It is the last day to reserve a flight on Southwest Airlines without being hit with costs to check the bags after the airline has abandoned a baggage policy of several decades that the leaders had described last fall as a key to differentiate the budgetary carrier of his rivals.
THE airline announced the change in March, saying that the new policy would start with flights reserved on Wednesday.
Southwest had built years of advertising campaigns around its policy to leave passengers for two bags for free. According to his new policy, people who have not reached the higher levels of his quick loyalty program for awards, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline credit card will have to pay for the recorded bags.
Southwest will continue to offer two free plaid bags for fast rewards and favorite customers and customers traveling on commercial prices, and a free checked bag for members of list A and other selected customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards Credit Cards will receive a credit for a checked bag.
People who are not eligible for these categories will be billed to check the bags. The airline said in March that it would also deploy a new basic price on its cheapest tickets when the change would take effect.
In September, the airline estimated that the bills of the bags would bring about 1.5 billion dollars per year, but would cost the airline $ 1.8 billion in customer license that chose to fly to the southwest due to its generous luggage allocation.
Southwest did not immediately respond to a request for comments on its new plaid bag fees, but most of the major airlines generally bill $ 35 and $ 40 for recorded bags.
Another policy It will take effect on Wednesday, the South West will force passengers to keep their portable chargers in sight while using them due to concerns concerning the growing number of Lithium-ion battery fires.
These are not the only changes in the southwest. The Dallas airline had previously announced that it left behind another tradition from the Southwest, the cargo open system that it has been using for over 50 years. Southwest plans to start operating flights with passengers In the attributed seats Next year.
The airline also said last year that it Invoice additional customers for more legs for the legs And offer red eyes flights.
The Southwest has fought recently And is under pressure from militant investors to increase profits and income. The airline reached a truce In October with the Hedge Fund, Elliott Investment Management to avoid a power struggle, but Elliott won several seats on the company’s board of directors.
The airline announced in February that it was elimination 1,750 jobs, or 15% of his business workforce, during the first major layoffs of the 53 years of company history.
