April 8 (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines will fly wine for free from parts of the U.S. West Coast after launching new flights to California’s wine country, in a rare freebie as carriers pile on additional charges to cover high jet fuel costs.
A spokesperson for the carrier said on Wednesday it would allow passengers to check one case of wine starting April 24 at no cost from certain locations, mostly the wine region along the West Coast. The carrier announced the move as it started service on Tuesday to Santa Rosa, California.
Both Southwest and Delta Air Lines said this week they would raise fees for checked bags, echoing moves by U.S. carriers United Airlines and JetBlue to offset soaring jet fuel costs linked to the war in the Middle East.
The global aviation sector has been grappling with higher prices of jet fuel, which is expected to remain in tight supply and costly for months, even after a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
U.S. carriers have increasingly built their business around premium travelers, corporate accounts and loyalty-program members since the pandemic, betting those customers are slower to pull back when fares rise.
(Reporting By Allison Lampert in MontrealEditing by Rod Nickel)
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