SAN DIEGO -- Jet fuel prices are soaring and checked baggage fees are on the rise, but for fans of California wine country, Southwest Airlines has a deal for you.

Beginning April 24, San Diego’s largest airline will debut its “Sip and Ship” program, which will allow passengers to check one case of wine at no cost when flying between Santa Rosa and select West Coast locations, including San Diego.

The new perk for oenophiles is meant to celebrate the inauguration of Southwest’s new nonstop destination, Santa Rosa, which provides easy access to the Napa Valley and Sonoma wine regions.

“We’re excited to open the door to more of California’s incredible destinations, especially the stunning wine region of Sonoma County, as we add our 14th airport to our already best-in-industry intra-California service,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest’s chief operating officer. “By adding service to Sonoma County Airport and launching Sip and Ship, we’re offering our customers even more convenience and an opportunity to continuing sipping and savoring their time in wine country.”

Specifically, the new program will allow each passenger to check one case of wine at no additional charge, as long as those cases are placed in a standard wine shipping box or wine suitcase that meets checked bag requirements.

Southwest’s fine print offers further guidance for the packaging, dimensions and weight: A case, it says, is defined as a single box or specialized wine suitcase containing up to 12 bottles and weighing no more than 50 pounds. Passengers must follow the standard sizing policy for checked baggage, which is a total of 62 inches in size (length + width + height). Wheels and handles should be included when measuring.

Passengers will be able to check their wine with a Southwest customer service agent at the ticket counter.

Because the Sip and Ship program is being rolled out in conjunction with Southwest’s new Santa Rosa route, the cities that will now have direct service to the Sonoma County Airport — San Diego, Las Vegas, Denver and Burbank — will qualify for the complimentary checked wine service.

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson noted, however, that the airline will soon be announcing other cities besides Santa Rosa where passengers will be able to take advantage of Sip and Ship.

Southwest is taking a page from rival Alaska Airlines’ longstanding “Wine flies free” policy that is offered on flights departing from 32 airports in Oregon and neighboring states of California, Washington and Idaho.

Like the Southwest program, Alaska passengers, age 21 and older, may bring up to a case of wine, checking it through as they would any checked baggage.

While wine flying free can be an enticing perk for travelers booking wine tasting getaways, the new program comes at a time when air travel costs are rising due to the ongoing conflict in Iran. Some airlines have been hiking the cost of checking luggage to compensate for their higher fuel expenses.

While Southwest only recently began charging for checked baggage, it’s already raised its fees from $35 to $45 for the first piece of luggage and from $45 to $55 for a second bag. That went into effect last Thursday.

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