Southwest Airlines
WNGenerous PoliciesFees & Flexibility
Baggage fees, change and cancellation rules, and basic economy restrictions for Southwest Airlines. All data sourced from the airline's own published policies.
Southwest's cheapest fare is named Basic and does function as a basic-economy tier: no free checked bags (the $45/$55 rate applies), boards last in Group 8, no seat selection, and excluded from same-day change and standby unless the passenger holds A-List status. Carry-on stays free at every fare, and no fare carries a change or cancel fee (nonrefundable fares return travel funds/credit, not cash). Corrected 2026-09-04: this field previously claimed Basic keeps free bags, which stopped being true when the checked-bag fee took effect 2026-04-09.
Source: Airline published policy · Last verified: 2026-08-07· How we source this data
Government-Tracked Metrics
The U.S. Department of Transportation tracks how airlines treat their passengers. These are the same metrics that feed into our scoring engine.
passengers filed a complaint
passengers bumped involuntarily
bags mishandled
Source: DOT Air Travel Consumer Report (complaints, denied boarding) and BTS On-Time Performance database (mishandled baggage). How we source this data. The government tracks these metrics to maintain transparency in airline consumer protection.
Reliability Snapshot
Aggregated across all Southwest Airlines routes, sourced from BTS On-Time Performance data.
minutes
of delay minutes within the carrier's control · 20% weather / ATC
Schedule padding is the extra time an airline builds into its published schedule beyond the actual flight time. More padding can buffer against delays. Controllable delays are within the airline's power: scheduling, staffing, and maintenance. Weather and ATC delays are outside its control. Based on 322,130 delayed flights with cause data.
Aircraft Southwest Airlines Flies
Seat specs, WiFi, power, and swap odds vary by aircraft type, not by airline. Pick a type below for the real numbers.
How Southwest Airlines compares
See how Southwest Airlines stacks up against any other airline on bag fees, change policy, and more.
| Spec | Southwest Airlines | |
|---|---|---|
| Carry-on bag | Included | |
| Checked bag 1 | Up to $45 | |
| Checked bag 2 | Up to $55 | |
| Change fee | Free | |
| Cancellation | Credit only | |
| Basic economy | Carry-on included | |
| Economy seat pitch | 31" | |
| Policy Score | Generous |
Baggage and change policy data as published by each airline. Policy Score reflects fees and flexibility only.
Related Reading
Guides and articles about Southwest Airlines and the policies that affect your trip.
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