It's always wise to book your tickets for Christmas and New Year's as early as possible, but sometimes, you forget or maybe your plans change at the last minute. Airfare typically climbs the longer you wait, but there are still some affordable options out there: Southwest is taking 25% off one-way flights for travel taking place on Christmas and New Year's.
This Southwest deal allows you to fly anywhere within the continental U.S. — so it's perfect if you're still scrambling to book tickets to visit family for Christmas or want to spend your New Year's Eve in a new city. Simply enter the promo code "HOLIDAY25" on Southwest's website to receive the discount.
You'll only have until tomorrow to book these tickets with the Southwest discount, and given the hectic nature of holiday travel, these tickets are sure to sell out. So, book as soon as you possibly can.
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Deal basics
Airlines: Southwest Airlines.
Routes: This offer only applies to routes in Southwest's network that lie in the continental U.S. These routes include places such as Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, New York City and Washington, D.C.
How to book: Purchase your tickets directly on Southwest's website.
Travel dates: Dec. 24 to 25 and Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.
Book by: Dec. 7.
Sample flights
Book these tickets ASAP because many of the flights — particularly in the Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares — are already sold out. The fares are also still on the pricier side compared to a typical Southwest flight since they occur during Christmas and New Year's. Still, they are more reasonable than some others, especially considering you're booking only weeks before the holidays.
For example, if you're flying out of LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Dallas Love Field (DAL) on Christmas Eve, many of the Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares are sold out.
The Anytime and Business Select fares are still available, though. There isn't much of a price difference between the two, so you could opt for either one if you're willing to spend more for a holiday flight. The 25% off discount also applies to all fare classes, so the Business Select and Anytime sticker prices you see are marked down.
However, other destinations have more availability. Flights between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Charleston International Airport (CHS) have fares available across all classes.
Among departing flights on Dec. 24, you can still get fares for as low as $110 when flying from Baltimore to Charleston, South Carolina — a steal considering how expensive fares can get during the holidays.
If you were to fly back to Baltimore on Dec. 26, the fares would be slightly more expensive: You can get flights for as low as $141 on that day.
With the discount, the lowest you pay for a round-trip flight from Baltimore to Charleston is $250; this is reasonable when compared to Google Flights, which shows flights between the two cities for at least $423.
However, this Southwest deal may not be convenient for everyone since many of the cheaper fares for select destinations are already sold out.
Maximize your purchase
Use cards that earn bonus points on airfare purchases like The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar spent on airfare), the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees)(3 points per dollar spent on airfare), the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar spent on airfare), the American Express® Gold Card (3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel), the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card (3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar spent on travel). See this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
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.
Bottom line
If you haven't booked your ticket to go home for the holidays, then this Southwest deal may be perfect for you. But remember, it's only convenient depending on where you're flying from. When I looked for flights from New York City, I couldn't find many options, but when I looked for flights from other cities such as Baltimore, I could find a few more affordable options.
Traveling during the holidays can be expensive — especially if you wait to book your tickets — so snag this Southwest deal while you can. Flights are already filling up.
