Southwest Airlines said Tuesday it will start charging most passengers for checked baggage, ending a longtime free-luggage policy that the company had touted as an important differentiator as recently as last fall. The new policy, which follows other quirks recently discarded by the idiosyncratic airline, applies to flights booked starting May 28.

Southwest Airlines announced it will begin charging passengers on May 28 for the first and second checked bag. However, A-List loyalty program holders and those in bus

Southwest Airlines is ending its open seating policy and introducing bag fees as part of a major operational overhaul.