Southwest sale: One-way flights for $29

Southwest Airlines is offering one-way flights for as low as $29 — the only catch is that the flights must take off before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

Flight prices this low will go quickly, so be sure to book as soon as possible through Thursday, Oct. 19, while supplies last.

Deal basics

Airline: Southwest Airlines
Routes: Across the Southwest network
How to book: Directly with the airline
Travel dates: Nov. 7, 2023, to March 6, 2024
Book by: Thursday at 11:59 p.m. PDT
Blackout dates: Nov. 17-22, Nov. 25-27, Dec. 21-23, Dec. 26-30, Jan. 1-2, Feb. 16 and Feb. 19. Only valid for travel before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Note that fares purchased through this sale are nonrefundable and limited based on availability, for nonstop travel when available or single connecting service. Sale fares must be purchased 21 days in advance. Rapid Rewards bookings do not include an additional $5.60 in taxes and fees each way.

Sample flights

The following flights were priced as listed at the time of publication. We cannot guarantee the below one-way flights will be available when you book:

Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW) to Nashville International Airport (BNA), starting at $39
MDW to LaGuardia Airport (LGA), starting at $49
LGA to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), starting at $59
MDW to Denver International Airport (DEN), starting at $89
LGA to San Diego International Airport (SAN), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), starting at $119
LGA to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), starting at $135

Because this deal extends across the Southwest network, use the airline’s Low Fare Calendar to search your desired route, where you’ll notice if/when the sale fares are available.

Filter your search further by selecting to view nonstop flights only. In this case, there was only one flight available at the lowest price of $49 from MDW to LGA. This shows flights will not necessarily be on sale just because they meet the time restrictions of being before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

This sale is for Wanna Get Away fares, which permit two free checked bags and two carry-on items. All Southwest fares are refundable and can be canceled up to 10 minutes before departure for free changes. Wanna Get Away fares also include free inflight entertainment and messaging.

This same flight can be booked for 2,629 points plus $5.60. Based on TPG’s current valuation of Rapid Rewards points at 1.4 cents per point, you can save a small amount by using Rapid Rewards points to book this flight.

But since this sale includes flights as cheap as $29, you’ll likely get the most bang for your buck by treating this as a cash deal.

Although this deal advertises one-way fares, see if you can stack two one-ways to make a round-trip journey at the discounted price.

Maximize your purchase

If you book this deal, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases
American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel
The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year)
Chase Sapphire Reserve: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel

Bottom line

Although this deal includes flights as low as $29 across the Southwest network, you’ll have to search to find the lowest-priced routes. They’re limited in availability.

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