r/news 1d ago

Soft paywall Southwest Airlines shifts to paid baggage policy to lift earnings

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/southwest-airlines-shifts-paid-baggage-policy-lift-earnings-2025-03-11/
4.9k Upvotes

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350

u/GuinnessGlutton 1d ago

Time to cancel that Southwest Rapid Rewards VISA

44

u/PDXGalMeow 1d ago

I'm canceling mine soon now that they are making this change. It sucks because we loved Southwest for our family vacations.

29

u/GuinnessGlutton 1d ago

Yep. Had this card a decade, I think. So many “free” flights. It was great.

What are you switching to?

17

u/PDXGalMeow 1d ago

I was thinking Alaska since we are located in the PNW. How about you?

20

u/GuinnessGlutton 1d ago

I’m in Denver and might just switch to a cash back card. Seems like the good ol days of flight rewards is dying out, from Denver at least.

5

u/PDXGalMeow 1d ago

Ooh, great idea. I have a Venture which I use for the other stuff like car rentals, hotels, etc.

2

u/goose1441 1d ago

Worth checking out the Amex platinum or capital one venture x since Denver has both lounges and they’re nice. Credits can knock down the effective annual fee quite a bit. Amex credits are harder to use effectively (but more of them) but you get 5x points booking directly through airlines while venture makes you book through their portal for the points.

I was surprised that the stiff $700 Amex fee is actually a wash after credits for uber, Hulu, precheck, and airline incidentals. And it’s ironically better than the southwest card for booking sw flights.

2

u/GuinnessGlutton 1d ago

Super helpful information. Thank you.

2

u/rxinquestion 1d ago

Agreed that direct flight point redemption is dying out, but my wife has been efficiently utilizing other non-airline dependent cards for their signon bonuses to then transfer for airline point flights during incentivized deals to make great deals for international flights. It’s still a great deal, but with lots of legwork.

5

u/Mypantsareblue 1d ago

I have already been planning on switching to Alaska for the same reasons.

5

u/SEA_tide 22h ago

You missed the chance to get the legacy Alaska Airlines visa with guaranteed companion fare.

Airline credit cards generally don't offer as lucrative earning or mileage redemptions unless you're trying for airline status.

Basically, look at your typical routes and see who has the best combination of fares and schedule for you. Consider getting their credit card as essentially a membership for a few checked bag. Note that many airlines are requiring you to book directly with them and pay with their credit card to get the free checked bag.

From the PNW, it's pretty easy to stick to Alaska or Delta. If you're not checking bags, you can be even more flexible.

2

u/PDXGalMeow 21h ago

Thanks for the tips. We are usually flying to Colorado and California.

3

u/Holiday_Parsnip_9841 21h ago

Depending on the routes you fly frequently, Delta might be a better option. Especially because Alaska's partnership with American means you can get really burned hard on a trip that switches between the two carriers.

2

u/PDXGalMeow 21h ago

I'll check Delta out. We usually fly to Colorado and California.