Southwest Drops Free Bags? Frontier Strikes Back with Luggage Promo

Frontier Airlines hopes that customers stung by Southwest’s decision to begin charging for checked bags will choose it instead for their summer travel plans, as it runs a free luggage promotion aimed squarely at its rival.

The Denver-based low-cost carrier will offer travelers one free checked bag on flights departing between May 28 and August 18, provided they use the promo code “FREEBAG.” The airline typically charges between $52 and $99 for a first checked bag, depending on when and how passengers book it.

Photo: Courtesy of Frontier

Frontier has made no secret that it’s trying to poach Southwest’s customers. “Some airlines have changed. They’ve raised fees, taken away perks, and made travel feel like a one-sided relationship,” it said in a press release.

“We’ve always had heart,” said Barry Biffle, Frontier Airlines CEO, in a not-so-veiled jibe at his competitor. Southwest is based at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), and love and hearts pervade its branding: its logo incorporates a heart, and its stock trades as “LUV” on the New York Stock Exchange.

Photo: Frontier Airlines. Courtesy of Daniel Shapiro / Unsplash

“Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we’re running towards it. Think of this as the ultimate ‘divorce old airline’ deal. If travelers show us the love, we’ll make these perks permanent,” Biffle said.

The free bag offer also launches on the same day Southwest will begin charging for checked bags on bookings.

No More Bags Fly Free

Southwest announced last week that it will abandon its half-century policy of allowing passengers to check two bags for free. Long seen as a sacred cow in Southwest’s unique business model, “the two bags fly free” policy is central to the airline’s branding, appearing in advertisements and even on in-flight napkins.

Photo: Courtesy of Southwest Airlines

Even as Southwest announced radical changes last fall, including plans to abandon its open seating policy and charge for seating assignments, the airline insisted it would keep its popular baggage policy. The airline stated months ago that the $1.5 billion it predicted it could reap annually in baggage fees would be eclipsed by the $1.8 billion it expected to lose by alienating customers with new fees.

However, those internal calculations look different now. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said at a JP Morgan investor conference last week that “in contrast to our previous analysis, actual customer booking behavior through our new booking channels, such as metasearch, did not show that we are getting the same benefit from our bundled offering with free bags, which has led us to update the assumptions.”

Jordan added that Southwest has brought on new executives with experience implementing baggage fees at multiple airports, who “also helped further validate the new assumptions.”

Photo: Bob Jordan, CEO at Southwest Airlines. Courtesy of Maria Nieto, Southwest Airlines, 2024

As Southwest perhaps accounted for, passengers have reacted to the change with fury. An Instagram post detailing the changes (“New policies, same heart”) attracted more than 16,000 irritated comments, many from passengers swearing they’ll take their travel plans elsewhere. Many pointed out that without the free bag offer, they might as well choose one of the Big Three airlinea, which offer superior soft products than Southwest, with free food and beverages and seat-back screens on longer flights.

If passengers are angry about the change, they may want to look beyond Jordan to private equity firm Elliott Investment Management, which took an 11 percent share in the company last summer. The feared hedge fund is known for forcing radical changes on the companies in which it takes stakes.

Now holding five seats on Southwest’s board, Elliott is seen as the driving force behind the airline’s first mass layoff, targeting 15 percent of its corporate employees; a network rethink that will slash service from Atlanta (ATL); and the decision to introduce assigned and premium seating.

Frontier Steps In

In addition to its Southwest-trolling free checked bag offer, Frontier will offer travelers complimentary access to its “Economy Bundle,” including one personal item and carry-on bag, free seat assignments, and no fees for changes. The offer is valid on bookings made until March 24 for flights departing May 28 through August 18.

Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport.

Frontier’s offers are time-limited and not as generous as Southwest’s “two bags fly free” policy. However, they suggest that the low-cost carrier believes there’s space in the market for a customer-friendly airline if Southwest is abandoning the role.

Rebranding as customer-friendly would be quite a change for Frontier, which is known for charging low base fares and then nickel and diming customers for every additional service. However, the airline has been improving its bare-bones service recently. Starting later this year, Frontier will install first-class-style seats in the front of its planes. It’s also burnished its frequent flyer program, offering high-level elites opportunities to upgrade to those seats and complimentary companion passes.

“At the end of the day, travelers just want to be valued,” Biffle said, sounding an awful lot like the old Southwest. “We’re bringing back the things people love about flying — free bags, free seat selection, and flexibility — without the extra fees. No games, just great value.”