‘I’ve Used This Same Bag’: Chicago Southwest Rewards Member Goes To Check Bag After Paying $35. Then They Pull Out A Tape Measure And Charge Her An Extra $200

A woman is calling out Southwest Airlines after claiming the airline charged her an extra $200 for her checked bag.

In a video with over 621,000 views, TikTok user Chinaa Orr (@chinaaorr) issues a warning to all Southwest flyers. If you’re not careful with your baggage, she says, you could end up paying $200.

According to Orr, she booked a flight via Southwest. For this flight, she packed a checked bag that she has used on numerous flights with both Southwest and other airlines.

While the bag was underweight, she says she was still charged $200. Why? According to the TikToker, the bag’s dimensions did not meet the airline’s requirements.

Why Did Southwest Charge This Woman $200?

“Now, they’re measuring your bag, and if it has a certain dimension for the length, the width and the depth, they’re gonna make you pay an extra amount of money for it—on top of the fact that you have to pay the $35 to check your bag,” she explains.

Orr says that she took a Southwest flight earlier this year and used the same suitcase without issue. The bag, which she shows in the video, appears to be a standard-sized piece of checked luggage.

“So if your bag is similar to this size, be careful,” Orr concludes. “They’re measuring bags now, guys.”

In the caption, she reveals that her bag’s dimensions—the sum of its length, width, and height—were 64 inches. Southwest’s website says the limit for checked bags is 62 inches.

How Common Is This?

While some commenters chided Orr for not measuring her bag, it should be noted that there are many checked bags on the market that do not meet this standard.

For example, the Samsonite Freeform Large Spinner has total dimensions of 65.8 inches. The same can be said about the Briggs & Riley Extra Large Expandable Spinner (66.8 inches), the Tumi Tegra-Lite® X-Large Expandable Checked (64 inches), and many others. There are also numerous bags that are under 62 inches but expand to more than 62 inches.

Even though 62 inches has been Southwest’s standard for years, enforcement seems to have been limited prior to Southwest instituting baggage fees. Recently, however, internet users have reported recent changes in the airline’s baggage policy regarding checked bag measurement.

Starting in mid-2025, numerous users on Reddit began posting about Southwest measuring their bags—and charging them accordingly. While it seems that some employees were flexible about the policy in the early days, many flyers are now reporting that they paid $200 for bags that are only an inch or two above the requirements.

Is There Any Way To Get Out Of Paying This?

In a follow-up video, Orr responded to comments saying she should have known about the policy. In this video, she says she was able to secure a refund for the $200.

“I did not know about this policy. If I knew about the policy, why would I bring a bag that would cost me $200? I would just bring a smaller bag. Simple as that,” she says. “I was not made aware of this policy. I did not book this trip; I was traveling for work, so if there were any disclosures or disclaimers that happened during the booking process, I wouldn’t have known about it because I didn’t book the trip.”

“All I know is every time I fly with Southwest, I bring the same checked luggage, I put it on the scale, they grab it, and tell me to ‘Have a great flight,’” she continues.

Orr further notes that she was not charged the same fee for using the bag on the return trip. When she brought this up on a phone call to Southwest Airlines corporate, she says the company opted to refund her $200.

“I am not aware of the fact that they are charging for dimensions, because they do not communicate that properly and they don’t enforce it properly,” Orr declares. “Either enforce it all the time or don’t do it at all. Make it the same across every single airport in every single city, period.”

Commenters Are Upset

In the comments section, users expressed their displeasure with the current state of Southwest Airlines.

“How did SW go from being the best to the worst airline in a few months,” wrote a user.

“I have NEVER heard of a dimension bag fee for checked bags,” added another.

“The problem is that bag makers are making extra pockets and extenders in their bags. So something that was once verified to fly isn’t anymore. Travel bags should all be standardized for FAA use,” said a third.

BroBible reached out to Orr and Southwest Airlines via email.