Expert Issues Warning to Southwest Airlines Customers

It's no secret that flying on Southwest Airlines feels a lot different today than it did at this time a year ago after the airline made several high-profile changes over the past several months.

Now, as Southwest moves forward with these new policies, one travel expert has a warning to those looking to book their next trip with the airline.

Southwest Ends Free Bags and Open Seating

The two most high-profile changes that Southwest Airlines has instituted in recent months have been the elimination of its "Bags Fly Free" policy and its longstanding open seating policy.

Back in May of 2025, Southwest officially ended its policy that allowed all passengers two checked bags free of charge. Now, Southwest charges $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second.

In January, Southwest officially eliminated its open-seating policy. Previously, passengers simply chose whichever seat they desired upon boarding the plane in order of check-in time. Now, seats are assigned in advance guests must purchase a more premium fare option in order to select their seats.

A Warning About 'Basic'

With the change to assigned seating, Southwest has introduced four new fare options: Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra. However, while some travelers might be tempted to go with the "Basic" option, especially considering Southwest's previous status as more of a budget airline, Leslie Harvey of The Points Guy warns Southwest customers to think twice.

Harvey warns that the "Basic" class simply won't work for some travelers and is not the same as Southwest's previous deals.

"As the name suggests, the least expensive Basic fare is truly a more restrictive basic economy option that won't work for all travelers. It's not equivalent to Southwest's Wanna Get Away fare of old. Only book Basic fares once you have a very thorough understanding of what you might be giving up," Harvey wrote for The Points Guythis week.

As Harvey points out, there are several restrictions to the "basic" class that customers should be aware of.

"Basic fares cannot be changed, do not come with the right to select seats, only earn a paltry 2 points per dollar spent and are generally assigned the last boarding groups. In the event you cancel a Basic fare, the fare credit issued is only valid for six months beyond the time of booking. Travelers on Basic fares also can't use Southwest's same-day standby or same-day change options," he added.

So next time you're booking a flight on Southwest, it's worth ensuring you know exactly what your fare includes before booking the ticket.