Image Credit: Southwest Airlines

Dallas, Texas — Customers who flew on Southwest Airlines had it so good for decades. The two-bags-fly-free policy was beloved by customers, making it a significant benefit of flying with the low-cost carrier. While most airlines consider a separate ski bag and boot bag as only one bag, making these free made Southwest the preferred pick for many. However, its favorable perception among the public is shifting.

This aged like milk.

Back in March, Southwest Airlines announced that they’re getting rid of the bags fly free policy for many of its customers.

For skiers, what this means is that you’re paying quite a bit more for your flight. One bag costs $35, while the second bag costs $45. This means that for a round-trip ski vacation, you’re now paying $160 more than you would’ve before the change. In theory, you could fly with just the ski bag combo, but many also bring a separate luggage bag for clothes.

Another thing to factor in is that Southwest has introduced a basic flight fare, which follows what other airlines have been doing. The basic tier wipes away your ability to change or get a refund for your flight. The next tier up, which is Wanna Get Away plus, gives you the opportunity to have transferable flight credit and make changes to your flight itinerary. Wanna Get Away plus costs an extra $35 per passenger each way. So let’s say you want that flexibility to change your trip and bring two bags each way. That brings us to an additional $230 per passenger for a round-trip flight.

The pop-up appears a few times while you book.

In terms of who it will impact the most, ski trips to Colorado will be among the biggest. One of Southwest’s hubs is Denver International Airport, meaning it’s going to affect the cost of going to some of the best skiing destinations in the country. Some of the other skiing spots that Southwest flies into include Albuquerque, Boston, Boise, Bozeman, Hayden (closest airport to Steamboat), Montrose (nearest airport to Telluride), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Reno/Tahoe, Salt Lake City, Spokane, and Seattle.

If you’re looking to dig more into Southwest’s shift towards becoming a fee-based carrier, Wendover Productions recently released an excellent analysis as to why these changes hurt consumers and ultimately, Southwest’s brand.

Image/Video Credits: Southwest Airlines, Wendover Productions

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Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out...