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.
Me personally love that SW went or is going to assigned seating. There was just to much drama getting a seat and boarding.
Mark my words, if they don’t Make some changes to undo some of these things, this will be the undermining of Southwest. When you start doing things that make customers look at your competitors for the first time in years, like I will be doing now you’re doing something wrong. I have no clue what American airlines and Delta etc charge for checked baggage but I’m going to be finding out this year and will be looking at the airfares for the first time in at least 5 years cuz I used to always just go to Southwest’s site. How is forcing me to shop going to be good for their bottom line, unless they plan on slashing airfares which so far I’ve heard it’s been the opposite. Blockbuster video started doing the same thing increasing prices and reducing services and I wrote to them years ago and they said they’re thinking of their shareholders and that’s why they made all the changes, well what are their shareholders think of now lol.
If there’s no competition you might be able to get away with it but obviously there’s plenty of competition in the airline industry.
I was a SWA skycap that was affected by the company wide layoffs. I decided not to take the Bags Inc job knowing that everything will change moving forward. Please know that it is not the fault of the skycaps that have decided to stay with the new vendor. We worked for our tips and not just asked for one like most places now. You can thank Elliot Management for the recent changes.
I am done with Southwest, they are no longer worth my drive to SDF, BNA, or IND to catch their flights. I am now booking DL and AA from my home airport. Amtrak is a great option now, I hope all the airline greed and poor service that is typical today opens new doors for Amtrak. They are often overlooked and on most routes offer the comforts of what would be considered business class on the airlines. Sure it’s slower paced, but don’t we all need to slow down and realize that the journey itself can be the vacation? I just took VIA Rails Canadian from Toronto out to Vacouver, it was wonderful…the best part was the wonderful people I met on board. Yep, its the rails for me now that I am retired.
On a trip a few months ago the curbside checking told us this. And at that point they had No idea what was in store with their jobs. If they’d still have one. Plus on another flight emplo, at gate was chatting with some of us and mentioned that Southwest gave themselves a Huge bonus right before they announced the baggage fees. Did they think people ( employees) wouldn’t talk. Also heard from another person who had a family member who worked for SWA, that they use to have a deal with the fuel suppliers for lower fuel price to help keep fares down when they cared. And all seems to have gone downhill since a new Head came in. That former Top man cared a lot. But not the new powers that be. Can’t swear on any of this, but was said by employees. Not hearsay.
I just booked my next flight with Delta. Right now, you have to pay for your bags on SW, plus another $35 each way for early bird check in so you can sit with family. That’s an additional $70 each way per person! Ridiculous! And their flights aren’t really any less expensive than others – where at least you can choose your seat. Seat selection for SW doesn’t start until sometime in 2026, enough time for their customers try other airlines and maybe prefer them! No way I’m paying an additional $140 in addition to my ticket price so I can get a decent seat and check a bag. SW made a huge mistake. If another air line were smart, they would allow the first checked bag for free. Most people now only travel with a carry on, so it might not impact them much, could be offset by new customers.
We take 10 or more round trips each year and never looked at another airlines. I guess it time to start shopping all the others. Too bad. Sad to see Southwest going the way of all the others.
I have always been an advocate of SW. As a travel agent, I steered my clients in that direction. They are just going to be like any other airline now with having to pay for bags and seats. It’s really a shame that someone new can come in and tear down the reputation that was built up. Def will be looking at all airlines now, when I never did in the past.
I have always been a SW girl, I bragged about only flying on SW. I would not look at another airline unless it an international flight and SW didn’t fly to that destination. All the perks they are doing away with is the reason I loved them. Guess I will be looking at other carriers, since SW is just like them now. I hate to say it but I don’t think they are going to be here to much longer. GREED is going to destroy a company that was #1 in the industry, at least in my eyes.
Another article speaks of this “playbook” from a famous movie of the 1980s about “Corporate Greed”. I say this is but another manifestation of the best-practiced merchants of greed, the “Small Hats”. Like a swarm of locusts with their “venture capital”, they look for a vulnerable company they can LOOT and RUIN, and leave a dried-out husk when they’ve had their fill. Southwest is being swarmed by them ATM.
Hitler had the right idea and the opportunity but he f***ed it up. Pity.
I only flew SWA for years. I am A List Preferred person. I will be taking AA for the first time BC they offer a nonstop to my destination. I was willing to have a layover but no more. AA has made me an offer that I must try. We will see, but no stops sound pretty good now days.
Our whole family have always flown SWA simply because we believe they were different. They where loyal to their customers, so we were loyal to them. Those days are gone. We will not fly them anymore. We simply look for best prices and convince. Sad that loyalty has been eroded by just about every company in America. My dad retired from the AF and then spent the next 25 years with one company that was loyal yo its workers. Now, I’m 59 and have been at 9 different companies because there are no loyal companies anymore. My daughter is 33 and is a VP at the 5th company that she has moved to. When asked why she moved so much. Her answer was a lack of employer loyalty. Anyways, Bye Southwest Airlines.
I, too have flown SWA more than any other airline. I didn’t mind the layovers, unassigned seats, and peanuts and pretzels. However, now that they have messed over the Sky cap’s jobs, many of whom were People of Color, I have had it! I will definitely be taking more Amtrak trips and researching other airlines.