One company wants you to know that they still allow free baggage: Amtrak.
This week, Southwest Airlines (LUV+3.54%) reversed a decades-old policy of allowing customers to check their luggage for free. This provided an opening for Amtrak to troll the airline, with a one-sentence post on Threads:
guess we’re the only ones doing free baggage now
In a follow-up post, Amtrak noted:
each passenger may bring 1 personal + 2 carry-on items free.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari tells Quartz that he can’t speculate on whether Southwest’s new policy will increase the number of travelers taking to the rails. The rail service has no intention of changing its own approach.
“No changes planned at this time,” Magliari says of Amtrak’s baggage policy.
Amtrak can afford to be cheeky, as it is coming off its busiest year ever with 32.8 million customers riding Amtrak in 2024. The government-supported rail service also announced $4.5 billion in upgrades.
Amtrak passengers are allowed to bring one personal item on trains, weighing less than 25 pounds and measuring no more than 14x11x7 inches. Passengers are also permitted to carry on two pieces of luggage weighing no more than 50 pounds and measuring no more than 28x22x14 inches.
Southwest’s policy change, which goes into effect on May 28, won’t impact all travelers. The Dallas-based budget airline is making an exception for its “A-List Preferred” frequent fliers and Southwest credit card holders. These groups will still each get one checked bag. Prior to the change, Southwest allowed passengers up to two checked bags weighing 50 pounds or less and a personal carry-on bag free of charge.
The move comes a few months after the seventh-largest airline in the world by revenue announced the end of its other most recognizable perk: open seating. That policy is set to end in the first half of 2026.
Industry analysts predict Southwest could see a decline in customer satisfaction following the policy shift.
“Adopting a baggage fee has profound effects on consumers’ satisfaction with an air carrier,” says Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer Service for J.D. Power. “Not surprisingly, flyers do not look favorably on baggage fees.”
Still, Taylor says the economics will override the customer grumbling and that Amtrak probably won’t see a big bump in tickets.
“Southwest flies to many more destinations than Amtrak offers, Taylor says. “Available destinations are the main drivers in choosing air travel over rail journeys.”
—Ben Kesslen contributed to this article.
The post Amtrak trolls Southwest Airlines: Your bags are still free here appeared first on Quartz.
