Southwest's First Checked Bag Now Costs $45. A $99 Card Covers Nine People.
Southwest charges $45 for a first checked bag and $55 for a second on tickets booked or changed on or after April 9, 2026. That applies to Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares. Holding any Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card waives the first bag fee for you and up to eight other people on the same reservation.
The cheapest of those cards costs $99 a year. One round trip for two people with one bag each is $180 in fees without it.
The short version
First checked bag $45, second $55, each way, on tickets issued on or after April 9, 2026.
Tickets issued before that date keep the older $35 and $45 pricing.
Any Rapid Rewards credit card waives the first bag for the cardmember plus 8 companions.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card charges $99 a year, the lowest fee in the lineup.
Choice Extra fares and A-List Preferred members still get two free checked bags.
How much does a Southwest checked bag cost now?
Southwest Airlines prices a first checked bag at $45 one way and a second at $55 one way for Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares, on tickets booked or changed on or after April 9, 2026. Tickets issued before that date keep the older prices of $35 and $45. Carry-on and one personal item remain free on every fare, which is the one thing Southwest did not touch.
Run the round-trip math and the number stops looking small. One traveler with one bag pays $90. A family of four pays $360. Southwest also charges $150 for a third bag and stacks $100 to $200 on top for overweight or oversized items.
Which Southwest cards waive the bag fee?
Every consumer and business Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card waives the first checked bag, not only the expensive ones. Southwest's own fee page states the benefit directly, saying the primary cardmember and "up to eight Passengers traveling on the same reservation are each eligible to receive their first standard checked bag free."
Nine free bags from a single card is unusual. Most airline cards cap the benefit at four or five companions. Three rules decide whether it works:
The primary cardmember's Rapid Rewards number has to be in the reservation at booking.
Authorized users do not get the benefit. Only the primary cardmember triggers it.
New approvals take up to 14 days to show in your Rapid Rewards account.
The benefit also does not apply on flights booked with a partner carrier.
Is the $99 Plus card worth it for the bag alone?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card charges $99 a year and is the cheapest way to hold the bag benefit. At $45 a bag each way, the fee pays for itself on a single round trip for two people, or on two solo round trips a year. That is a low bar.
The Plus card also earns 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases on top of the points the fare itself earns, gives Standard seat selection 48 hours before departure, puts you in Group 5 boarding, and adds 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. None of those matter as much as the bag.
Should you get the Plus or move up the lineup?
Southwest sells four consumer cards, and the bag benefit is identical on all of them. What you pay more for is seating and earning. The Premier card adds Preferred seat selection at 48 hours. The Priority card lets you pick Preferred or Standard seats at booking, upgrade to Extra Legroom at 48 hours, and earn 4 points per dollar on Southwest.
Buy the higher fee only if you care about the seat. If the bag is the reason you are here, the Plus card is the answer and the extra money is wasted. Worth knowing before you apply: Chase's 5/24 rule applies, and the airline confirmed 11 airport lounges tied to a new premium Chase card earlier this month, so the lineup keeps moving.
What this means for you
If you fly Southwest at all and check a bag, the arithmetic is settled. A $99 card against $90 of fees per round trip is not a close call.
Never check a bag? Ignore all of this. Southwest still lets you bring a carry-on and a personal item free, and a no-fee card earning transferable points is worth more than airline points you have to spend at one airline. Our points and miles valuation guide covers why.
Booking for a group? Put the cardmember's Rapid Rewards number on the reservation before you pay. The benefit does not apply retroactively in any reliable way.
FAQ
Does the Southwest card bag benefit cover the second bag?
No. A Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card waives the first checked bag only. The second bag still costs $55 each way on tickets issued on or after April 9, 2026. A-List Preferred status and Choice Extra fares are what get you two free bags.
Do authorized users get a free checked bag?
No. Southwest's terms exclude authorized users of Rapid Rewards credit cards and employee cards on business accounts. The primary cardmember has to be on the reservation with their Rapid Rewards number attached.
How many people does the benefit cover?
The Southwest bag benefit covers the primary cardmember plus up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation, so nine free checked bags per booking. Everyone has to be on one reservation, not separate bookings made at the same time.
What if I booked before April 9, 2026?
Tickets booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026 keep the older fees of $35 for a first bag and $45 for a second. Changing that ticket on or after April 9 moves it to the new $45 and $55 pricing.
Is the carry-on still free on Southwest?
Yes. Southwest allows one carry-on bag up to 10 by 16 by 24 inches plus one personal item free on every fare type, including Basic. Only checked bags carry the new fees.
The bottom line
Southwest spent 2025 and 2026 dismantling the things that made it different. The bag fee is the one you feel most, and it is also the easiest to undo. A $99 card erases $90 of fees on a single round trip for two, and covers seven more people while it does it.
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