Southwest Airlines joins Alaska Airlines in letting wine fly free

On Southwest Airlines, it now costs (even) more to check a bag unless you qualify for a fare, credit card or airline status waiver.

However, starting April 24, any Southwest Airlines passenger flying between select cities on the U.S. West Coast will be able to check up to one case of wine for free.

The carrier has not yet shared which cities will be included in its new Sip and Ship program. But because the announcement was paired with a release celebrating new Southwest service from Santa Rosa, California, to San Diego, Las Vegas and Burbank, California, it’s a good bet Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) near Santa Rosa is on the list.

Southwest serves many of the cities in West Coast wine country, which stretches from California to Oregon, Washington and even Idaho. So, it’s likely the Sip and Ship program will prove to be a welcome amenity for Southwest Airlines travelers wanting to bring home a bottle or a case of wine as a souvenir.

“By adding service to Sonoma County Airport and launching Sip and Ship, we’re offering our Customers even more convenience and an opportunity to continuing sipping and savoring their time in wine country,” Andrew Watterson, chief operating officer at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement.

While we wait for the eligible cities to be announced, here are some of the airline’s rules for shipping wine:

• Only passengers 21 years of age or older may check wine for free.
• The wine must be securely packaged in a leak-proof bag or box with proper and professional packaging, and it must be checked in at the customer service counter.
• Southwest defines a “case” as a single box or specialized wine suitcase containing up to twelve bottles and weighing no more than 50 pounds.
• “The top of the primary shipping container must not be sealed prior to Customer Service Agent inspection at the airport,” according to the carrier. So, you can’t fill a wine box with your dirty clothes in a sneaky attempt to evade checked bag fees.

Alaska Airlines’ Wine Flies Free program

Southwest is not the first airline to ship passengers’ wine for free.

Back in 2007, Alaska Airlines debuted its Wine Flies Free program and coincidentally also used the STS airport as the kickoff spot.

There are now 32 West Coast cities included in its program, which is available to any Atmos Reward mileage program member.

You must be 21 or older to take advantage of the program; you also must be departing from and arriving at one of the 32 airports in Washington, Idaho or California that the airline serves.

Here is the list:

• Washington: Bellingham International Airport (BLI), Paine Field (PAE), Tri-Cities Airport (PSC), Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Spokane International Airport (GEG), Walla Walla Regional Airport (ALW), Pangborn Memorial Airport (EAT) and McAllister Field (YKM)
• Oregon: Eugene Airport (EUG), Rogue Valley International Medford Airport (MFR), Portland International Airport (PDX) and Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM)
• California: Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), Ontario International Airport (ONT), John Wayne Airport (SNA), Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), Redding Regional Airport (RDD), Sacramento International Airport (SMF), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), SLO County Airport (SBP), Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) and STS
• Idaho: Boise Airport (BOI), Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) and Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN)

The Wine Flies Free program requires wine to be checked in at the counter, properly labeled and packed in a case or box with enough packing material — Styrofoam, cardboard, bubble wrap, etc. — to keep the bottle or bottles protected. (Alaska even has some cobranded approved wine carriers on its site.)

Bonus benefit of the Wine Flies Free program

Alaska’s Wine Flies Free program has a hidden benefit that can be just as, if not more valuable than, the waived baggage fee.

Wineries and tasting rooms in Oregon, Washington and Idaho normally charge a tasting fee, which can range from $15 to $40 per person. However, select wineries may waive the fees if you show your inbound boarding pass and Atmos Rewards membership. (Many wineries also waive tasting fees if you purchase a bottle.)

Rules and regulations may vary by state and winery. Be sure to check the winery’s website and download the apps for each state’s program. (Follow the links on the Wine Flies Free page.)

If you are plotting a day of wine tasting based on waived fees, be sure to call ahead to confirm. Many wineries will not waive the fee on weekends, holidays or during special events. And, in Idaho, participating wineries may ask for proof that you have flown into an Idaho airport.