Ugh! Southwest Increasing 5 Different Fees

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Is it just me, or does it seem like 2023 is just THE YEAR for airlines increasing prices and fees? I mean, didn’t American just introduce a new checked bag fee less than a month ago? Welp, here’s another one to add to the fire…

Effective August 15, 2023, Southwest will be raising fees on FIVE options:

Overweight bags

Like most airlines, the weight limit for checked bags on Southwest is 50 pounds. They currently charge a fee of $75 for bags between 51 and 100 pounds.

Effective August 15, the fee will change to:

• $100 for bags between 51 and 70 pounds
• $125 for bags between 71 and 100 pounds

Oversized bags

Southwest currently charges $75 for oversized bags. On August 15th, that fee will increase to $125.

Three or more bags

Southwest is the outlier of its peers in that it doesn’t charge for the first and second checked bag. However if you check 3 bags or more, you have to pay for those.

Southwest currently charges $75 for each of the third, fourth, etc, bag. On August 15th, that fee will increase to $125.

Unaccompanied minors

Southwest currently charges $50 each way, for each unaccompanied minor (defined as a child age 5 through 11 who is traveling alone). That fee will increase to $100 each way, for each unaccompanied minor, effective August 15th.

Pet fare

Southwest Airlines accepts small vaccinated domestic cats and dogs to travel as pets. All in-cabin pets must be carried in an appropriate carrier. Each pet carrier counts as a carry-on or personal item. The fee for this is currently $95 per pet carrier. However as of August 15, the fee will increase to $125 per pet carrier.

I’ll give Southwest credit – at least they’re not just quietly increasing the fees. The intended increases are out there on their fees (sorry…”Optional Travel Charges” sounds better than “fees”) page.

Granted, not every person who flies on Southwest will affected by these increases; if they don’t bring extra baggage, or large, overweight bags, if they don’t send their young children as unaccompanied minors, and don’t bring their pets onto the lane with them, then they dodged this particular “fee increase” bullet.

But for those who do, they can expect to pay an extra $30 to $50, or more, per flight, depending on the optional service they choose.

Awesomesauce.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary