No-fees business model gutted: Baggage Fees and Other Changes
Mar 14, 2025 | 5:08 am
#286
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2024
Posts: 204
And the challenge with WN is they don't fly to many destinations I want to go to (i.e. Australia or South America). Whereas it's not too difficult for me to keep my Qantas status through a mixture of flying on QF, AA and other OW partners, with WN status I must take 20 flights with them each calendar year or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points (which works out to what $5K in WN spend supposing I earn 6 points per $ on a ticket)? Frankly it's just not going to happen. Sure they'll point to credit cards, but not everyone wants to pay an annual fee or go over 5/24 just so they can get a free bag on the odd occasion they want to fly WN.
What WN had before was certainty. You always knew irrespective of what fare you bought, when you flew WN you would be able to check bags and could get a seat. This new system brings a lot of complexity and confusion and I think will steer quite a few people away. Whereas before I might be tempted to choose WN if they offered a non-stop over a connecting AA flight as I knew I would get my bags checked, now I'm more tempted to look at holding my nose and flying that AA connecting itinerary. At least I know I'll have bags and lounge access (QF Gold and OneWorld Sapphire or better members in programs other than AA or AS always get lounge access, even on domestic trips).
-RooFlyer88
What WN had before was certainty. You always knew irrespective of what fare you bought, when you flew WN you would be able to check bags and could get a seat. This new system brings a lot of complexity and confusion and I think will steer quite a few people away. Whereas before I might be tempted to choose WN if they offered a non-stop over a connecting AA flight as I knew I would get my bags checked, now I'm more tempted to look at holding my nose and flying that AA connecting itinerary. At least I know I'll have bags and lounge access (QF Gold and OneWorld Sapphire or better members in programs other than AA or AS always get lounge access, even on domestic trips).
-RooFlyer88
Mar 14, 2025 | 5:27 am
#287
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2024
Posts: 204
With everyone making significant $ on bags, WN offering it on Basic fares was shooting its own balance sheet. Its not a charity.
The risk though is WN overall doesnt offer many of the same aspects as the others. Matching others only in some money grabs and having a gap in aspirational things is a risk.
UA CEO Kirby says WN removing the sacred cow is the only logical move and wont cause nearly as many defections as people might think. Hes probably right, but I bet the defections skew spendy types.
The risk though is WN overall doesnt offer many of the same aspects as the others. Matching others only in some money grabs and having a gap in aspirational things is a risk.
UA CEO Kirby says WN removing the sacred cow is the only logical move and wont cause nearly as many defections as people might think. Hes probably right, but I bet the defections skew spendy types.
Mar 14, 2025 | 8:56 am
#289
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: spg (Plt) Hilton (gold) Marriott (silver) WN (CP & A-listerP) Delta Silver AA gold
Posts: 104
Status Match
Just wait... united and AA will do a status match program for SWA flyers-- maybe in the fall as people start seeing the negative impact of what SWA is doing to itself. I for one will look at 2026 as a year I make a decision to keep flying SWA or transition to a legacy carrier. This from a 25+ year companion pass holder and A-list Perfered member.
Mar 14, 2025 | 10:08 am
#290
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Central US
Programs: WN CP, HHonors, Hyatt Platinum, IHG Premier, Amtrak
Posts: 556
Just wait... united and AA will do a status match program for SWA flyers-- maybe in the fall as people start seeing the negative impact of what SWA is doing to itself. I for one will look at 2026 as a year I make a decision to keep flying SWA or transition to a legacy carrier. This from a 25+ year companion pass holder and A-list Perfered member.
Mar 14, 2025 | 11:57 am
#291
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Programs: AA LT EXP, Marriott LT Titanium Elite, DL PLat
Posts: 3,404
We fly youth sports teams around the US. WN fares have not been competitive for the past 12 months or so however the free bags and open seating along with simple to understand fares made them a no brainer. Most times we'd select a 1 stop on WN vs a direct on another airline.
With these changes we have no reason to take 1 stops anymore which reduces the risk of loosing baggage (Hockey bags and sticks etc.).
2024 we did 12 round trips on WN with an average of 30 pax. Not a huge loss to WN but a loss never the less.
With these changes we have no reason to take 1 stops anymore which reduces the risk of loosing baggage (Hockey bags and sticks etc.).
2024 we did 12 round trips on WN with an average of 30 pax. Not a huge loss to WN but a loss never the less.
Mar 14, 2025 | 12:12 pm
#292
Join Date: Dec 2020
Programs: QF, CoUniHound Refugee
Posts: 520
One open question (and I don't think the press release called this out) is whether these new fares will have carry on bags included. For instance, if you are booked on a basic fare could you bring a carry on item in addition to a personal item? What is also less clear is how the so called extra leg room seats work. Presumably this will require the airline reconfiguring the seating on their plane which will take some time. How will Southwest deal with a passenger who spent extra $$$ for an extra leg room seat but only got a regular seat?
-RooFlyer88
-RooFlyer88
Mar 14, 2025 | 12:27 pm
#293
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 47,124
I am seeing WN getting absolutely slaughtered on social media over this - just curious, is there a single person here on FT that supports this change?
Mar 14, 2025 | 1:26 pm
#294
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: BNA
Posts: 479
Sounds like you would not want to fly Southwest with that status anyway. The avergae WN flyer in a city like BNA or SMF doesn't have your status. A WN flyer without a high level status on an airline like AA would fly them once and see how bad the service is on AA as a non status flyer and go right back to WN even with these changes for the nonstop. AA is still worse on a connection than the new WN on a nonstop.
Last edited by Cardboard55; Mar 14, 2025 at 1:28 pm Reason: forgot to mention seating
Mar 14, 2025 | 1:49 pm
#295
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 62,517
Sounds like you would not want to fly Southwest with that status anyway. The avergae WN flyer in a city like BNA or SMF doesn't have your status. A WN flyer without a high level status on an airline like AA would fly them once and see how bad the service is on AA as a non status flyer and go right back to WN even with these changes for the nonstop. AA is still worse on a connection than the new WN on a nonstop.
WN doesnt offer lifetime status. It is a transactional game. So I will transact with WN when it meets specific criteria and as few times as possible
If WN offered a lifetime program that would be notable.
Mar 14, 2025 | 2:21 pm
#296
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 4,679
A couple of wise guys but 99% against. One of the conspiracy theories is that they're intentionally making the rollout as bad as possible so they can roll back some of the changes in a few weeks and say "we listened". Then the changes they keep are easier to stomach. The likelihood of that is not high but it's not zero.
Mar 14, 2025 | 2:57 pm
#297
Join Date: Dec 2020
Programs: QF, CoUniHound Refugee
Posts: 520
A couple of wise guys but 99% against. One of the conspiracy theories is that they're intentionally making the rollout as bad as possible so they can roll back some of the changes in a few weeks and say "we listened". Then the changes they keep are easier to stomach. The likelihood of that is not high but it's not zero.
-RooFlyer88
Mar 14, 2025 | 4:04 pm
#298
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN A-list preferred, United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 22,843
Given the amount of uncertainty in the markets given recent events, I do wonder whether this was such a clever idea. I have no doubt consumer confidence will go down. And when consumers are less confident about the economy and there is less certainty in the market, what are the chances they'll be booking flights much less on an airline that seems to be changing the rules every couple of months?
Mar 14, 2025 | 4:39 pm
#300
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN A-list preferred, United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 22,843
Too clever and too long-term for Elliott. They are hit and run raiders. This plan will boost short term results and damage long term performance. Perfect!