Southwest Airlines may have reached a new level of petty in their quest to nickel and dime passengers.
Already, the airline that marketed ‘transfarency’ – the idea that your ticket price is the full cost of your travel – has started charging for checked bags; imposing basic economy restrictions on tickets; plans to start charging for seats; and now expires travel credits.
However – in an unannounced change – they have started charging customers a fee to check bags curbside. Here’s a sign at their Dallas Love Field hub listing a price of $3 per bag.
Southwest is now charging an Agent Assist Fee at Check-in for Curbside at Dallas Love Field.
byu/LowFaresDoneRightEIR inSouthwestAirlines
I revealed exclusively in March that Southwest Airlines had fired all of its Skycaps, employees who assist with curbside check-in. They decided to gain labor cost savings by outsourcing to a third party.
At the time I wondered whether we might see Southwest start charging a fee per bag checked in curbside. However, the airline pushed back telling me that in the cities where they already outsourced curbside check-in, they did not charge for the service.
However American Airlines figured out that they could turn curbside check-in from a cost center to a revenue-generator by having a third party provide the service and splitting the fees. From the Southwest Airlines signage, it appears their work is outsourced to Bags, Inc., the same vendor that American Airlines uses. Once again, Southwest is copying their less successful competitors in an unrelenting march toward enshitification.
The Dallas-based carrier used to have a clear value proposition. They were a simple short haul carrier with friendly staff and friendly policies, and it made them the most consistently profitable airline in history and the model for low cost carriers around the world. Coming out of the pandemic their profits slimmed, and they decided they were bored with success. So instead of leaning into their competitive advantages they’ve pivoted to mimic the least friendly policies of less successful airlines like American and JetBlue.
Herb Kelleher is turning over in his grave as current CEO Bob Jordan selling planes and loading up on debt to fund stock buybacks in a screenplay we’ve seen before.
SWA is copying a provably successful element of their competitor. They’re not copying the entire competitor.
Zero sympathy for fired skycaps as their total income far exceeded any reasonable amount for the service provided because of America’s relentlessly foolish tipping culture.
@un I remember reading an article in the Chicago Tribune in the late 80s and it said Skycaps at O’hare could make over 75,000 a year. That was in the late 80s. Outrageous. Tipping is a joke.
@Hiker – inflation adjusted that is $200,000 a year, and when you consider the bulk of that income being unreported and therefore untaxed cash, it was effectively a $300,000 a year salary which is outrageous.
Tipping culture is a joke on every level. It’s more of an embarrassment to America than the current president.
regardless of how much skycaps make or made, Gary’s point is valid that WN’s customers are the ones that were blindsided.
They are looking to squeeze the poop out of every buffalo they can find. Their execs have said they are exceeding their cost cutting goals.
What else is next?
All of these moves will get SWAs Balance Sheet in better shape then they will be acquired or sold off in parts.
Why do you even need curbside check-in when just about everybody has a roller bag? It never takes me very long on United to check a bag. I just get my boarding pass and tag at the kiosk and give the bag to an employee.. A United employee will even push the kiosk buttons for you sometimes. I didn’t have to tip any of them. If you want extra special treatment then you can pay 3 bucks per bag.
@Hiker – I rarely travel at peak times, and never check bags, but this is for the folks that do. Sometimes at ORD or MDW, for example, a bag drop line might be 30 mins (yes, really), but a SkyCap might take only 5 mins. That can also be the difference between successful checkin and “I’m sorry, sir/madam, but you missed the cutoff by 10 mins.”
@Gary – Enshittification has two T’s in it.
So, so glad I decided to burn all those Southwest points this year. I should be about done with them in January, with only a small balance remaining.
WN did not guarantee anything would last forever.
Would you say DL customers have been blindsided when DL decided to start selling first class seats instead of giving them away as upgrades, so now it’s extremely difficult to get an upgrade as a Diamond on routes when in the past it would have been easy as a Silver?
@Un “WN did not guarantee anything would last forever.”
