Will Southwest customers still feel the luv after baggage policy change? 

Southwest Airlines recently announced plans to eliminate their signature two free checked bags policy, introducing baggage fees to improve financial performance and evolve customer experience. Though possibly essential for Southwest’s short-term financial goals, the decision raises questions about loyal customers’ reactions, with customers already taking to Change.org to get them to reconsider.

As someone who studies brand loyalty closely, I wonder about the impact on Southwest’s most devoted customers. In a sea of sameness, why would you try to be like everyone else?

Understanding requires examining three loyalty principles at stake:

Brand Identification

When Southwest revolutionized air travel, they distinguished themselves through operational efficiencies and a distinctly different approach. They democratized travel with customer-friendly policies like free checked bags. Many travelers were drawn to Southwest’s rebellious nature, seeing it as aligned with their own identity. Being a Southwest customer became part of who they are.

Southwest loyalists often share stories about explaining the benefits to newcomers – how to maximize value from the free baggage allowance, how to plan efficiently, and navigate the Southwest experience. These aren’t merely travel strategies; they represent communal knowledge bordering on ritual. Understanding Southwest’s baggage policy created an in-group of knowledgeable customers and strengthened brand bonds.

Mastery, Autonomy, and Motivation

Think about what happens when you really know the ins and outs of Southwest’s system. It’s not just about saving money or being efficient. When you understand their unique approach, you feel like an insider – like you’ve cracked the code. That feeling of “I’ve got this figured out” gives you a real sense of mastery.

And there’s something empowering about making your own choices without extra fees hanging over your head. You pack what you need without calculating costs at every step. This freedom – this autonomy – connects with something deeper in us. Along with finding purpose and connecting with others, mastery and autonomy are what drive us to stay loyal beyond just getting points or perks. It becomes personal.

Emotional Loyalty

When it comes to emotional loyalty, reciprocity-driven customers see their Southwest relationship as a genuine partnership. They’ve stayed loyal because Southwest has consistently offered fair value – those two free checked bags aren’t just a policy but proof that Southwest values their business. Reciprocity-driven customers are particularly hard-wired to perceive unfairness.

Removing this benefit risks undermining this balanced relationship. These customers will feel the change deeply, experiencing it as a potential betrayal of trust. It’s not just about new fees – it’s about feeling the relationship has become uneven. For Southwest to maintain their loyalty, they’ll need to demonstrate that even with this change, the airline still honors the mutual respect they’ve built together.

Navigating Change While Preserving Loyalty

Businesses must evolve with market conditions, sometimes abandoning differentiators tied to their brand identity. While Southwest might have needed this change in the short term, have they considered the emotional loyalty they’ve built with their customers and how that might impact their decision to fly with them in the future? It costs more to acquire new customers than it does to retain existing customers after all.

Removing free checked bags doesn’t just change a policy – it alters a fundamental part of the Southwest experience that devoted customers have built into their travel identity. Only time will tell if customers will continue to feel the LUV under these new conditions.

The article Will Southwest customers still feel the luv after baggage policy change?  first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.