Southwest flyers fire back over airline ending free checked bag policy: 'Nail in the coffin'

Travelers who claim to be loyal customers of Southwest are sounding off after the airline announced changes Tuesday to its popular passenger perk.

The Texas-based carrier revealed several changes are being made in an effort to drive revenue growth and return to profitability shareholders expect, FOX Business reported.

These changes will include an adjustment to its checked bag policy, which allows all passengers to check two bags for free. Southwest has not yet announced how much travelers will be charged, though the fee for a third checked bag is listed at $150 on southwest.com.

"Call it what you will - boycott, mass exodus, defecting. Can we do that in a massive wave right now?" one person wrote in a Southwest Reddit thread.

"Nail in the coffin," another person wrote.

"This was literally the last reason I still flew Southwest. Now it's just Spirit with different colors," another user commented in a different thread.

"I used to favor [Southwest] for the lack of baggage fees. They definitely will not be my first choice if their prices stay the same," a Reddit user wrote.

Fox News Digital reached out to Southwest for comment.

"It makes sense to be angry at Southwest because they have literally announced an intention to reverse their brand promise, that they have promoted as 'transfarency' regarding lack of fees or charges for checked baggage," Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital.

"They have dealt [with] a decades-long relationship with customers based on a simple and fair value proposition that they are changing, and loyal customers do feel betrayed.

"For five decades, Southwest has been a pioneer and a maverick, and they've announced that legacy has ended."

Other social media users said they will consider flying with other airlines, even though they were once loyal Southwest customers, but they do not think a boycott is the answer.

"Sure this sucks, but like everyone has already pointed out, they're like every other airline now, so no use in boycotting for another just like it. It's going to come down to cheapest fair, and most convenient or direct route for me. Based on my home airport, it's likely going to still be Southwest," a social media user added.

"They will be adding extra legroom seating at the expense of legroom in standard seats," he added.

"At the same time that Southwest minimizes the differentiation between their product and the rest of the industry, they will be behind other airlines as they chase that same model," Leff said.

"In other words, Southwest Airlines is giving up its competitive differentiation while positioning itself at the bottom of the industry for the model they're chasing."FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.