Is Southwest Airlines Still The Go-to For Budget Travelers?

I am a longtime fan of Southwest and have flown the airline endless amounts of times.  However, I will admit that recent changes to the Southwest's operating policies, at least for this particular travel, have stripped away the parts of its identity that initially attracted me to the airline in the first place and kept me coming back over and over as a repeat customer.

Look! My devotion to Southwest Airlines has been undeniable. I have used the airline so many times that I actually have a favorite flight. It's the first flight out every day from BNA (Nashville International) to LGA (LaGuardia) in New York City. It's exceptionally convenient and dependable. It's cheap. It's quick. It gets me to LaGuardia in about two hours. From LaGuardia, I can hop on the Q70 bus and take the LaGuardia Airlink to the Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue subway stop. From there, I can hop on a World Trade Center-bound E Express train and be in Manhattan- specifically the stops in Hell's Kitchen- within an hour of landing. That flight is money. Of course, before this week, the word 'money' was more figurative than literal.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BAGGAGE FEES

See, my loyalty to Southwest has wavered considerably in the last year. First of all, the airline's now charging for bags, when you used to be able to check two of them- per passenger- for free.

READ MORE: Southwest Airlines’ Decision to End Free Checked Baggage Sparks Strong Reactions from Kentucky and Indiana Travelers

Yeah, that's right. Most passengers have to pay $35 for their first checked bag. If you check a second bag, that's going to cost you an additional $45. Before May of 2025, you would not have been out that extra $80 and could have used that money at your destination.

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES INTRODUCES ASSIGNED SEATS

And, just this week, the airline formally ditched its open seating policy and boarding gates around the country are getting a new, 8-group boarding process design. While I didn't love having to check into my flight exactly 24 hours before to snag a decent boarding group assignment, I did enjoy the freedom to just plop down where I wanted on the plane and not have to worry about paying extra money to select a seat. Those days are now officially over. The A/B/C boarding groups have been laid to rest with all those free checked bags.

Southwest has given into what I call 'airline class warfare.' Seat assignments and boarding groups are going to work just like they do on every other airline. YAWN! Those boarding groups are determined by seat location, how much you paid for your seat, your 'loyalty' status, and whether you've signed up for the company's credit card (another money grab and proverbial bend of the knee). And, you know what that means! If you paid a 'basic' fare for your seat, you're going to be relegated to the last boarding groups.

I'll give you one guess why the airline made the changes. Any guesses?  Let me help you out. The answer is simple- soul-sucking investors who want more profits. Keep in mind, according to SimplyFlying.com, Southwest's revenue in 2024 was over $27.6 BILLION dollars. According to MacroTrends.net, their gross profit in 2024 was over $6 BILLION and that was up 6% from the prior year. Southwest was making tons of money. They just want to make tons more. For me, this reinforces a life-long belief I've had. Investors may have dollars, but they don't always have sense.

They have gutted this brand of its unique identity and attractiveness in the travel industry. Consequently, this particular traveler is no longer loyal to Southwest Airlines. The things about the company that set it apart from its competition are gone. Southwest used to be the first airline I checked when booking flights to any destination. Now, it's just another option. Officials of the airline are convinced this will make Southwest more attractive to people who never used to consider it. Okay, fair. But it's made it far less attractive to those of us who rarely considered its competition.

I've taken four major 'Chadventures' since Southwest announced its policy changes and I have only flown Southwest on one of them.