How to fly with ‘free’ checked bags after Southwest ended its perk

The ultra-budget carrier Frontier Airlines has pounced on free bags as a winning value proposition after Southwest Airlines angered loyal customers last week by dropping its “two bags free” brand-defining policyFrontier Airlines began selling “economy bundles” Tuesday for flights that include one free carry-on bag, free seat selection and free flight changes for non-stop flights through Aug. 18.

Frontier is also offering a bonus of one free checked bag for summer travel booked directly on the airlines’ website or app before Mar. 24 for travel May 28 through Aug. 18.

The promotion begins on the same day Southwest Airlines is ending its longstanding policy of two free checked bags, a policy change that shocked and angered loyal customers when announced last week.Frontier CEO Barry Biffle suggested a potential long-term poaching of Southwest’s former brand differentiator, saying in a statement, “If travelers show us the love, we’ll make these perks permanent.”

Since announcing it was ditching free bags, Southwest has faced fierce backlash across social media and forums such as Reddit, where the Southwest Airlines community has more than 73,000 members.

Key Background
For decades, Southwest Airlines made its “two bags fly free” policy its main brand differentiator in the airline industry. But the airline has been in the crosshairs of an activist investor since June 2024, when Elliott Investment Management revealed it had taken a $1.9 billion stake in the airline. Soon afterward, Elliott laid out a turnaround plan it said would double the stock price. That plan included assigned seats, premium seating, baggage fees, and replacing both Southwest CEO Bob Jordan and chairman of the board Gary Kelly. Despite initially resisting Elliott’s pressure, over the past nine months Southwest has ultimately either made or announced nearly all the changes Elliott wanted. Southwest did not respond immediately to Forbes’ request for comment on Frontier’s “free bags” promotion.$650 million. That’s roughly what Frontier earned in baggage fee revenue in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics—translating to about 17% of the airline’s total revenue of $3.8 billion. Comparatively, Southwest took in $62 million, a much smaller number as the carrier only charged passengers for checking more than two bags on a single flight.

Crucial Quote
“Think of this as the ultimate ‘divorce your old airline’ deal,” Biffle said.

What To Watch For
If demand for domestic air travel continues to soften coming into the summer season, expect multiple airlines to offer promotions with free bags as a perk. It remains to be seen whether Frontier would be willing to forgo ancillary baggage fees permanently, given how significantly they factor into the company’s overall revenue pie. “Depending on how it goes, we are open to making the change permanent,” Jennifer de la Cruz, Frontier’s senior director of corporate communications told Forbes. “We will be monitoring the response closely.”