Known for giving every flyer two free checked bags, Southwest Airlines is now asking Rapid Rewards members how they would feel about paying for bags on the lowest tier of airfares.

Southwest Airlines – the last airline to offer all flyers two free checked bags – is signaling the days of the free commodity could be coming to an end.

Bloomberg reports the airline is starting to poll frequent flyers about their feelings on charging for checked bags on the most discounted tickets.

Survey Asked About Charging for Bags on “Wanna Get Away” Fares

According to the survey seen by Bloomberg, the airline asked both Rapid Rewards members and other consumers about hypothetical situations involving checked baggage fees. One of the questions asked about how travelers would feel about including only a carry-on bag and personal item in the “Wanna Get Away” fare, and only offering one checked bag for the “Wanna Get Away Plus” option.

Offering two free checked bags has long been a standing selling point for the airline, making it a focal point of advertising across mediums. When Bob Jordan took the chief executive position at Southwest in 2021, he made a point to tell flyers that the checked bag benefit wouldn’t go away.

That position may change due to new pressure placed on the carrier’s board and leadership by activist investor Elliott Investment Management. After the firm bought roughly an 11% stake in Southwest, the airline announced they would move from their open seating policy to assigned seats as a move to improve their financial performance.

In a statement to Bloomberg, the airline reassured that the two free checked bag policy wasn’t going away anytime soon. Rather, the surveys were being sent out to gauge travelers’ thoughts about the changing aviation landscape.

“There’s no work currently underway to change our industry-leading two bags fly free policy, but it’s important for us to know what our customers value most,” the statement to Bloomberg reads. “We’ll continue our efforts to track stakeholder sentiment on many aspects of our business model to ensure we remain competitive and current on customer preferences.”

Keep up to date with Southwest Airlines on the FlyerTalk forums