KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travelers at Kansas City International Airport Tuesday were surprised about Southwest Airlines’ decision to charge for checked bags.
Customers who purchase tickets to fly on or after May 28 will have to pay for checked bags, except for A-List Preferred, A-List and Southwest Credit Card members.
A person’s status with the airline is based on the number of points accumulated or flights taken in a year.
“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future Customer needs, attract new Customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our Shareholders expect,” said Bob Jordan, President, Chief Executive Officer, & Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Southwest Airlines.
This news also comes as Southwest announced it will shift to assigned seating the second half of this year.
“I thought that was always an advantage with Southwest too, the whole open seating policy that they had,” said Ann Champion Shaw, a longtime Southwest Airlines flyer. “Oh my goodness, I’ve been flying with Southwest for years. Since the beginning.”
The changes were not a problem for Champion Shaw until she heard about Southwest’s checked bags change.
“It’s a bit disappointing,” Champion Shaw said. “We could always depend on Southwest to know that we didn’t have to pay for bags, and you could fly economically. The prices are always pretty good, too.”
KSHB 41 asked Southwest Airlines the price of checked bags, but they would not confirm how much it will cost.
"That’s what made Southwest stand out amongst its competitors," Champion Shaw said. "I could always depend on Southwest, now of course, you go fishing for other flights because everybody’s in the same boat now."
Regardless of the price, it’s the principle that Champion Shaw is grappling with.
“When you’ve flown with someone for years and all of a sudden in two or three months notice, it’s like, give us a year, let me wrap my head around it,” Champion Shaw said.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that measured by number of passengers and flights, Southwest is the busiest airline at KCI.
“We switched from Delta to Southwest because of the free bags, you know, we carry a lot of things having a baby and all the things, so having the extra bags, toys, is nice,” said Jamie Schnacker, who was flying to Texas with her family Tuesday afternoon.
Elif Dilden, Rockhurst University assistant economics professor, says Southwest’s decision comes down to revenue.
“They are changing so many policies, which tells me that they just need more revenue sources, and bags are one of them,” Dilden said. “Price is one of the main determinants of how customers choose airlines, but some characteristics airlines offer also play a role, and Southwest is playing a big gamble to increase their revenues.”
Dilden says customers are also price sensitive right now and more likely to choose what offers them the cheapest alternative.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Ashley Barnes, who was flying to Dallas Tuesday to visit family. “I think everybody would agree that everything from eggs to airlines are just wild.”
Barnes says the news came as a shock, especially considering her flying preferences.
“A huge part of the reason that we’re flying Southwest is because when I looked at American and United, they wanted like $80 for a checked bag, which is insane,” Barnes said. “I’m always going to have a checked bag. Always, there’s no other way for me.”
Dilden said she wonders what Southwest Airlines’ motivation is beyond revenue, and if they have considered the long-term impact on customers who can’t afford enough flights to be A-List members.
“They are just like damaging their customer loyalty and their culture, but we’ll see,” Dilden said. “If Southwest is not offering any advantages, maybe by increasing prices, they will not be able to keep that customer segment they target for, so we will wait and see how loyal their customers are.”
Schnacker has already started thinking about other incentives different airlines offer.
“Delta has the TVs on their planes for babies,” Schnacker said. “That’s nice, and the free bag. So I hope maybe they’ll do some upgrades to offset the cost for charging for bags.”
Loyalty is something Champion Shaw had for a long time. Continued loyalty moving forward is up in the air.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow,” she said. “As with life and change, we make the adjustments.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