Literally two months ago they argued against my prediction that they would charge for curbside checked bags by pointing out that where they outsourced curbside check-in already they weren’t charging. their ceo promised in the fall that they would not charge for checked bags. so, sure, i guess they could say now ‘our fingers were crossed’ but they are certainly going back on their clearly articulated word. and here they made no announcement. so customers turn up at the airport surprised (and it’s a change made to trip cost after folks have purchased tickets).
@Hiker “Why do you even need curbside check-in when just about everybody has a roller bag? It never takes me very long on United to check a bag.”
Think about families with small children, or a parent traveling with 2-3 kids, they have more checked bags than the parent can manage while looking after their kids.
Let. Them. Fail.
I haven’t flown in 10 years, but when I did try, I and was able to get curbside help, I would gladly tip the person who was taking care of my bags. In my opinion tipping is how the person who is tipping. Values the service. That’s how I have always tipped. Yeah, generally it’s probably a little more than most people, but I put myself in the shoes that is doing the job that I’m more than likely don’t want to do.
I think that I may have flown WN twice or thrice, and that was years before C0v!d, the Great Reset, the Pause, and the Pivot. I’ve no beef with them, neither then nor now. The think is, just like I doubt that Global Airlines is going to bring back the Golden Age of Travel pre-Reagan-de(re?)regulation of the airlines, I doubt that WN ever will return to what is was pre-C0v1d.
As for Skycaps, yeah, I know. I last used a Skycap two months ago in a hurrty at MIA, and I (over)tipped for two rollerbags, and he was super-fast and efficient in taking it and giving me my boarding pass with all the correct information. Part of me says, that’s overkill at best, and mafia shakedown at worst for me without spouse and kids and multiple messy bags. Another part of me says, yeah, I’m sticking it to “The Man” “Corporate Greed” “Government Overreach” and just helping out another poor wage slave energetically making the best of it through the soul-crushing systerm.
Southwest, just another money grabbing airline now!
Why does Fatty hate capitalism so much? The inane errors in this rant boggle the mind. Southwest did not decide they were bored with success their shareholders did. You have other choices…try them.
Yeesh. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if they started charging an annual $49 Rapid Rewards program membership fee.
They are trying to see how many loyal customers they can loose and make it up by charging for checked bags and check-in. Greed will always loose!!
@Jim LeJeune – your strange aspersions notwithstanding, you don’t seem to understand capitalism when you treat shareholders as somehow not part of the company? And you suggest ‘just don’t fly them’ as the alternative when I’m writing that many will do just that – nothing inconsistent with a market in writing about the decisions of market participants!
“enshitification”
I’m gonna have to start using that one. Thanks, Gary!
Southwest is leaping hard toward mediocre. I priced a trip for later this month and United was better price, seats, and included luggage for $200 less round trip on a common route for both airlines. They may not think baggage costs matter, but when you factor it as an extra, you can make an informed decision.
Lots of things that used to be nice are now marching .towards enshitification
@Un: “WN did not guarantee anything would last forever.”
@Gary: “Literally two months ago they argued against my prediction that they would charge for curbside checked bags”
It’s all based on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. The time experienced by different flyers depends upon the airline on which they are flying. “Forever” for one person is 2 months for another.
I flew out of Love Field early this morning and curbside check-in was a shit show. It took me two hours to check my bag and get through security. I made it to my gate just ten minutes before my flight started boarding. The vast majority of passengers at the airport all said that they would rather fly out of DFW than deal with that chaos again. Southwest is losing customers loyal customers left and right.
I was a loyal A-List Preferred for a decade. As soon as I use up my Southwest points, I am joining the rest of the unloyal travelers and looking for the cheapest fare available. Southwest has lost my loyalty by basically telling me that my loyalty wasn’t worth theirs.
I realize that Gary Leff doesn’t know much about actual airlines and their operations, other than what he reads and reposts of course, but the fact of the matter is that the overwhelming majority of Southwest airports didn’t have sky caps to begin with, and the of the handful that did were mostly third party vendors.
