I just read that Southwest will "most likely" implement a policy change on bags fly free. While I certainly understand the financial impact bags have if you charge for them, it takes away from the Southwest mantra and the differentiation it provides against its competitors. This particular policy has kept flyers like me from looking at other competitors for the last 20 years. A company as big as Southwest should be able to look at their organization to improve profitability by reducing waste/non-essential positions, without effecting safety. Not claiming to be an expert in the airline industry, there's probably many more cost cutting/profitability builders out there that could be addressed. Southwest has always been my go-to airline because of some of the policies such as baggage, boarding, seating, etc. but with these changes, Southwest has little to no differentiation against its competitors and someone like me (and many others too!) will start looking at other options. Herb and Colleen are rolling over in their graves watching this unfold.
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