Deal Alert: Southwest Flash Sale Offering Flights From $44 One-Way

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Once again, Southwest flights are on sale starting from $44 one-way. Unlike last week, this deal focuses on nonstop routes primarily within the continental US as well as select Hawaii and Puerto Rico routes. A handful of international routes are on sale between August 20 and October 30, barring some blackout dates over major holidays.

It’s worth noting that, while the promotion states that only nonstop routes are discounted, we’re finding a number of dates where one-stop routes are very close in price (in cash) or even cheaper than nonstop routes (in Rapid Rewards points). So your mileage may vary; do your own homework, as prices may be even lower than advertised on select dates.

In order to qualify for these discounts, your trip must be booked by May 2, 2019. Travel dates are as follows:

• Within the continental US: May 21 – June 12, 2019, August 20 – October 30, 2019.
• Hawaii inter-island: May 21 – October 1, 2019.
• To/from San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU): September 4 – October 31, 2019.
• International routes: August 20 – October 30, 2019.

All fares are nonrefundable, although Southwest does allow you to convert nonrefundable travel credit toward a future flight within one year of the original purchase date. And if you’ve already made a reservation through Southwest and later find that the price of the ticket has decreased, you can request the difference in fare with no change fees. Also remember that Southwest award redemptions are tied to the ticket’s price, so this is a prime opportunity to use Southwest miles for a cheap trip. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest instantly at a 1:1 ratio.

Airlines: Southwest
Routes: Domestic and international routes
Cost: From $44 or 2,154 Southwest points + $5.60 one-way
Travel Dates: May – October 2019
Purchase by: May 2
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance),  Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare on airfare booked directly with airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Booking Link: Southwest.com

Here are some examples of what you can book:

San Diego (SAN) to San Jose (SJC) for $44 one-way:

San Diego (SAN) to San Jose (SJC) for $88 round-trip nonstop:

San Diego (SAN) to San Jose (SJC) for 4,308 Rapid Rewards points + $11.20 round-trip nonstop:

Atlanta (ATL) to Nashville (BNA) for $98 round-trip nonstop:

Atlanta (ATL) to Nashville (BNA) for 4,985 Rapid Rewards points + $11.20 round-trip:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Jacksonville (JAX) for $59 one-way:

New Orleans (MSY) to Austin (AUS) for 3,822 Rapid Rewards points + $5.60 one-way:

Boise (BOI) to Spokane (GEG) for $60 one-way:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) for $114 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), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare on plus excellent trip delay insurance), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card,  Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image courtesy of Shutterstock.