Your Texas wine can now fly free. As of November 2, Southwest Airlines has expanded its Sip and Ship program to four Texas airports, including Dallas Love Field. Passengers can now check one case of wine at no extra charge on flights leaving from Love Field, Austin-Bergstrom, Houston Hobby and San Antonio International.
The program launched in April on the West Coast, timed to Southwest’s new service into Sonoma County wine country. It started with airports in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Texas is the first expansion beyond that region, and Southwest says it came after a big response from Texas wine lovers and growers. It’s fitting for an airline that has called Love Field home since it started flying in 1971.
The rules are simple enough. You have to be 21 or older, and you get one case per passenger. A case means a single box or wine suitcase holding up to 12 bottles, weighing 50 pounds or less, and within Southwest’s standard checked bag size of 62 inches, length plus width plus height. The bottles need to be unopened, with the winery’s label, and packed in a proper wine shipping box or wine suitcase made to keep them from breaking.
You don’t need to be a Rapid Rewards member. Take the case to the ticket counter unsealed so an agent can inspect it, then it gets checked. The case doesn’t count against your regular bag allowance, so you can still check your suitcase on top of it. A second case, or one that’s overweight or oversized, is charged like any other bag.
The fine print is worth reading. The program only covers flights within the U.S., and Southwest isn’t liable for broken bottles, even in special packaging. Some states also limit how much wine you can bring in, so check the rules at the other end before you pack.
For Texas, the airport list says a lot. Austin and San Antonio are the natural gateways to Hill Country wine country around Fredericksburg, so visitors finishing a weekend of tastings can now fly their haul home instead of paying to ship it. CraveDFW spent time in Fredericksburg this fall for Oktoberfest, and wine is a big part of why people make that drive.
For Dallas, the timing may be the best part. The holidays are coming, and plenty of North Texans will be flying out of Love Field to see family. If you’ve been looking for a host gift that says where you’re from, a case of Texas wine just got a lot easier to bring along.
Details and the full terms are on Southwest’s Sip and Ship page.
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