Southwest deal alert: Domestic flights starting at 2,721 points one-way
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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Editor’s note: As the travel industry reopens following COVID-19 shutdowns, TPG suggests that you talk to your doctor, follow health officials' guidance and research local travel restrictions before booking that next trip. We will be here to help you prepare, whether it is next month or next year.
Air travel is gradually picking back up again and travel companies are offering some terrific deals to ramp up demand. Today, we're seeing some especially enticing deals coming from Southwest. The airline just dropped award prices on domestic flights across the nation to as low as 2,721 points one-way.
The low fares are available for travel from now through Oct. 2020. We've included some sample routes out of cities like Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (MDW), Atlanta (ATL) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) below, but since this deal is so widespread, your best bet would be to go straight to Southwest.com and search the route of your choice to see how it’s pricing. You can also use the Low Fare Calendar to find the cheapest travel dates.
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Things to know before booking
Southwest doesn't charge any change or cancellation fees, so you can easily cancel your trip down the line if the pandemic isn’t contained by the time you’re set to depart. If you already have existing Southwest travel booked for later this year, consider checking if the price has dropped. As a part of its no-fees policy, you can request a fare adjustment whenever the cost of your flight goes down, even after you’ve already booked.
In response to the pandemic, Southwest is spending more than six hours cleaning all aircraft overnight and disinfecting high-touch areas before every flight. Other changes include requiring all employees and customers to wear face masks and shifting boarding to smaller groups. The airline is also limiting the number of passengers on each flight by at least 20% through at least July 31.
TPG values Southwest Rapid Rewards points at 1.5 cents each, so 2,721 points represent a cash equivalent of about $41. If you’re in need of Southwest points, remember that you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest instantly at a 1:1 ratio with a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. If you end up paying cash for your flight, be sure to register for this promotion on Southwest’s website to earn double points through Aug. 31.
Airlines: Southwest
Routes: Major routes served by Southwest
Cost: 2,721+ points and $5.60 of taxes and fees one-way
Travel Dates: June - Oct. 2020
Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel; starting Jan. 1, 2021 earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit), 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: The best Southwest Airlines credit cards for family travelers
Examples of what you can book
Los Angeles (LAX) to Denver (DEN) from 2,721 points + $5.60 one-way:
Chicago (MDW) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) from 2,721 points + $5.60 one-way:
Boston (BOS) to Chicago (MDW) from 2,721 points + $5.60 one-way:
New York (LGA) to Chicago (MDW) from 2,721 points + $5.60 one-way:
Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX) from 3,111 points + $5.60 one-way:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago (MDW) from 3,267 points + $5.60 one-way:
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit 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.
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