Thankfully Gary pointed out value of sky caps once you have children. Whilst I have never used LUV, I can remember the delta sky cap that helped me every Friday afternoon for the better part of a year. Same dude, always with a smile. He was worth every dollar and made my exceptionally long day. I hope LUV sky caps are remembered and rewarded well.
@Gary Leff — I know we’re talkin’ SW here, but didn’tcha hear the great news: EWR is reopening the second (parallel) runway two weeks early (tomorrow, Monday), so, who knows, maybe all our troubles are behind us! (At Newark, at least… oh wait, how’s the radar? Yikes.)
One more time, too, anyone with access should definitely watch The Rehearsal Season 2 (Nathan literally becomes a pilot, just to highlight air safety concerns, especially with cockpit communication.) Worth the watch.
And still, nuthin yet on that Qatari 747? Yeesh…
SWA should have bought out the investment firm with a tender offer for their shares. Now SWA stakeholders are getting shafted by a “single” shareholder because executive management feared for their jobs.
Guess what SWA executives with little to no flyers, there’s no need for SWA to exist anymore, which means you are out on the street.
And remember this, that “single” shareholder could care less. You should have stood up for SWA stakeholders instead. We made SWA what it was “employees and business customers that flew regularly through out the fiscal year”.
And not that shareholder. Shareholders have no loyalty to any one corporation.
Good luck finding loyal business “flyers” now.
So glad that I don’t have to fly, do the two-three round-trip flights every month anyone. I guess I’ll let those points die on the vine. And why, because you made them almost worthless…
Herb Keller was right!!!
I probably am the odd one out but I liked the curbside check in as it
Was so much better than standing in those long li es…and yes I did tip them. Knowing now that SW fires their own employees I will not do this anymore.
Shame on SW air.
Enjoy the new lines. It takes 5 to 20 minutes to process one customer curbside in Phx now! The ticket counter is now unbearable now that the Swa Skycaps are gone. Worth a measly $5 tip you cheap people! You’ll see if you ever fly out of Phx.
Dynamic pricing and baggage fees means I now will check every airline for the best deal instead of flying southwest by default.
@gary left “Think about families with small children, or a parent traveling with 2-3 kids, they have more checked bags than the parent can manage while looking after their kids.”
You nailed it. 3 kids, ages 1, 3, and 6. Two massive car seats, and a booster. Plenty of carry-ons, and 1 checked bag too. Probably a stroller, which I’ll gate check so I can bring the baby through the airport. There aren’t enough hands, and it seems silly to get a luggage carry just to get inside. It’s great to have curbside check-in, and a bummer to see all the recent changes at Southwest.
Gary: excellent writing … summarizing SW Air in one sentence. “They were a simple short haul carrier with friendly staff and friendly policies, and it made them the most consistently profitable airline in history and the model for low cost carriers around the world.” Save it, put it on the SW tombstone …
and, $3 to take my suitcase, label and headed to my plane, a major hassle avoided … I got no gripes.
Going by the thinking that skycaps were making too much money, what is to be said about those working on Wall Street and hedge funds that make millions for little work? Shouldn’t the goal be everyone doing well enough to be comfortable regardless of the job?
I remember more than 33 years ago when I worked for a private company for American airlines at JFK, I did some partial work for the skycaps to make a quick buck and omg. They always had a heart attack if I took a passenger to the check-in counter and they would have a fit with me and I always knew that one day, their jobs will become from obsolete to completely diminished. I’m kind of glad that this happened cos many of them were really greedy and didn’t want to “share the wealth”.
I have used Southwest only as my carrier of choice as it had lower fares, bags fly free, and the friendliest and most helpful staff in the business. Now your CEO is breaking the brand promise and nickel and diming us to death. There is no advantage to my continuing to only fly SW, I’ll look for the cheapest flight now no matter the airline. Mr Jordan You have just cut off your nose to spite your face!!!!!!
