--- title: Southwest Now Sells Four Fare Bundles, and Corporate Booking Tools Will Carry Them From Late 2026 description: Southwest now sells four fare bundles with assigned seats and a $35 checked bag, and is adding NDC so corporate booking tools can carry them. author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief) updated: 2026-08-04T01:18:28.073Z canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/southwest-four-fare-bundles-ndc-corporate-booking image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/southwest-fare-bundles-cabin-95634.webp categories: Business content_type: News region: United States publication: Sovereign Magazine schema_type: Article --- Since January 27, 2026, a Southwest Airlines ticket has come in four bundles rather than one, with assigned seating, three seat types, and a checked bag that costs $35 on all but the most expensive fare. The corporate booking systems that company travel managers work in were set up to carry a fare and a schedule, and Southwest is now adding the technology that lets them show the rest. ## In 2021 Southwest Had a Fare and a Schedule to Sell On July 26, 2021, Southwest began selling flights inside Sabre's global distribution system, which it described as the leading corporate booking channel in the United States. That completed a rollout across all three major systems, Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus, and for the first time in the company's history let business travelers and travel decision makers book Southwest at an industry-standard level of participation. Dave Harvey, then vice president of Southwest Business, said at the time that the focus was “removing friction when booking travel, while at the same time investing in the booking channels used most by travelers and travel decision makers.” What those systems carried was a fare and a schedule, which was most of what Southwest sold at the time. ## Two Free Checked Bags Come With One Bundle Out of Four The four bundles are Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra. Basic assigns a standard seat at check-in, boards last, and carries a flight credit that expires in six months, with changes allowed only if the passenger upgrades the fare. Choice allows a standard seat chosen at booking, plus free same-day change and standby. Choice Preferred adds a preferred seat nearer the front, Group 3 to 4 boarding and priority security lanes, and is refundable. Choice Extra includes an Extra Legroom seat chosen at booking, Group 1 boarding, 14 Rapid Rewards points per dollar and two free checked bags. On the other three bundles a first checked bag costs $35 and a second $45, and a third costs $150. Carry-on and a personal item are free on every fare, and active-duty military passengers check bags free. Rapid Rewards A-List members get the first bag free, and A-List Preferred members the first two. Extra Legroom seats sit at the front of the cabin and near the exit rows, with up to five more inches of legroom than the standard and preferred seats. ## Southwest Expects Its Own Direct Connection by the End of 2026 New Distribution Capability is the industry standard that lets an airline present seats, bundles and other paid extras inside a third party's booking tool rather than a fare and a schedule alone. Southwest says it is adding the standard so corporate customers can reach its fare products and seating services in the channels they already use. The airline is developing its in-house programming interface into a direct-connect option it expects to offer partners by the end of 2026, and it has selected Amadeus Altéa NDC, which it expects to be available later in 2027. Aileen Furlong, vice president of sales at Southwest, said the airline is “focused on elevating the travel experience to meet the expectations of today's and tomorrow's business Customers through initiatives like assigned and Extra Legroom seating, cabin upgrades, including in-seat power, Starlink ultra-fast WiFi, larger overhead bins, and international partnerships.” Meg O'Keefe, senior vice president for airlines in the Americas at Amadeus, said adoption of the standard is accelerating across corporate travel. > "As NDC adoption continues to accelerate across corporate travel, we are pleased to deepen our technology collaboration with Southwest and bring its NDC content to a wider audience." > — Meg O'Keefe, Senior Vice President, Airlines, Americas, Amadeus ## Business Priority Arrives in Early 2027 as a Contract Option Southwest is also introducing Business Priority, which becomes available in early 2027 for companies to include in their corporate travel agreements. Southwest says it aims to give travelers at those companies preferred reaccommodation, standby and boarding benefits on the day of travel. It is a benefit a corporate account buys into rather than a route to the airline's inventory. Southwest Business is at [southwest.com](https://www.southwest.com/corporate-travel/travel-management/). ## FAQ **Q: Does Southwest charge for carry-on bags?** No. Carry-on bags and one personal item are free on every Southwest fare, including Basic. The charges apply to checked bags. **Q: How much is a checked bag on Southwest?** A first checked bag costs $35 and a second $45 on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares. Both are free on Choice Extra. A third or additional bag costs $150. Active-duty military passengers check bags free. **Q: What does Southwest's Choice Extra fare include?** Choice Extra includes an Extra Legroom seat or any other available seat chosen at booking, Group 1 boarding, two free checked bags, 14 Rapid Rewards points per dollar and a premium drink on flights of 251 miles or more. **Q: What is New Distribution Capability?** New Distribution Capability, or NDC, is an industry standard that lets an airline show fares, seating and other paid extras inside a third party's booking tool, rather than only a fare and a schedule. **Q: Which global distribution systems carry Southwest fares?** Southwest fares are sold through Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus, a participation the airline completed in 2021.