Key Takeaways
• Southwest ends in-house skycap service at San Diego mid-May 2025, switching to vendors and self-service kiosks.
• Affected Southwest skycap employees can apply to vendor jobs but may face lower pay and fewer benefits.
• Changes may mean new fees, more kiosks, and less personal service for passengers at San Diego International Airport.
Southwest Airlines is making a big change at San Diego International Airport that will affect how travelers check in and get help with their bags. Starting in mid-May 2025, the airline will stop using its own skycap staff at San Diego and instead use self-service kiosks and workers from outside companies. This shift is part of Southwest’s larger effort to save money and keep up with other airlines, but it has also raised concerns for some employees and passengers who rely on friendly, face-to-face service.
Let’s take a close look at what’s changing, why it’s happening, and what it means for passengers, workers, and the broader industry.
The End of Southwest’s In-House Skycap Service at San Diego
For many years, Southwest Airlines offered a skycap service at San Diego International Airport. Skycaps help passengers at the curb, handle luggage, provide wheelchair assistance, and support anyone who might need extra help before a flight. These workers are the first people many travelers meet when they arrive at the airport. They lift heavy bags, answer questions, and often set the tone for the rest of the airport experience.
Until now, Southwest’s skycap service at San Diego was run and staffed by the airline itself, not outside companies. But from mid-May 2025, that’s going to change in a big way. The skycaps you see in front of the Southwest check-in area will no longer work directly for the airline. Instead, many will be employees of third-party vendors, and others may be replaced by machines called self-service kiosks.
This shift is not only happening in San Diego. Of the 52 airports where Southwest once had skycaps, only 10—including San Diego—were run by the airline’s own employees. At the rest, skycap help was already handled by contractors. The new plan brings all Southwest skycap services under the same system.
How the Change Will Happen
Southwest Airlines has told the skycap employees in San Diego that their jobs with the airline will end after mid-May 2025. These workers have been given the first chance to apply for jobs with the new outside companies that will now handle skycap service. In some cases, the day-to-day tasks will look the same—helping with luggage, assisting passengers with disabilities, and curbside check-in will still be available. However, who provides that service and how passengers interact with staff will be different.
Self-service kiosks, which Southwest is also rolling out, are touch-screen machines that let passengers check bags, print boarding passes, and complete other check-in steps on their own. You may already have seen similar kiosks at other airports—Southwest has placed them in ticket lobbies and near outdoor counters. These machines aim to speed up the process and cut staffing costs.
Passengers who still want help—like elderly travelers, people with disabilities, or those carrying a lot of luggage—will be able to get it, but from vendor employees instead of direct Southwest staff. This means the uniforms may look different and the working conditions for the staff may change, since third-party companies often pay less and offer fewer benefits compared to the airline.
Why Is Southwest Making This Change?
The big reason for this move is to cut costs. Southwest Airlines, like many other major airlines, is dealing with financial pressure. The company is reducing its workforce by up to 1,750 jobs, mostly in non-union and office-based positions, but also including some airport customer service roles like the skycaps in San Diego.
By hiring outside companies to run the skycap service, Southwest can spend less on pay and benefits. Contractor pay tends to be lower, and benefits such as health insurance, which were offered to Southwest employees, are often not included for vendor staff. For the airline, this means saving money at a time when every dollar counts.
Southwest is not the first major airline to make this kind of change. Both American Airlines and United Airlines stopped running their own in-house skycap services years ago. They also switched to contractors and self-service kiosks as a way to trim expenses. Southwest’s move is, in a way, catching up to an industry trend that has been growing for some time.
But cost-saving doesn’t stop with skycaps. Southwest Airlines is looking at other ways to make its operations less expensive, including:
- Charging for curbside check-in or other services: Right now, certain services are free at Southwest, but that could change.
- Reducing the free bags benefit: Southwest is known for letting passengers check two bags for free, but this popular policy may be under review.
- Changing loyalty programs: The airline might adjust how passengers earn and use rewards.
- Adjusting flight schedules: Cutting or re-timing flights could help the airline save money.
What Will Passengers Notice at San Diego?
If you are flying Southwest from San Diego after mid-May 2025, you’ll find several changes:
- More self-service kiosks: You will see more machines for checking in, printing your boarding pass, or checking your bag.
- Different skycap staff: The people helping at outdoor counters or with luggage won’t work for Southwest anymore—they will be employed by vendors.
- Possible new fees: Services that used to be included, like curbside check-in, might start costing extra.
While the outdoor curbside help will still exist, the personal touch from longtime Southwest employees may be missing. Some people will not notice much difference—they are used to using kiosks and may not care who helps with their bags. But for travelers who need more support, or who liked seeing familiar, friendly faces, the change could feel big.
Passengers can learn more about what to expect and about the self-service options from Southwest’s own help center on self-service kiosks.
What Does This Mean for Employees?
