Southwest Quietly Becoming One of America's Top Airlines After Ending Free Bags

When Southwest Airlines ended its longstanding and iconic "bags fly free" policy last year, many thought it would mark a downturn for the popular airline as it moved away from many of the things that set it apart from competitors. A year later, it seems like the opposite is true.

The decision to end free bags was part of a larger push from Southwest to modernize, boost profits, and challenge legacy carriers like Delta, United, and American. After several high-profile changes, Southwest seems well positioned to do just that, with one expert even going as far as to suggest that it could become the top airline in the country.

Southwest's Many Changes

While Southwest's decision to end free bags might be the most high-profile change that the airline has made in recent months, it certainly is not the only one.

• No More Free Bags. Perhaps its most iconic policy, Southwest previously offered two free checked bags for each passenger. That policy is no more, however, as Southwest officially introduced checked baggage fees in May of 2025.
• Assigned Seating. Over the years, Southwest used a unique open-seating policy to board its planes, allowing customers to simply choose whichever seat they wanted, boarding the plane in order of check-in time. Beginning in January of 2026, however, Southwest moved to an assigned seating policy.
• Premium Seating Options. In addition to the shift to assigned seating, Southwest has also rolled out premium seating options for the first time in its history. While the seats may not be a true first-class option, they do provide extra legroom for customers.
• Free In-Flight WiFi. For years, Southwest charged travelers a fee for in-flight internet access. Last fall, however, the airline officially began offering free in-flight WiFi. Southwest has since announced a partnership with SpaceX's Starlink, which offers a true premium Wi-Fi experience that is years ahead of what even Delta will be able to offer.
• Less Emphasis on Nonstop Flights. For years, Southwest Airlines has prioritized direct flights regardless of distance with a pure point-to-point model. In recent years, Southwest has shifted to more of a hybrid model that utilizes more of a hub-and-spoke approach, routing passengers through large central hubs, which is more economical.

More Changes on the Horizon

While Southwest has already transformed radically over just the past few months, looking and feeling like a completely new airline, that transformation is not yet complete. The Dallas-based carrier has made it clear that more changes are still on the way, and the upcoming changes could be even more significant than the previous ones.

"We aren't stopping here," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said last May via The Points Guy, before pointing out some areas where Southwest continues to lag behind competitors.

"For many of our folks that love Southwest, we can't do things - we can't provide products - that you want," he continued. "Like a first class. We can't get you to long-haul international destinations. If a lounge is important to you, we don't have a lounge."

While Jordan made it clear that those weren't plans or predictions for where the headline would be headed, he did say that the airline "will continue to pursue the consumer."

At least one of those things, however, is already materializing, as Southwest has filed permits and is well on the way to adding what appear to be legitimate premium lounges in Nashville, Denver, and Honolulu.

Given what appears to be a real commitment to offering true premium options for customers in the future, it feels like long-haul flights and first-class seats are only a matter of time.

Becoming America's Top Airline?

Only a year into the transformation, it's pretty clear that things are working out for Southwest. The airline has successfully boosted profits while remaining highly rated in terms of customer satisfaction. In fact, one expert seems to believe that Southwest could be on its way to becoming the top airline in the country.

In its annual Best U.S. Airlines study, The Points Guy rated Southwest as the third-best airline in the country, behind only Delta and United, but ahead of airlines like American, JetBlue, and Alaska. And according to The Points Guy's Sean Cudahy, things are only looking up.

"If Southwest bolsters its offerings with lounges (as rumored) don't be surprised if it makes a run at the top spot," Cudahy wrote.

The transformation is far from complete, but it does seem like Southwest is headed in the right direction, even if customers were not happy about the end of free luggage a year ago.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 3:28 PM.