United States
Low cost airline, Dallas Love Field hub Southwest Airlines baggage allowance
Southwest Airlines is a major U.S. carrier with an extensive domestic network, known for decades for including two checked bags in every fare, a policy it ended in 2025.
Cabin baggage
What you keep with you on board. The carry-on bag goes in the overhead bin, the personal item goes under the seat in front of you.
Carry-on bag
- Size
- 61 x 41 x 25 cm
- Weight
- 00 lb
- Pieces
- One bag
One carry-on bag allowed. Must fit in overhead bin.
Personal item
- Size
- No published limit
- Weight
- No weight limit
- Examples
- One personal item that fits under the seat.
Liquids: containers of 100 ml or less, all inside one transparent resealable 1 litre bag. Baby food, medication and sealed duty free purchases are exempt.
Power banks and batteries
Lithium batteries travel in the cabin, never in the hold. Since 2025 most carriers also ban using or charging a power bank during the flight.
| Item | Cabin | Checked | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power bank up to 100 WhAbout 27,000 mAh at 3.7 V | Allowed | Not allowed | One per passenger, under the seat, not in the overhead bin. Do not use or charge it on board. |
| Power bank 100 to 160 Wh | Approval needed | Not allowed | Maximum two, with airline approval before the flight. |
| Power bank over 160 Wh | Not allowed | Not allowed | Cannot travel on Southwest Airlines in any form. |
| Spare laptop and camera batteries | Allowed | Not allowed | Terminals taped or in original packaging, up to 100 Wh each. |
| Devices with built-in batteriesLaptops, phones, cameras, tablets | Allowed | Switched off | Better in the cabin. If checked, fully switched off and protected from accidental activation. |
| E-cigarettes and vapes | Allowed | Not allowed | Cabin only, never used on board. |
Checked baggage
Southwest included two checked bags in every fare for decades and stopped in 2025. Today only Choice Extra carries them, along with A-List Preferred status; everyone else pays $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, and $150 from the third onward.
| Cabin | First bag | Second bag | Max weight per bag | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred | $45 | $55 | 23 kg | 158 cm |
| Choice Extra | Included | Included | 23 kg | 158 cm |
Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred: No free checked bag. A third bag onward costs $150.
Choice Extra: Two checked bags included. A third bag onward costs $150. Allowances change by route, fare family and booking date, so confirm on the official Southwest Airlines baggage page before you pack.
Checked bags by fare
The policy Southwest was famous for now survives on one fare. Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred all pay the same as each other, so paying up twice changes nothing about baggage until you reach Choice Extra.
| Basic | $45 first bag, $55 second | |
|---|---|---|
| Choice | $45 first bag, $55 second | |
| Choice Preferred | $45 first bag, $55 second | |
| Choice Extra | 2 bags included, 23 kg each | |
Every bag is 23 kg and 158 cm before extra charges. A third bag onward is $150 whatever the fare. Active duty military travel with both bags free on any fare. Tickets issued before 18 April 2026 use the older prices of $35 and $45, see status extras.
Excess baggage fees
Southwest charges the standard bag fee first, then adds the penalty on top.
| Situation | What you pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Third bag onward | $150 | Per bag, on every fare |
| Bag over 23 kg, up to 32 kg | $100 plus the bag fee | Overweight is charged in bands |
| Bag over 32 kg, up to 45 kg | $200 plus the bag fee | The upper band |
| Bag over 158 cm, up to 203 cm | $200 plus the bag fee | Both oversize and overweight is still $200 |
| Sports equipment and instruments | Oversize charge waived | Up to 292 cm for sports gear and 381 cm for instruments. Weight bands still apply |
The penalty sits on top of the standard fee rather than replacing it, so a 30 kg bag on a Basic fare is the $45 bag fee plus $100. Status and cardmember bags cover up to eight people on the same booking, which is unusual and worth using.
Estimate your excess fee
Your allowance
Estimate in US dollars based on published rate ranges. The exact fee depends on your route, currency and booking date. Confirm on southwest.com before you pay.
Before you pack
Six habits that keep you out of the excess baggage queue.
- Weigh bags at homeA luggage scale costs less than a single overweight bag fee, and it settles the argument at home rather than at the counter.
- Prepay extra weight onlineBuying through southwest.com is 10 to 20 percent cheaper than paying at the counter.
- Wear the heavy itemsBoots, coats and jackets on your body do not count toward any limit.
- Use compression bagsVacuum bags cut clothing volume by up to 75 percent, which helps with the 158 cm size rule.
- Check your credit card perksSome premium cards include extra baggage or refund fees on selected airlines.
- Use your Rapid Rewards statusHigher tiers add extra weight or an extra bag on top of the fare allowance, see status extras.
Rapid Rewards status extras
Frequent flyer status adds to the fare allowance. The extra applies to the member only, on Southwest Airlines operated flights.
| Tier | Weight concept routes | Piece concept routes | Also included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Rewards member | None | None | Fare allowance only |
| Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmember | None | +1 bag | First bag free, and for up to eight companions |
| A-List | None | +1 bag | First bag free, and for up to eight companions |
| A-List Preferred | None | +2 bags | Both bags free, and for up to eight companions |
Sports equipment, instruments and infants
Special items travel with conditions. Every one of them needs advance reservation, and acceptance at the airport is not guaranteed without it.
| Item | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Sports equipment | Golf bags, skis count as 1 checked bag each |
| Musical instruments | Can be carried on or checked |
| Surfboards and oversize items | charged as a normal checked bag, with the oversize charge waived up to 292 cm |
Book special items online before travel. Airport prices are higher than the same allowance bought online, and hold space is first come, first served.
Check-in and bag drop deadlines
Counted back from scheduled departure. Miss the bag drop cut-off and the bag does not fly, even if you do.
Southwest Airlines sets its check-in and bag drop deadlines by airport rather than publishing one timeline. Check the times on your booking, and allow longer if you have bags to drop.
If your bag does not arrive
Delayed and damaged bags follow a strict clock. Most claims fail because the report was made after leaving the airport.
Report before you leave the hall
Go to the Southwest Airlines baggage services desk in the arrivals baggage hall. You get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) with a 10 character reference. Without it there is no claim.
Track with the PIR reference
Use the reference and your surname on the Southwest Airlines baggage tracing page. Most delayed bags arrive within 48 hours and are delivered to your address free of charge.
Keep receipts, mind the deadlines
Essentials bought while the bag is missing can be claimed. Damage must be reported within 7 days, delayed bag expenses within 21 days of delivery, under the Montreal Convention.
How Southwest Airlines compares
Benchmark these limits against the rest of the industry before you decide which bag to bring.
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