Arizona Airlines Sees Record-Defying Demand and Rising Fares as Southwest Airlines Scales Fees
27 October 2026
Southwest Airlines has introduced new fees for most passengers who check bags, increasing the cost for those flying during the busy holiday travel season.
Passengers on Southwest’s Basic, Choice, or Choice Preferred fares will now pay $45 for their first checked bag, a 30% increase from the previous rate of $35. A second checked bag will set them back $55, up $5 from what they were paying.
Travellers booking with Choice Extra fares, A-List Preferred customers, and Rapid Rewards credit card holders can check up to two and one bags free of charge, respectively, but these perks do not apply to those booking lower-tier fares.
Southwest cited “evolving global issues” and a review of its core business as driving the changes. However, for Arizona passengers already bracing for a busy holiday travel season, the added fees may prove an unwelcome addition.
Phoenix Sky Harbor, the country’s 11th-busiest airport, was already surging to accommodate record-breaking Thanksgiving numbers. Officials predicted the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving 2023 would be 25% busier than the average day in 2022. This “holiday travel demand typically peaks during the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, as it is the busiest travel day of the year.”
More than 185,000 passengers are projected to flow through Arizona’s airports, according to AAA, to take advantage of record American holiday flight activity. Sky Harbor and Tucson International Airport reported heightened holiday travel, with the latter expecting 259,000 visitors between mid-December and early January.
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Tucson Airport officials warned travelers to be prepared for longer lines, especially on December 29, when they estimated it would see over 16,000 passengers, its busiest day of the busiest holiday season yet recorded. The airport now fields more than 9,000 passengers each day. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport reported similar traffic volume throughout the year, with busiest times at 5-7 a.m. and 2-6 p.m., when peak arrivals and departures coincide.
What’s driving the crowds? An influx of warm-weather tourists is bringing a bountiful harvest for Arizona’s airports. The West Coast state saw an 8.1% rise in passenger traffic during the 2023 holiday season. And that is why airfare is staying high for the time being.
In late 2023, holiday airfare was up 40% to $250 for Thanksgiving and $220 for Christmas, according to reporting.
“Airfares aren’t projected to fall anytime soon, with executives telling reporters that ballooning fuel costs and inelastic consumer demand will keep them at these rates,” a news report said.
Cost-Cutting Tips for Southwest Passengers
To limit the surprisingly hefty fare and baggage hikes that many are facing, it might make sense to pack light as Southwest clearly favors. But rapid price inflation seems to be outpacing policy changes, as recent data suggests fees are here to stay. Flush travelers might be best off utilizing their credit card’s travel rewards club, for small comfort.