Southwest Baggage Change Policy – What Does it Mean for Anglers?
Many travelers, including traveling anglers, love Southwest Airlines for its no-frills, no hassle, low key travel experience. One benefit that they’ve provided for a long time is the inclusion of two checked bags with any fare class. For those of you who travel heavy, and feel ripped off when you have to pay extra for baggage, this was often a major attraction (although, truth be told, sometimes a cheaper fare on another airline plus a bag fee turned out to cost less overall).
Now, for reservations booked or changed on or after May 28th of this year, many people traveling on Southwest will have to pay for checked bags. The fees have not yet been announced. There will be some exclusions based on frequent flyer status and ticket class which will enable a percentage of travelers to check one or two bags for free. Not everyone is happy with this change, but it is what it is.
Still, you may have a Southwest route that fits your travel schedule and provides a competitive or best-in-class fare to your fishing destination. If that’s the case, you’ll want to be aware of their rules on fishing tackle. Here it is verbatim:
What sports equipment can I bring?
Any of the items listed below may be checked in substitution of one piece of the free checked baggage allowance for you at no charge on a one-item-for-one-bag basis. If the item of sporting equipment exceeds 50 pounds in weight or 62 inches in size (outside length plus height plus width), excess weight and size charges will apply. In addition to the items specifically described below, we also accept fragile items; previously damaged items; improperly or overpacked baggage; items packed in soft-sided cases; and unprotected/unpacked items only with a limited release of liability. Customers are not entitled to reimbursement or compensation for any and all damage in situations where a limited release of liability applies.
Fishing tackle box and fishing rod.
Fishing rods must be encased in a sturdy, cylindrical fishing rod container. This container must withstand normal checked baggage handling without sustaining damage to the rod. Oversize charges only apply if the fishing rod container is over 91 inches in length and/or more than three inches in diameter. A fishing tackle box must be a suitable, sturdy, and securely closed container. When substituting a fishing rod and/or fishing tackle box for a free checked bag, we allow one fishing rod container and one tackle box to count as one checked item, even if they are packed and tagged separately. This one item can be a substitute for one checked bag.
As you’ll note, they’ve not yet changed this policy to account for the fact that many travelers will no longer have free luggage allowances. That means you can’t check your tackle “in substitution of one piece of the free checked baggage allowance for you at no charge on a one-item-for-one-bag basis.” You’ll now have to pay for it.
Also note that your rod tube is limited to 91 inches – which is 7’7”. I haven’t tested to see whether they’ll allow a longer tube, so do so at your peril.
As for destinations, remember that Southwest often uses “alternative” airports, like Midway (MDW) in Chicago or Love Field (DAL), instead of O’Hare or DFW. So that means if you’re trying to connect to another airline in one of those cities to make it to an international destination you may be in for a long cab ride from airport to airport, eating up any savings and a lot of time.
They do have international flights to locations including Belize, Costa Rica (airports in both Liberia and San Jose) and Cabo, so consider them when you’re heading to those locales.
Domestically, things are much better as they’ve substantially expanded their route map. They have service to well-known fishing locations or launch points like Bozeman, Charleston, Minneapolis, New Orleans and quite a few in both Florida and Texas. Here in the DC Metro area they have some flight options out of all three of our airports, with the most out of BWI. We probably don’t consider them as often as we should.
Here are some additional resources to get you started:
