The carrier announced Tuesday that it will begin charging certain passengers to check their luggage on flights, a significant shift at the company long prized by consumers for its perks.

Southwest Airlines will begin charging customers a fee to check bags. It's a significant change for the budget carrier, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free.

Southwest Airlines will start charging many customers for checked bags in late May, marking the end of a longtime perk for the airline.