What Is Southwest Airlines Baggage Policy for Carry-On and Checked Bags?
Understanding the Southwest Airlines baggage policy before your flight can help you avoid unexpected fees, repacking at the airport, or delays at the bag drop. Southwest allows passengers to bring a carry-on bag and a personal item into the cabin, while checked baggage is subject to applicable fees and specific size and weight limits.
Southwest's baggage rules also cover oversized and overweight luggage, special items, restricted articles, partner-airline itineraries, and certain international destinations. Because baggage allowances can depend on the type of ticket, route, passenger status, and exceptions that apply, checking the rules for your specific trip is important.
Southwest allows each ticketed passenger to bring:
1 carry-on bag
1 personal item
The carry-on bag is stored in the aircraft's overhead bin, while the personal item must fit underneath the seat in front of you.
The maximum carry-on size is:
24 x 16 x 10 inches
This measurement includes the bag's:
Wheels
Handles
Attachments
Therefore, don't measure only the main body of a suitcase. A bag that appears to fit within the limit can exceed the allowance once its wheels or handles are included.
Examples of suitable carry-on luggage include a small roller suitcase or compact cabin bag.
Southwest's published carry-on policy focuses on the maximum dimensions rather than providing a standard passenger carry-on weight allowance on its carry-on policy page. However, Southwest retains discretion over whether baggage can be carried in the cabin based on its size, weight, contents, and other characteristics.
If your bag is unusually heavy or difficult to handle safely, it may not be accepted as a cabin bag even if its dimensions are within the stated limit.
In addition to your carry-on bag, you may bring one personal item that fits under the seat.
Examples include:
Purse or crossbody bag
Briefcase
Laptop bag
Backpack
Small camera
Pillow
Blanket
Southwest notes that a neck pillow does not count toward the carry-on limit.
The most important requirement is that the personal item must fit under the seat in front of you.
The two allowances serve different purposes.
Carry-on bag: Goes in the overhead bin.
Personal item: Goes underneath the seat.
If you bring more than one carry-on or more than one personal item, or if an item is too large for the cabin, Southwest instructs passengers to check the item at the ticket counter before going to the departure gate.
Checked baggage is transported in the aircraft's baggage compartment rather than the passenger cabin.
Southwest's current standard checked-bag limits are:
Maximum size: 62 linear inches
Maximum weight: 50 pounds per bag
Linear inches means adding the bag's length + width + height together. Wheels and handles should be included when measuring.
Suppose your suitcase measures:
Length: 28 inches
Width: 20 inches
Height: 14 inches
The total is:
28 + 20 + 14 = 62 linear inches
That suitcase meets the standard size limit.
If the total is greater than 62 inches, it may be considered oversized and additional restrictions or fees can apply.
Yes. Checked baggage fees apply, although exceptions can allow certain passengers or bags to be checked without the standard fee. Southwest directs passengers to its current baggage-fee information for applicable charges.
The exact cost can depend on factors such as:
Your fare or ticket type
Number of checked bags
Passenger eligibility for a baggage benefit
Route
Oversized or overweight status
Military status or other applicable exemptions
Because Southwest's fees and fare benefits can change, travelers should verify the applicable fee for their particular reservation instead of relying on an old baggage-fee chart.
Southwest allows passengers to check bags digitally during or after online check-in.
Online bag check-in becomes available 24 hours before scheduled departure. For domestic flights, bags can be checked online up to 60 minutes before departure; for international flights, the online deadline is 90 minutes before departure.
You can use:
Southwest.com
Southwest mobile app
Airport self-service kiosks, where available
Southwest ticket-counter agents
When using a kiosk, you can print baggage tags and then proceed to the bag-drop area.
Southwest says checked baggage will be accepted at the airport no earlier than four hours before the scheduled departure time.
Airport baggage deadlines can vary by itinerary and airport, so passengers should allow enough time for check-in, security, and bag drop.
Southwest's standard checked-bag weight limit is 50 pounds per piece.
A bag weighing more than the standard allowance can be subject to an overweight-bag fee and may have additional restrictions.
Before leaving for the airport, weigh your suitcase at home if possible. A few extra pounds can be easier to remove from your luggage at home than at the airport counter.
The standard checked-bag size limit is 62 linear inches, calculated by adding length, width, and height.
An oversized bag can be subject to additional charges and acceptance restrictions.
Some international destinations also have baggage embargoes that restrict oversized, overweight, or additional checked bags during specified periods.
For this reason, travelers flying internationally should check destination-specific restrictions before packing oversized luggage.
Bringing additional checked luggage beyond your applicable allowance can result in extra baggage charges.
Southwest also places restrictions on the number of bags it will accept in certain circumstances. International baggage embargoes can be particularly important because some destinations temporarily limit oversized, overweight, and additional bags.