For some skycap employees in San Diego, this news is tough. Many have worked with Southwest for years—some even decades. Although their hourly pay was never very high, it was a steady job with health care and other basic benefits that made it worthwhile for many families. The move to vendor-run staff usually means lower pay and fewer benefits.
The airline has told these workers they can apply for jobs with the new vendor companies. Some will choose to take these roles, but others may leave the industry altogether. Workers who stay with the vendor companies will usually do the same work but may be paid less and have less job security.
There is also a sense of loss for workers who took pride in representing Southwest Airlines directly and enjoyed the steady pay and feeling of being part of a big company with a clear mission.
Industry Context and the Bigger Picture
The shift by Southwest Airlines at San Diego is not happening in isolation. In fact, ground handling and check-in jobs at airports all over the United States 🇺🇸 have been moving to contractors for years. Airlines have found that they can keep most services in place while spending less, even if employee morale and customer satisfaction sometimes suffer as a result.
This kind of change is not limited to skycaps. Security workers, wheelchair assistants, cleaners, and other ground staff at many major airports are now employed by vendors. For passengers, it can be hard to tell who works for the airline and who does not. For staff, it often means a less predictable job path, lower pay, and limited benefits.
Southwest Airlines held off longer than some of its competitors. It was one of the few left to still run its own skycap teams at select airports. But as expenses rise and travel remains unpredictable, Southwest has decided to fall in line with other big airlines. The hope is to maintain convenience and basic services for passengers, even as direct ties between airline and ground staff become weaker.
Reactions and Controversies
The reactions to Southwest’s change in San Diego have been mixed. Some feel that the move is just part of doing business—if American Airlines and United Airlines did it, why shouldn’t Southwest? Others, especially employees directly affected by the layoffs, are disappointed to lose steady jobs with benefits.
There are also questions about the impact on customer service. Longtime skycaps often knew regular travelers by name and took extra steps to help, even if that meant going above and beyond. With vendor staff moving in and a bigger focus on machines, it remains to be seen whether service will feel the same.
Southwest says it will keep high standards by working closely with vendors and keeping self-service kiosks running smoothly. But some passengers and workers worry that service quality could slip and that valuable experience from older staff will be lost.
What’s Next for Southwest and the Industry?
Starting in mid-May 2025, if you are flying from San Diego on Southwest Airlines, expect new staff faces and more chances to use machines at check-in. If you rely on a skycap for help with your bags or curbside check-in, you’ll still have support—just not from a Southwest employee.
Travelers who want to learn more about using kiosks or have special needs should check Southwest’s airport information page before traveling or ask an agent at the airport for up-to-date instructions.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, this change is part of a bigger movement across the airline industry. By reducing costs and updating how they handle basic services, airlines think they can stay competitive while still helping travelers get to where they need to go.
For workers, it’s a harder road. Jobs that come with health care and long-term stability are disappearing. For the companies who win the new contracts, hiring and keeping quality workers may become harder too.
For passengers, it’s possible the change will go unnoticed, especially if vendor staff remain friendly and new machines work well. But the loss of Southwest’s own employees from skycap positions at San Diego is one more sign that even human touches at the airport can be subject to big changes.
Summary and Conclusion
The move by Southwest Airlines to replace its own skycap teams at San Diego International Airport with self-service kiosks and contracted workers is a major step. It reflects a wider trend in the airline industry to outsource front-line roles and use technology to keep costs in check. Passengers will still find help at the curb, but it may feel less personal. For staff, especially those who have worked at Southwest for many years, the change is bittersweet, bringing the end of steady work with benefits.
As the industry continues to find new ways to operate in a challenging market, similar changes may come to other airports and services. Passengers, workers, and airlines alike will have to adjust to this new way of doing business—one where machines and outside contractors become a bigger part of the travel experience.
For more information on airport services, check the official Southwest Airlines kiosk guide. Whether you’re a frequent flyer or an occasional traveler, it’s worth knowing what to expect before your next trip from San Diego.
In the end, Southwest’s decision shows how airlines must balance the needs of travelers, the realities of the job market, and the basic challenge of running a large company in a changing world. While this shift may save money, only time will tell if it keeps the friendly, helpful airport experience passengers expect.
Learn Today
Skycap → Airport worker who helps passengers with luggage, curbside check-in, and special assistance, typically outside airline terminals.
Self-service kiosk → A touch-screen machine at the airport allowing travelers to check in, print boarding passes, and check bags without staff assistance.
Third-party vendor → An outside company contracted to provide services, such as skycap assistance, instead of direct airline employees.
Curbside check-in → A service that allows travelers to check baggage and receive boarding passes at outdoor counters before entering the terminal.
Outsourcing → The process where companies hire external organizations to perform services previously done by their own employees.
This Article in a Nutshell
Southwest Airlines is ending its in-house skycap service at San Diego International Airport in May 2025. Self-service kiosks and vendor staff will replace airline employees. Passengers may notice fewer personal touches and potential new fees, while workers face lower wages and benefits. The move echoes industry-wide outsourcing trends.
— By VisaVerge.com
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