Still, Jordan told the Times that by charging bag fees, Southwest predicts the number of checked bags will decrease while the number of gate-checked bags will "modestly" increase. And when there are gate-checked bags, Southwest agents have a ballpark idea of how many to expect when they use a tool on their devices to help predict that number.

Bob Jordan recently introduced major changes to the way the low-cost airline works, which caused a stir among loyal fliers and left them wondering what sets it apart from competitors.

Southwest’s CEO brands new bag fees and seat assignments as “choice,” but one traveler argues it’s really a shift toward profit over passengers.