Southwest has been in the news a lot recently, and here they are again.
Southwest airplane
Most recently, they’re the victim of over 500 airline delays due to thunderstorms, have been told they need to pay a $140 million fine for their massive 2022 shutdown, and revealed their new seat design last month while the internet tore them to shreds. Now, the airline is majorly cracking down on carry-on bags.
No, they’re not limiting the size of your carry-on, instead, the airline is cracking down on the number of bags you have.
Southwest Cabin
According to The Wall Street Journal, when recently flying, gate agents were rattling off what counts as a personal item — Fanny packs, Cross-body bags, shopping bags, (yes, even ones you got in the airport), pillows, and blankets (!!!). If you have any one of these, that counts as your personal item, which means your ACTUAL personal item is now your carry-on, and your carry-on now has to be checked.
©Southwest
This change began on February 22nd to get ahead of spring and summer travel. Often, airlines will offer to check your bag at the gate for free, but this still throws a massive wrench in the plan for many travelers. If you bought something at the airport and it won’t fit in your bag? Well, too bad.
©Southwest
Southwest often boasts its two-free checked bag rule, so while the majority of passengers may just be annoyed at the change, it won’t cost them extra. This may majorly affect those traveling with several bags which may cost them more than what they budgeted for.
Southwest Airplane
If you’re traveling with Southwest soon, keep this new rule in mind and make sure you can fit your fanny pack/small purse/crossbody bag into your larger backpack, or else you may have to check your suitcase at the gate. We do our best to keep you updated on all the latest travel news, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB.
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I think this is presented a little unfairly. They are basically just enforcing a rule that people were trying to get around by carrying full size pillows, and putting stuff in shopping bags so they could carry more on the plane. Those things still take up bin space and it’s unfair to others who are obeying the rules.
Yay!!! For Southwest!!! I fully agree. It is frustrating to watch so many people drag carryons on southwest flights; it holds up boarding and departing the plane. Two free checked bags people, it takes just a few minutes to grab your luggage at airport. Thank you Southwest!
It’s about time. People abuse the privilege and bring multiple bags on board, which takes up all the overhead bin space.
Weird. Flying Southwest now and at the gates they are not talking about pillows and blankets. The FAA rules state only 1 personal and 1 luggage. This goes for all airlines. A small fast food bag does not count but a shopping bag would. I fly SWA almost weekly.
Hmmmm.
The following is from the Southwest app-
You may carry on one bag and one personal item. The bag should be stowed in the overhead compartment, and your small personal item should be stowed under your seat.
Sizing up your carryon and personal item:
One carryon bag
Goes in overhead bin
Size limits: 24” (L) + 16” (W) + 10” (H)
Examples: roller bag, small suitcase
One carryon personal item
Goes under your seat
Examples: purse (including crossbody bags), briefcase, laptop computer case, backpack, pillow (neck pillows do not count toward the carryon limit), blanket, small camera
Could the WSJ writer have misheard?
I’m fine with this! Southwest is far better than most airlines, so the abusers are being doubly abusive since Southwest’s seating plan is advantageous to everyone when EVERYONE follows it. If you have one single carry-on that fits easily in the overhead, you quickly find a seat, put your bag in the overhead, and sit down, leaving the aisle open for those behind you. Easy peasy!
I fly Southwest all the time, my daughter works for Delta, I could be flying free…BUT I fly SW because of their non stops and their non stops only. Absolutely hate their boarding process, and it really worries me that so many flights are canceled because of weather…are they not like most airlines that go around the weather? Are the pilots not experienced enough, I would certainly hope so, but I do question it, and worry because my family is on a SW flight atleast 6x a year or more!
Just flew Southwest last night – this may be their policy, but they sure do not enforceit – I was on a flight from Las Vegas to Dallas & heard the announcement about the 2 bag policy & then watched as 2 women boarded – one with a roller bag, a carry on bag and a cross body & her friend had the same plus a shopping bag of items she purchased in the airport – no one from Southwest said a word to them, so between the 2 of them, they boarded with 7 carryons. I hate when a company has rules but does not enforce them.
Need some clarification …flew out of Indy and asked specifically about a neck pillow being counted as a carry-on; both Indianapolis and Burbank said they did not count as a carry-on. Then, I get to phoenix airport and am told I had to put my neck pillow in my bag. I find a lot of inconsistencies with what is considered a “personal item”/carry-on.
This isn’t just Southwest doing this, Alaska Airlines has been doing this for a bit now as well. I was recently on a Hawaiian Airlines flight and they were also doing the same thing. And I wouldn’t say they are changing the rules, they are just enforcing them now. People, including myself have been pushing the limits with carryons now for a long time. I am fully okay with them finally enforcing the rules.
Thank you, Southwest airlines !! It’s about time that rules are going to be enforced as far as carry-on luggage. I think some people would carry their “kitchen sink with them if they could. I never travel with more than a roller carry-on and I check it with the sky cap. Luggage pickup at the carousels doesn’t take that long.
Southwest has been doing this at PIT for a while. The gate agent will ask the person to step out of line if they have more than two items and consolidate them before getting back in line. No lie, a woman in front of me had a rolling bag, a tote bag, a crossbody bag, a neck pillow, a jacket AND loose books stacked on top of the rolling bag. Of course, she pitched a fit when she was told she had to combine down to two.
For those of you commenting that it only takes a few moments to get your luggage, clearly you don’t fly into MDW frequently. We’ve had up to 1 hour waits for luggage