If visiting wineries and tasting rooms in the wine regions of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California is on your agenda, you’ll likely want to bring home a few bottles or an entire case of wine.
You can’t put those bottles in your carry-on bags, of course. So you’ll have to check them as baggage.
And, given the rising cost of checked bags, that can get pricey.
Unless, of course, you check that wine on one of the two airlines that now allow passengers flying from certain cities to check up to a case of wine for free.
Southwest Airlines’ Sip and Ship program
Southwest Airlines once let bags fly free. But that policy was nixed as of late May, 2025.
But starting Friday, April 24, 2026, under the carrier’s new Sip and Ship program, Southwest Airlines passengers flying from select cities in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho may check up to a case of wine for free.
Here are 19 airports included in Southwest Airlines’ Sip and Ship program:
IDAHO: Boise Airport (BOI)
Oregon: Eugene Airport (EUG), Portland International Airport (PDX)
Washington: Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Spokane International Airport (GEG)
California: Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), Ontario International Airport (ONT), John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA), Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) , Sacramento International Airport (SMF), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) and Long Beach Airport (LGB).
To check wine for free on Southwest Airlines, passengers must be 21 years of age or older and must pack the wine properly. See all the rules for the Sip and Ship program.
Alaska Airline’s Wine Flies Free program
Alaska Airlines debuted its Wine Flies Free program back in 2007. And now there 32 west coast cities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California included in the program.
To check wine for free on Alaska Airlines, you must be aged 21 year or older and your wine must be packed properly.
Here is the list of airports included in Alaska Airlines’ Wine Flies Free program
Washington: Bellingham (BLI), Everett (PAE), Pasco (PSC), Pullman (PUW), Seattle (SEA), Spokane (GEG), Walla Walla (ALW), Wenatchee (EAT) and Yakima (YKM),
Oregon: Eugene (EUG), Medford (MFR), Portland (PDX) and Redmond (RDM).
California: Burbank (BUR), Fresno (FAT), Los Angeles (LAX), Monterey (MR), Oakland (OAK), Ontario (ONT), Orange County (SNA), Palm Springs (PSP), Redding (RDD), Sacramento (SMF), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC), San Luis Obispo (SBP), Santa Barbara (SBA) and Sonoma County (STS).
Idaho: Boise (BOI), Idaho Falls (IDA) and Sun Valley (SUN).
Bonus benefit of the Alaska’s Wine Flies Free program.
How will you decide which wines you want to bring home as a souvenir of your travels to wine country?
That’s where a bonus benefit of Alaska Airlines’ Wine Flies Free program will prove even more valuable.
At some wineries and tasting rooms in Oregon, Washington and Idaho that charge tasting fees (which can range from $15 to $40 per person), your fee may be waived by showing your inbound boarding pass and your Atmos Rewards membership.
