Deal Alert: Southwest fares as low as $29 or 1,100 points each way
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Southwest is no stranger to flight sales, and $29 fares are hard to ignore — especially when paired with the airline's phenomenal Companion Pass, which you can still snag with little effort for the next few days.
This week, the airline is offering discounts on flights booked by 11:59pm CT on Thursday, March 4, 2021. Travel dates range from April 13 through June 2 for eligible domestic and international flights, and through May 26 for flights to and from Hawaii.
You likely won't see the lowest advertised fares every day — weekend flights are generally excluded, and certain mid-week days may not be available, depending on the route.
Airline: Southwest
Routes: between AUS/MTJ/OAK/SJU/PHX/LGA/MSY/HNL/OGG/KOA/LIH/ITO/AUS/DAL/STL and more
Cost: from $29, $39, $49 or $99 one-way
Dates: Book by March 4 for travel between April 13 and June 2 -- discounted rates may extend beyond advertised dates.
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel ; earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, starting Jan. 1, 2021), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Here's how to get your money back when a Southwest fare goes down in price
Here are some examples of flights you might find discounted as part of the sale:
- As low as $29 one-way between New Orleans (MSY) and Houston (HOU)
- As low as $29 one-way between Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and LaGuardia (LGA)
- As low as $29 one-way between Phoenix (PHX) and Palm Springs (PSP)
- As low as $54 one-way between Nashville (BNA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- As low as $99 one-way between Long Beach (LGB) and Honolulu (HNL)
- As low as $99 one-way between Long Beach and Maui (OGG)
As a general rule of thumb, the shorter the distance, the lower the fare — you won't find transcon flights or hops to Hawaii within that $29 range. There are plenty of low-cost flights available, though, such as Salt Lake City (SLC) to Las Vegas (LAS) for 29 bucks:
Or just 1,058 points, plus the $5.60 TSA fee:
You can score that bargain-basement price on flights between the Hawaiian islands, too.
Fares between hubs can be quite reasonable as well, such as the $49 you'll pay each way between Dallas and Chicago.
Or you can lock in your flight with an entire reasonable 2,510 Rapid Rewards points, plus the $5.60 security fee.
Flights between the mainland and Hawaii are on sale as well, though they'll cost you a bit more.
Maximize your purchase
Don't forget to use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
Featured image by Summer Hull/The Points Guy.