If you're planning to travel with several suitcases, sports equipment, or other large items, check Southwest's baggage rules for your route before arriving at the airport.
International travel can involve additional baggage restrictions.
Southwest maintains baggage embargoes for certain destinations. These restrictions can limit:
Number of checked bags
Oversized bags
Overweight bags
Boxes and containers
Other non-standard baggage
For example, Southwest lists destination-specific restrictions for places including the Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, San José, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Some restrictions are seasonal, while others apply year-round.
Therefore, an allowance that applies to a domestic Southwest flight should not automatically be assumed to apply to an international itinerary.
If your itinerary involves a partner airline, do not automatically apply Southwest's baggage rules to every segment.
Southwest specifically warns that partner airlines may have different baggage guidelines.
Before traveling on a partner itinerary, determine which carrier's baggage policy applies to each portion of the journey. This can be particularly important for:
Carry-on dimensions
Checked-bag fees
Number of checked bags
Weight limits
Special equipment
Some items are prohibited or restricted in checked luggage.
Southwest specifically states that power banks, external chargers, spare lithium batteries, and e-cigarettes are not permitted in checked baggage.
Portable electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets are generally better carried in your cabin baggage. Southwest also provides specific rules for batteries, lighters, and electronic smoking devices.
Southwest's current policy limits each passenger to one power bank, effective April 20, 2026. Power banks must remain in the cabin, must not exceed 100 watt-hours, and must not be stored in the overhead bin. Southwest says they should be kept in a personal item under the seat.
Power banks also cannot be charged using in-seat power, and when a power bank is being used, it must remain visible rather than stored inside a bag.
Avoid putting valuable or irreplaceable belongings in checked luggage.
Southwest's contract of carriage lists various high-value items for which it does not assume responsibility when carried as baggage, including money, jewelry, computers, cameras, important documents, precious metals, artwork, antiques, and similar valuables.
A practical approach is to keep important items with you in your personal item whenever permitted.
Southwest states that a pet carrier counts as either the passenger's carry-on bag or personal item.
If you're traveling with a pet, review Southwest's separate pet requirements before packing because additional conditions apply beyond the ordinary baggage allowance.
Southwest provides special baggage benefits for eligible active-duty military customers.
The airline states that active-duty military passengers are exempt from baggage fees, including excess, oversized, and overweight baggage charges, subject to the conditions of the military policy. Southwest also specifies maximum limits for individual pieces and the total number of checked pieces.
Eligible passengers should carry the required valid Uniformed Services ID when requesting the applicable exemption.
Use a tape measure and include wheels and handles. For standard checked baggage, make sure the total does not exceed 62 linear inches.
Keep each standard checked bag at or below 50 pounds.
Small electronics, documents, medications, and other essentials can often be kept in the personal item under the seat.
Never put a power bank or spare lithium battery in checked luggage. Southwest's current rules require power banks to remain in the cabin.
International destinations and partner-airline itineraries can have additional restrictions.
Southwest lets eligible passengers indicate and pay for standard checked baggage online during or after check-in, starting 24 hours before departure.
Each ticketed passenger may bring one carry-on bag and one personal item.
The maximum carry-on dimensions are 24 x 16 x 10 inches, including wheels, handles, and attachments.
A standard checked bag can measure up to 62 linear inches, calculated as length + width + height, including wheels and handles.
The standard weight limit is 50 pounds per checked bag.
Checked-bag fees apply, although certain passengers and qualifying situations may have exemptions or baggage benefits.
Yes. Southwest allows eligible passengers to check bags and pay applicable standard fees online through Southwest.com or the Southwest app during or after check-in. Online bag check-in begins 24 hours before departure.
Yes, a backpack can qualify as a personal item as long as it fits underneath the seat in front of you.
Yes. Southwest allows one carry-on bag plus one personal item, and a purse can qualify as the personal item if it fits under the seat.
No. Southwest prohibits power banks and external chargers in checked baggage. Its current policy requires power banks to remain in the cabin.
Southwest may accept oversized or overweight baggage subject to applicable fees and restrictions. However, some international destinations have baggage embargoes that prohibit certain oversized, overweight, or extra bags.
Not necessarily. Partner airlines can have different baggage rules, so passengers on partner itineraries should check the applicable carrier's requirements.
The Southwest Airlines baggage policy gives passengers a straightforward cabin allowance of one carry-on bag and one personal item. The standard carry-on size is 24 x 16 x 10 inches, while standard checked baggage is limited to 62 linear inches and 50 pounds per piece.
The most important step is to check your bags before leaving home. Measure your suitcase with its wheels and handles, weigh checked luggage, keep restricted battery items out of checked bags, and review special rules when traveling internationally or on a partner-airline itinerary.
Baggage fees, exemptions, and route-specific restrictions can change, so use Southwest's official baggage information for the rules that apply to your particular reservation and travel date.
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