Southwest Airlines, known for free bags and open seating, is overhauling policies, leaving loyalists questioning if it’s still the airline they loved.

Southwest Airlines will begin charging customers a fee to check bags. It's a significant change for the budget carrier, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free.

Southwest Airlines says it’s going to begin charging certain customers a fee to check bags, as the budget airline continues to look for ways to increase its revenue

The revised revenue projections suggest that flagging economic confidence has started to hurt travel, which can be an indicator for other industries.

Delta, American, Southwest and JetBlue—have dimmed their outlooks for early 2025, acknowledging softer demand and lower consumer confidence.

By Shivansh Tiwary (Reuters) -Shares of the "Big Three" U.S. carriers slumped in premarket trading on Tuesday after disappointing forecast adjustments from Delta Air Lines and American Airlines sparked concerns about the impact of a slowing economy on travel demand.