Southwest Gets Message From Customers After Ending Free Bags

Over the past several months, Southwest Airlines has undergone several high-profile changes highlighted by the controversial decision to end its longstanding "bags fly free" policy. While that move may have sparked criticism at the time, it does not seem to have hurt the airline's perception in the long run.

While Southwest has changed in a number of ways over the past few months, the airline has still managed to rank as the top economy and basic economy airline in the country in terms of customer satisfaction.

Southwest Airlines Changes

Over the past several months, Southwest Airlines has made a number of significant changes that have reshaped the airline's identity, eliminating some longstanding policies.

• No More Free Bags: Southwest Airlines began charging customers for checked bags back in May of 2025, ending its longstanding "bags fly free" policy.
• Assigned Seating: Southwest Airlines officially ditched its longstanding open-seating policy in January, embracing an assigned seating model.
• Ditching Point-to-Point Model: Southwest has made it clear that it will move away from a pure point-to-point model, which prioritizes nonstop flights, and instead embrace more of a hybrid hub-and-spoke model, connecting cities through central hubs.
• Expanding Internationally: After serving primarily as a domestic carrier throughout its existence, the airline announced last year that it intends to expand its international offerings, likely even including long-haul flights to Europe.

Many of these changes were unpopular with customers when they were announced, especially the decision to end free bags. However, it does not seem that these changes have hurt the airline's customer satisfaction rating.

Southwest Still Ranks No. 1

Despite all of these changes and all of the backlash that followed Southwest's decision to end its "bags fly free" policy, the airline still ranked at the top in terms of customer satisfaction in its category.

On May 6, J.D. Power released its 2026 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. For the fifth straight year, passengers in the economy and basic economy market segment named Southwest Airlines as their top airline.

While the margin between Southwest and second-place Delta shrank considerably – from 31 points last year to just three points this year – it's clear that despite all the changes over the past several months, Southwest has maintained its customers and continued to serve them well.

"Earning the top spot for a fifth consecutive year is a powerful demonstration of the experience our People provide to our Customers," said Tony Roach, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Brand Officer, in a news release. "As we continue to evolve and introduce new enhancements at Southwest, this recognition reflects the consistency, care, and reliability our Employees bring to every Customer interaction, every day."

This is a pretty clear message to Southwest that customers are still satisfied with the airline even despite the recent changes.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 12, 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 May 12, 2026 at 6:07 AM.