Southwest Airlines: May 28th - The Day Your Suitcase Started Charging Rent!

Mark your calendars, folks! May 28th, 2024. It's not just another Tuesday; it's the day Southwest Airlines decided your luggage was living rent-free for far too long. Starting then, if you buy a ticket and you're not part of the "special club," your bags are going to cost you.

Think of it as your suitcase finally getting a job and demanding compensation for its hard work of being stuffed with your questionable vacation wardrobe.

Who Gets a Free Ride? (And Who Gets Charged $35?)

Now, Southwest, in its infinite wisdom (and under pressure from those investor folks), has created a tiered system of baggage privilege.

• A-List Preferred Members: You're basically royalty. Your bags get to ride in first class, sipping tiny bottles of sparkling water. Two bags, free as a bird!

• A-List Members: You're the slightly less fancy, but still very important, cousin of royalty. One free bag for you! Treat it well.

• Southwest Credit Card Holders: Your plastic rectangle has magical powers. One free bag! Just don't try to pay for your groceries with it. (Unless you're really hungry.)

• Everyone Else: Welcome to the "Pay $35 or Wear All Your Clothes" club! Southwest hasn't officially announced the fee, but let's be real, we all know it's going to be around $35. That's the industry standard, like how everyone knows Mondays are terrible.

How to Avoid the Baggage Fee Apocalypse:

• Become an A-List Preferred member. (Easier said than done, unless you're a professional traveler or have a secret stash of airline miles.)

• Get a Southwest credit card. (Just remember, credit cards come with their own set of "fees," so read the fine print.)

• Master the art of packing everything into a carry-on. (Good luck with that. We believe in you, but also, we're skeptical.)

• Wear a travel vest with 100 pockets. (This is a joke, but also, it might work.)

• Befriend an A-List Preferred member. (and hope they like you enough to check your bag for you)

In Conclusion: Prepare for the Great Baggage Fee Shuffle!

So, there you have it. Southwest is changing the game, and your bags are caught in the crossfire. May 28th is coming, and it's bringing baggage fees with it. Pack wisely, travelers, and may the odds be ever in your carry-on's favor.