Why Southwest's Big Changes Don't Matter To Me

 

I'm seeing that a lot of people are very angry and upset over Southwest Airlines big announcement regarding baggage fees and the way we earn points when we fly. 

Why Southwest's Big Changes Don't Matter To Me 

Southwest announced that they are joining other airlines and starting May 2025 will be charging for checked bags. We don't know the price yet, but the going rate is $35 per bag. Only A-List and Business Select fares will get two FREE checked bags. 

If you are a Southwest credit card holder, you will also get a FREE checked bag. Right now, you can apply for any Southwest personal credit card and get 30,000 bonus points plus a companion pass valid through February 28, 2026. This is a good offer, but I can show you how to get 135,000 points and the companion pass for almost two years in my Travel Coaching Program. Bonus, anyone on your reservation including your companion on your pass will get their own FREE checked bag. 

Southwest announced that it is modifying how many points you earn when you fly. In fact, this started already on March 4th 2025. 

Why Southwest's Big Changes Don't Matter To Me 

But for me and my clients in the Travel Coaching Program, these changes don't matter much. Let me tell you why. 

First, we don't check luggage. Yes, I know sometimes, you have to if you are moving a child across the country or moving things to other places. But in general, we believe that traveling lighter is better. So we are on TEAM CARRYON all the way. In fact, we recently tried traveling to a conference with just a personal item. You can read about that adventure here. And if you really need a checked bag, don't worry. Since we help our clients earn a Southwest Companion Pass, the best travel perk around, that would equal two FREE bags. You are right, it's still less than the four bags you get currently, but it's more than zero. 

Second, we don't pay cash for flights. Period. As a rule, we also don't earn points for flying on Southwest because we fly for FREE. So whether passengers earn 2 points per mile or 6 points per mile, it doesn't matter to us since we don't earn any points when we fly. We earn points in different ways. 

If you are interested in learning more about how we earn points and fly for FREE or how to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, check out my Travel Coaching Program. I would love to meet you!