The CEO OF SWAL MAKE MILLIONS ON ALL THESE FEE’S SEATS BAGS NO MORE MEALS EXCEPT FLIGHTS THAT GO 8HRS + & EVEN THAN YOU MIGHT NOT GET A MEAL OR YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PAY FOR IT BAG FEE ARE A JOKE LETS WAKE UP & GET WASHINGTON TO HELP US
So, WN stopped providing a service that all customers paid for and, in turn, have transferred the cost to those who use it? I like that. I’d have no problem if an airline who included free alcohol in economy plus, started charging. (To be fair I never have used a skycap and don’t drink on planes.) I also like it when those who benefit from a college education the most (the graduate) pay for it.
Venture Capitalist playbook. Shake every nickel loose from the investment, then sell themselves the best parts, then rent/lease them back to the purchase. Later roll in some debt, declare bankruptcy, make the debt and pensions and pesky employees all go away, and then sell off the valuable parts you own free and clear. Maybe somewhere in there is a merger attempt.
@Dave W – the beneficiary of a college education is society. Educated people make the world better. Idiots like you? Well that’s why God invented cancer, so you could die from it.
@tvjames – capitalism is the game in America so maybe instead of whining about it, get good?
With all of the changes SWA will lose me as a dedicated customer once my points are gone. After decades of travel with them I will now comparison shop. The $3 to check a bag at the curb is less than I tipped, but with children now grown and disabled spouse no longer able to travel, I don’t anticipate that being a needed service.
Complaining about OPTIONALLY paying $3 to use a skycap, then walking inside to happily spend $8+tip on a cup of coffee…hilarious.
Meanwhile Delta and AA charge well over $100 a year for the privilege of using their branded credit card on ever diminishing point values. That’s a lot of trips to the skycap!
This whole conversation would be akin to your hair lighting on fire because Costco raised the price of chicken from $5 to $7…..meanwhile everywhere else in town chicken is $10.
It’s also not as though Southwest is making a ton of money at the moment either. Not saying their management is great or doesn’t have problems, but perhaps you should ask yourself what kind of unrighteous acts Delta/United are imposing to have cash fly out of their nose at the moment? Seems to me SW is just being either more honest at best, or less adept at worst regarding how they frame charges.
It seems as though your View from the Wing is a little bent with a double standard.
It will be interesting to see what the bag and curbside fees will generate in revenue at the end of the year. I still believe that Southwest is being prepped to sell.
enshitification
Points for the perfect word.
Who is in charge over there Elon? Way to go Southwest, thanks for kicking us while we are already down. I will be avoiding your lack of service at all cost. People we do have a voice, use yours.
Is that a skycap or just a guy pretending to be a skycap and you will never see your bags again???
The idiot that wishes cancer on those who dare disagree with him/her speaks her/his venom again. I’d point out that society benefits from higher education, but the individual receiving a college degree receives the bulk of the benefit and is in a perfect position to judge if the education is worth it. Free college produces a lot more art history majors. It costs society a lot, but benefits us little. People who pay for college will ask if it’s worth it, thus less art history majors. Students pay only a small percentage of what it costs now, anyway. That’s what I’d say, but, of course, some here just prefer insults to discourse.
I will be keeping my $3.00 in my pocket. I’ve been loyal to SWA for years but not anymore. It’s just plain greed. That’s how you loose your loyal customers.
@UN YOU have a choice of Airlines as well as where to live. If you are embarrassed by America grab a dart and throw it at a map and pack up. Get the hell out of the USA. You won’t be missed even the slightest. Be sure and fly a foreign carrier when you leave & apply for citizenship legally. No returns on people like you.
@UN YOU have a choice of Airlines as well as where to live. If you are embarrassed by America grab a dart and throw it at a map and pack up. Get the hell out of the USA. You won’t be missed even the slightest. Be sure and fly a foreign carrier when you leave & apply for citizenship legally. No returns on people like you.