If you don't have Southwest elite status, the cheapest option for getting a free checked bag will be the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. It has a $69 annual fee, which may be as much as the baggage fees for a round-trip flight.

Southwest will start charging customers to check bags, launch basic economy tickets in a bid to drive up revenue.

Southwest Airlines will start charging passengers to check bags for the first time. It’s a stunning reversal that shows the low-cost pioneer is willing to part with a customer perk executives have said set it apart from rivals in more than half a century of flying in hopes of increasing revenue.