Originally Posted by
storewanderer
I know you are serious here but... I am not with you- however I hope you are right. Maybe fares will go down $10 or so to make up for the checked bag fees. However, has Southwest management mentioned they plan to get more competitive on fare pricing as a result of the checked bag fees? I have missed that if they have said it. Maybe they can't say it. Maybe on May 29 they will cut every fare in the network by $10 to account for the new checked bag fee of $35 or whatever it will be. So in the end you who checks no bag pays $10 less, great. But the customer who checks two bags pays $60 more ($70-$10). But I doubt it will go like this. I expect you will pay the same price as before.
Bingo. But what you left out is that the Basic fka WGA fares don't work for non-elites anymore. Because many of us don't buy tickets without seat assignments. Prior to this year that was never a problem on WN because you could simply pay $20 for EBCI, if needed. And get a few of these fees credited on cards. Once seat assignments are implemented NOBODY will buy Basic who wants an aisle, or window, or family nearby.
So yes, WGA fares may drop $10 but that won't matter because I'll now be paying +$50 one-way (the average I pay on UA, AA, AS, DL) to stay out of the Basic class. And I'll probably go with a competitor where my status guarantees an E+/C+ seat.