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Southwest Airlines insists its hallmark “bags fly free” policy isn’t on the chopping block, even as the carrier prepares to release several details in the coming days about major changes to some of its longstanding policies.

Next week, executives at the Dallas-based carrier are expected to learn the specifics of a major commercial overhaul announced this summer — which will see Southwest end its hallmark open-seating policy and add extra-legroom seats for the first time.

When will seats assigned to Southwest booking channels take effect? What will its unique boarding process look like in this new era? How many new extra-legroom seats will Southwest planes have in the future — and what kind of access will A-list elite status members get?

We should know all that soon: In July, company leaders promised to detail the nuts and bolts of the changes when they hold their annual meeting with investors.

That meeting is set for next week, and is sure to be of great interest to airline industry insiders and frequent Southwest fliers.

Speaking to analysts in July, CEO Bob Jordan was clear about the scope of changes planned for the company as it aims to shore up the financials behind it.

“You have to be willing to challenge everything that’s not fundamental to you as an airline,” Jordan said.

But that tougher look at business has also fueled plenty of speculation over the airline’s popular free-baggage policy, even though executives insist it’s here to stay.

Speculation was rife on ‘Bag Fly Free’

After Southwest announced the end of its 50-year-old open-seating policy in July, hordes of TPG readers commented on the story on our Facebook page, with some speculating that new add-on fees for baggage could be the next proverbial “shoe.” leaving.”

“Soon they’ll start charging for bags,” one reader predicted.

Longtime aviation journalist and self-proclaimed Southwest loyalist Bennett J. Wilson She offered her opinion in an op-ed written following the airline’s announcement about assigned seating.

“At this point it seems anything is possible,” Wilson wrote. “Only time will tell what the evolution of the carrier will look like and what it will become.”

Southwest: No bag fees at work

To be clear, Southwest executives were adamant in July: No bag fees are in the works.

In fact, free bags are among the top three reasons Customs chooses Southwest, Jordan told analysts, contrasting the airline’s lenient policy with the widespread (and growing) checked bag fees at its competitors — some of which charge customers for full-size carry-ons. Also charges from. On the bag on certain tickets.

However, in August, Bloomberg reports The carrier began surveying customers on their appetite for paid bags, fueling speculation again.

Then, this month, the company went through additional turmoil when management made concessions to a group of activist investors who took a stake in the company earlier this year, demanding changes to boost Southwest’s financial performance.

Even today, however, the carrier is adamant: no baggage policy changes are on the horizon.

“There are currently no plans to change our industry-leading two-bag fly-free policy,” a Southwest spokeswoman told TPG on Tuesday, adding that the company regularly tracks customer sentiment on “many aspects of its business” to ensure “we remain competitive and current.” Staying on top of our customers’ preferences.”

It’s no secret: Southwest is extremely data-driven, citing exhaustive customer surveys to determine its new seats planned for new jets starting in 2025 and, indeed, to steer clear of open seats.

Financial analysts also do not support bag fees

And there’s good reason for Southwest to stick with free bags, not just to keep customers happy in the short term, financial analysts told TPG this week.

“We believe the bag fee will be seen as a ‘value grab’ and destroy Southwest’s brand,” said Savanti Sith, industry analyst at Raymond James. “We do not believe Southwest should be considered at this time.”

“I think they should keep their powder on the goods,” agreed William Swellbar, chief industry analyst at the Swellbar-Zong consultancy. “I’d rather see them focus a lot on the inside product, whatever that is [seats]Whether it’s other ways to bundle services, that kind of thing, before they jump into the stuff.”

Seat details (and more) are expected soon

On the issue of Swellbar, Southwest has a lot of big changes to talk about in the coming days, as it is.

Next week, leaders plan to share details such as:

• timeline for rollout of assigned seating; This summer, officials only confirmed that they will begin selling extra-legroom seats sometime in 2025.
• what’s new What the boarding process will look like, and how similar it will be to the current “quiet” process, Jordan said, is something the carrier hopes to replicate to the greatest extent possible.
• How A-list status holders could benefit from boarding and seating benefits under the new setup: “I think it’s safe to assume there will be seating benefits associated with that,” executive vice president Ryan Greene said in July.
• What the cabin layout will look like and how much extra-legroom seats will be available in the aircraft.
• Plans for phased Red-Eye flights by summer 2025.

All of this is a big undertaking for an airline hoping to return to the stellar financial performance that the carrier was known for throughout most of its history.

“I don’t think this is outpatient surgery. I think this is inpatient,” quipped Svelbar. “And there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

In the meantime, if you’re flying with Southwest, you can still enjoy that free checked (and carry-on) bag. And it looks like it should continue—at least for the foreseeable future.

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