Southwest Airlines is raising its checked baggage fee by $10, less than a year after ending its longtime “Bags Fly Free” feature, as jet fuel costs have jumped since the start of 2019. Iran war.
Customers who check one bag will pay $45 starting Thursday, while a second bag now costs $55, according to Southwest. Some travelers will still get a free first checked bag, including some loyalty tier members, eligible co-brand credit card holders and active duty military members.
The Texas-based company said in a statement that this step came “as part of ongoing business analysis and against an evolving global backdrop.”
Southwest has ended its generous, decades-old policy of allowing passengers to check two bags for free In May 2025It’s a move that represents a major shift for the carrier after years of marketing the feature As a major distinction.
The airline is joining now A growing list of US airlines Tariffs have increased since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, sending oil prices swinging as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global supplies. Threats to the narrow waterway, through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil usually passes, have led to higher prices for jet fuel, which is refined from crude.
Delta Airlines Baggage fees are higher It took effect on Wednesday. JetBlue and United Airlines Also raised Their bag fees last week.
Oil prices On Wednesday it was It falls to about $95 per barrel After President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran before the deadline he set Tehran will open the Strait of Hormuz And allow oil tankers to do so Exit the Persian Gulf. But prices remain well above pre-war levels amid risks of continued conflict.
Adding to the uncertainty is Iran Closing the Strait of Hormuz Again on Wednesday in response to Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, casting doubt on whether the fragile ceasefire will hold.
The average price of a gallon of jet fuel in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York was $4.81 on Tuesday, up from $2.50 the day before the war began, according to Argus Media. The energy market intelligence firm’s U.S. Jet Fuel Index tracks average prices across those major axes.
Outside the United States, a number of airlines are responding by adding or increasing fuel surcharges, a tool that US airlines do not typically rely on.