George S. May Business Blog

Southwest Airlines’ “hidden fees” have come out of hiding

 The lack of extra fees for 1^st and 2^nd checked bags, combined with attendants like the one in this incredible video has always made Southwest Airlines a favorite for me. But, all good things have to come to an end and Southwest Airlines has introduced a few new policy changes. Let me say, however, the charges still pale in comparison to those by a multitude of other airlines.

Unaccompanied Minors (UM)

The airline has announced that it will charge a $25 fee for any unaccompanied minor traveling on its flights. Children who qualify as a UM are between the age of five and eleven and, obviously, are traveling without an adult. CEO Gary Kelley comments:

“Up to this point, we’ve been fortunate enough to offer this added service without a charge-even though we carry increasing numbers of Unaccompanied Minors each year-but we simply cannot afford to continue down this same path. There is a substantive cost associated with the extra care needed to safely transport unaccompanied children, including Employee time and administrative work, and these costs can not be ignored any longer, not in today’s economic environment. ”

The UM fee will start for folks booking tickets on June 1 and for travel starting June 17.

Third bag charge

Southwest has also decided to up the fee for a third checked bag. The first and second ones are still free, but the third piece of luggage will now cost $50 to check. This fee will also start June 17. The overweight (+50 lbs) bag charge will also be doubled to $50 per overweight bag, from a previous $25 per bag.

Either way, as I said above, Southwest’s “extra charges” are miniscule compared to most airlines who will charge you just for checking one bag.

Now, if you haven’t gone to see the video I linked to above, go watch it.

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