After flying Southwest over 150 flights as an A-lister for the last 6 years, including one of the few people on their planes during two years of COVID when the flights were 75% empty, I've only been hassled twice about my taking two roller bags onto my flights. But today, flying from OAK to DAL, and with a boarding pass being A20, three gate lady agents converged on me and insisted I had to gate check one of my bags because "two roller bags" were not allowed. I told them one fit up top, the other went under the seat, but they refused to let me down the runway. They even wanted to deboard me, telling me I could walk over the the counter and check one of my bags, then get back in line to board. I refused to do that, as people went boading on past me by the dozens. Finally, one of them gate checked my bag and gave me the paperwork telling me I would pick up my bag at baggage claim. On the plane, I asked one of the flight stewards who hadn't seen this episode up the ramp about this policy and he told me it's always been that way. (Apparently, just not on my 150+ flights on Southwest). As a shareholder of Southwest stock, and an A-lister who brags about them constantly to others, today I felt treated like a second hand citizen on this airline. What IS the correct policy? I would like to know. I do plan to buy a backpack instead and board my flight going forward with one roller bag and a back pack, as I really don't want to sit and wait for checked luggage in any airport. Today, I need to make a 90 minute drive after the flight touches down, so I want to get out of the airport quickly.
