It’s been a whirlwind of a week for Southwest Airlines.
A lot of loyal fliers were already upset that the airline would be doing away with its open seating policy later this year, but then Southwest really brought down the hammer in a…not-so-great way. Earlier this week, they announced that they’d be doing away with their “two checked bags fly free” policy, and well, the internet immediately decided to let them know that essentially no one is happy about this change.
The way Southwest announced this change on social media was…not the greatest move, according to the internet. Southwest started off its Instagram announcement by saying, “It’s not like we traded Luka.” (It’s a basketball joke for all you non-sports people.) However, the joke certainly fell flat.
The post has over 14,000 comments (and counting!) and many people are curious why Southwest hasn’t turned off its comments yet, as commenters are scolding the company for this change. Some of the most popular comments inlcude this one from @_emily_wine_ saying, “Imagine getting rid of your own competitive advantage 🤧”.
Other people are criticizing the Instagram post itself. Some commenters went as far as to call it gaslighting, while others said things like, “y’all really thought you ate with this one.”
Even the fast-food chain account @whataburger got in on the action, asking, “Do Whataburger bags still fly free?”
Many customers have also shared that the free bags were the only reason they were loyal to Southwest and that they now see no reason to continue to fly with them. Remember, if you’re A-List Preferred with Southwest, you still get two checked bags for free, if you’re A-List you get one checked bag for free, and if you’ve got a Rapid Rewards Credit Card, you’ll get one checked bag for free per ticket purchased. Everyone else? Well, you’ll need to pay for any bags you want to check.
We’re curious to see how this all plays out, as this move was clearly not something customers are happy about. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest news so you’re prepared for your upcoming trip, so stay tuned to AllEars!
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How do you feel about this change? Tell us in the comments!
I stopped flying Southwest when they did away with nonstop flights to Orlando. I saw no reason to spend 6hrs on a plane for a 2 1/2 hour flight. Once they started adding a few nonstop I was considering going back to them, basically for the free bags. Now, what do they offer that is any different than any other airline? They basically took their 2 things that made them great to fly & threw them out the window. Who is in charge of this?