Airline industry sees big changes for 2025 including checked bag fees for Southwest

PHOENIX (AZFamily)—We’re only a few months into 2025, but some travel experts say the airline industry is entering a bumpy period!

“I think we are midst of a big shakeup in the airline industry, we are just in the beginning of it so fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy summer,” Clint Henderson, Managing Editor with The Points Guy, said.

From economic uncertainty to recent aviation incidents, Henderson says, “it is crazy how quickly the worm has turned here.”

Just this week, Delta announced it expects lower earnings this quarter, citing lower demand for domestic travel.

“You saw Delta and American Airlines both announce they are going to make a lot less money than they expected to this quarter so they are seeing a huge impact to consumer spending all ready from even the possibility of a recession,” Henderson added.

Southwest is also adding to the changes this year with a huge announcement this week about bag fees. Starting May 28, most Southwest customers will have to pay for a checked bag, ending a 54-year free bag policy.

“It was a powerful message for consumers, that Southwest wasn’t going to nickel and dime you, so this is a huge change in the culture of Southwest and it’s just one of many changes. Southwest is struggling to adapt,” Henderson said.

Travelers at Sky Harbor who fly Southwest regularly are not pleased by the new changes.

“I think it’s terrible,” one traveler said as they were checking a bag at the Southwest counter. Another Southwest customer added, “I think it’s ridiculous.”

As of now, it’s unclear how much Southwest will charge for checked bags, but the changes will take effect for flights booked on May 28 and beyond.

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