Thoughts on (One of?) My Final “Old” Southwest Trips

Southwest Airlines is only a few weeks away from truly becoming “just another” airline. I hesitate to call them a “low cost carrier” because their fares sure don’t reflect that (at least the ones I’ve seen).

My family and I just returned from a Southwest round-trip from the Los Angeles area to the Bay Area. My sister and her family took a separate trip — their first Southwest experience — from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Denver (DEN). It was (probably) the final time we’ll experience what’s “left” of the “old” Southwest. (I’m still trying to sneak in a quick Hawaii trip with my wife — my Companion Certificate partner — to burn some hotel stay credit within the next few weeks).

Southwest (in)famously torpedoed two of its unique features: two free checked bags for each passenger and open seating. The airline also announced it would get stingier with cabin service, eliminating it on short flights.

Passengers must now pay for checked bags — unless they have a Southwest credit card or purchase a qualifying ticket. The cabin service changes already took effect.

The trips between Burbank (BUR) and Oakland (OAK) this weekend, and hearing about my sister’s experiences, made me reflect on Southwest’s new identity.

Here’s what’s on my mind. And I’m curious to get your take, too.

No More Free Checked Luggage

This was a great perk. I rarely travel with two checked bags on my own but I certainly appreciated the first checked bag. (As did my clients when they booked me for travel jobs, because it saved them baggage reimbursement.)

Even my family of three never came close to six checked bags between us. But it was great for sports teams and other groups that check lots of gear, equipment, and general luggage. And I’m sure some people checked two bags each because, well, they could.

But like most good things, two free checked bags had to end sometime. Southwest was losing out on millions of dollars in checked-bag fees compared to other airlines. And if you want a free checked bag every time you travel on Southwest, then get one of their Rapid Rewards credit cards. Or pay for a more expensive ticket. In any case, Southwest is getting paid.

I have the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card card. Everyone on my itinerary and my Companion Certificate designee (Mrs. Carley), who was on a separate confirmation number, received a free first checked bag.

We use the card’s other features and get back the $229 fee. But even if you fly Southwest once or twice a year the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card could well be worth the $99 annual fee for the checked bags alone.

Open Seating

I have mixed feelings about Southwest ending open seating on January 1, 2026.

I will not miss setting alarms for 24 hours before each flight so I can get a decent boarding spot.

(I remember being in the press room at a Las Vegas event. In the thick of a busy red carpet — one of our craziest times of a job — phone alarms went off throughout the room, followed by about a dozen people going, “Hold on, I have to check in for my flight so I don’t get a bad boarding group.”)

On the other hand, there were plenty of times I scored exit row or bulkhead seats even with a B-boarding group position. Ironically, I rarely got those seats when I paid for Early Bird check-in! The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card gets me good preferred seating benefits, so that’s worth the annual fee.

I won’t miss having to ask fellow passengers, “What’s your boarding number?” as I try to find my spot in line. Or line-jumpers. Or watching the occasional confrontation between people arguing over one spot in line.

There was also drama when some people in your traveling group voluntarily chose to sit far away from others. (“Why is Bob sitting up front when we all told him we’re sitting back here? What’s his problem?!”) Now, you can blame it on, “Oh, man, sorry. I got assigned seat 12C. Nothing I could do about it. Sorry!”

Reduced Cabin Service

One of the things that made Southwest great was cabin service during most flights — even short hops. I’ve taken around 70 or 80 flights between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas. Practically all of them offered cabin service. Sure, many of them, particularly from Burbank to Vegas, were rushed. You didn’t have time to sip your drink so much as pound it like a shot. (Though, come on, it’s a flight to Vegas! Even slamming a Diet Coke can be fun!)

Yeah, that’s gone. Southwest is now Delta. They cheap out on service on shorter flights. Or the mysterious “expected turbulence” never shows up.

The People

I’ve flown Southwest for about 23 years. The employees aren’t as happy-go-lucky as they used to be. The famous safety briefings laced with jokes and smart-aleck remarks are long gone (or very rare). In-flight announcements with throwaway jokes aren’t nearly as common as they once were. I doubt we’ll ever see another impromptu, in-flight fashion show with Southwest flight attendants modeling their uniforms while others narrate and comment on the PA.

The culture seems to have shifted — a bit. But the Airline of Love’s customer-facing professionalism and friendliness are still very much there.

My sister noted that she really liked the Southwest employees she encountered during her trip.

Far and away, most of my Southwest employee experiences are very positive.

Final Approach

Southwest is only a few weeks away from losing most of its classic identity. Just like we longer go out of our way to fly Delta, we’ll fly Southwest when it fits our budget and schedule. The key, for us, is having the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card card. But I feel like these changes weren’t really needed to improve the customer experience. Then again, which companies care about that, anyway? Talk is the only thing that’s cheap.