought to weigh 50 kilos or much less and be 62 inches in measurement (the sum of the bag’s size, width and peak) or smaller.
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Southwest Airways’ baggage coverage is without doubt one of the most favorable insurance policies amongst all airways. Even in case you are flying on a Southwest Companion Pass, you might be nonetheless entitled to examine as much as two luggage per individual for no further price.
Sporting gear
Southwest permits many sports activities gear luggage to fly free and depend as a part of your checked baggage allowance. For instance, your skis, golf luggage and even surfboards fly without spending a dime (together with on intra-Hawaii flights). You would possibly spend a whole bunch of {dollars} on many different airways to journey with this stuff.
For snow gear, you might be allowed one pair of skis or one snowboard, a set of poles and one pair of ski/snowboard boots. You’ll be able to put the whole lot in a single bag. Nonetheless, even when the gear is packed individually and spans two luggage, it nonetheless counts as one bag towards your allowance. For golf luggage and surfboard luggage, weight limits do apply.
In case your sporting gear exceeds 50 kilos in weight or 62 inches in measurement, it is going to be topic to Southwest’s obese and oversize baggage charges.
You’ll be able to try Southwest’s full coverage for sports activities gear on its website.
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Obese and outsized Southwest baggage charges
In case your bag is heavier or bigger than allowed, Southwest will cost you a charge of between $100 and $125 per bag every manner for luggage between 51 and 70 kilos; it prices $125 per bag every manner for luggage between 71 and 100 kilos. Baggage between 63 and 80 inches in complete measurement will incur a charge of $125 per bag.
However since you might be allowed two luggage per passenger, you might be higher off with two luggage that fall inside the measurement and weight allowance than one bigger or heavier bag.
There are two instances when Southwest will waive the obese or outsized baggage charge:
- You’re a member of the navy touring on energetic responsibility or everlasting change of station orders.
- You’re checking massive media digital camera gear.
Nonetheless, you could ship any bag weighing greater than 100 kilos or exceeding 80 inches (the sum of the bag’s size, width and peak) as cargo.
Extra Southwest baggage charges
After the 2 complimentary checked luggage, every further checked bag will price $125 every manner. In case your extra baggage is larger or heavier than the complimentary allotment, you will be charged the surplus baggage charge of $125 plus the obese or oversize charge of between $100 and $125.
The one exception is in case you are a member of the navy touring on energetic responsibility or everlasting change of station orders; in that situation, your further checked baggage will likely be complimentary. Nonetheless, no passenger (together with active-duty navy members) can examine greater than 20 items of luggage per flight.
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Find out how to keep away from Southwest baggage charges
Fortuitously, Southwest’s baggage charges are as minimize and dried as they’re beneficiant. So long as you solely examine two luggage per passenger and your luggage are inside the measurement and weight limitations, you will not face any baggage charges.
Nonetheless, if it’s good to examine greater than two luggage or a bag that’s bigger or heavier than the complimentary allowance, there is no strategy to keep away from Southwest baggage charges. You will have to pay the charges no matter your Southwest elite standing, fare booked or Southwest credit card.
If it’s good to pay a charge for extra baggage, obese or outsized baggage, or particular sporting gear, a number of travel rewards cards will let you use annual statement credits towards the acquisition. For instance, you should utilize the Chase Sapphire Reserve®‘s $300 annual travel credit towards any travel-related buy, together with baggage charges.
Some American Express cards supply airline fee credits that may cowl your baggage charges if you choose Southwest as your airline of selection.
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Backside line
With the Southwest Airways baggage coverage, most vacationers will discover their checked luggage will fly without spending a dime. Whether or not checking your luggage or carrying them on, so long as they fall inside the airline’s very cheap limits, you will not want to make use of your bank card to pay for bags charges.
Southwest has among the best baggage insurance policies by far. Not having to pay baggage charges when flying Southwest can prevent a ton of cash in your subsequent trip.
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