The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Jennifer is a contributing writer to The Points Guy where she focuses on family travel. She is also the founder of Deals We Like where she helps her readers travel on a deal.
January 18, 2020 • 9 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
Southwest Airlines remains a practical choice for New York City-area travelers, especially families, due to flexible policies and the Companion Pass, which allows a designated companion to fly for just taxes and fees.
Southwest serves LaGuardia and Islip airports in the NYC area, with LaGuardia offering more destinations and Islip providing easier logistics and lower parking costs.
Nonstop routes from NYC are somewhat limited, but direct and connecting options expand travel possibilities, and the airline's website makes route and schedule searches straightforward.
Families benefit from Southwest's complimentary checked bags, flexible change policies and the ability to reprice fares if ticket prices drop.
What to consider
The Companion Pass requires earning 125,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, with points accrued through various eligible activities.
Southwest flights from NYC often require a layover, but some direct flights allow passengers to remain onboard during stops.
Islip Airport lacks lounge facilities but offers shorter lines and lower parking costs, while LaGuardia provides lounge access for select travelers.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed advice on optimizing airport choices, maximizing the Companion Pass and navigating Southwest's NYC-area routes for family travel.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
It doesn't have a lot of frills, but if you are a New York City resident, you should absolutely consider Southwest Airlines for your next trip, especially if you have a family.
To earn the pass, you need to accrue 125,000 qualifying points within the calendar year. There are many ways to earn these points, but one of the easiest is through the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card. Right now, you can earn up to 75,000 bonus points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card — 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months, and another 35,000 points after you spend $5,000 within the first six months of card membership.
This means if you are able to meet the full minimum spend requirement, the 75,000 points earned from the welcome bonus will get you 60% of the way to earning the pass. You can earn the remaining points many other ways, such as credit card spend, online shopping portals and partner rewards; or you can also get a business credit card to quickly cross the threshold.
In the New York metro area, Southwest only serves LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Southwest pulled out of Newark (EWR) about a year ago, so your options are limited, especially if you live in New Jersey. Southwest also does not serve JFK, but if you live on Long Island, the airline has a large presence in Islip (ISP). (Tip: If you live in Connecticut, also consider Bradley Airport (BDL) outside Hartford. If you live in southern New Jersey, Philadelphia airport (PHL) is an option. Both have many Southwest flights.)
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 lands at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
Although the airport options have become more limited in the past year, you still have a decent number of Southwest routes available. From LGA, you can fly to many domestic locations in the South, Midwest, West Coast, as well as some international destinations. The one real disadvantage of flying Southwest from NYC-area airports is that nonstop flights are relatively few. But with a brief layover in Atlanta, Denver, Chicago and other airports central to the Southwest network, you can fly far and wide.
Know the Nonstop Routes
Most families (and single travelers) prefer nonstop routes. Boarding and deplaning an aircraft once during the day can be stressful enough for a family. Doing it multiple times to get to your destination is painful. But be open-minded. Southwest offers many routes where the aircraft just makes a stop on the ground and there is no actual layover. These direct flights (different than nonstop) may mean you do not get off the plane and your family can stay in their seats while the plane is on the ground before taking off again.
Fly Southwest direct from LaGuardia to Ft. Lauderdale and even though there is one stop, you'll stay on the plane in Atlanta.
If you do take a Southwest flight that stops en route to your final destination, you can use that stop to move up to the "good" seats once some passengers exit the aircraft.
Southwest makes it incredibly easy to search for routes. Its website will tell you which days of the week the route operates, how long the flight is and whether or not there is a nonstop option or if you'll have a layover/one stop. Many routes are seasonal. If you do not see availability during a certain time of the year, check another month to see when that route may start up again.
Southwest NYC nonstop routes include:
LaGuardia: Atlanta (ATL), Nashville (BNA), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Houston Hobby (HOU), Kansas City (MCI), Chicago Midway (MDW), Milwaukee (MKE), New Orleans (MSY), St. Louis (STL) and Tampa (TPA)
Islip: Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Tampa (TPA), Orlando (MCO), West Palm Beach (PBI) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
As a rule of thumb, LaGuardia will be your airport of choice for most destinations, but Islip is preferable for flights to Florida. If both airports are accessible to you, you'll want to price out all options as pricing can vary greatly. Since all Southwest flights price out as one-ways, you can always check to see if departing from one airport and returning to another will actually save you money — assuming you aren't parking a car at the airport. Unlike other airlines, you cannot search for both airports at once. You will need to put the exact airport code into your search (LGA versus ISP) and it will only show you routes for that exact city pair and not surrounding airports. This makes searching for the best price a slightly tedious process, but it can be worth it.
Price and route options might determine which airport you fly out of, but also take into consideration which airport works best for your family. For example, if you live in New Jersey or Westchester, Islip most likely isn't an option. But if you live in New York City, you could make Islip work for you and Long Islanders will almost certainly have their best luck with Southwest as their airline of choice.
Know your airport lounges
For families, an airport lounge can make a world of difference. It allows your kids to run around in a confined space and also nosh on some snacks before takeoff. At LaGuardia, Southwest is located in Terminal B, where those with The Platinum Card® from American Express card have easy access to the Centurion Lounge. As of now, there are no Priority Pass partnerships at LaGuardia. Enrollment required for select benefits.
Islip Airport doesn't offer a lounge, but it is such a small airport with much shorter lines that flying with kids is a breeze.
Dinner in the LaGuardia Centurion Lounge. (Summer Hull/The Points Guy)
Islip Airport is accessible
Don't write off Islip as an option if you don't live in Long Island. When I lived in NYC, we flew out of Islip often. Yes, it is significantly farther away than LGA, but the airport is so easy to use. Without the long lines that you sometimes experience at LaGuardia, the total travel time from your house to the gate can be roughly equal.
Parking at ISP is also much less expensive than at LGA (starting at $14 per day for onsite parking). Another option is to stay at a cheap airport hotel the night before, leave your car at the hotel and take the hotel's shuttle to the airport. I actually did this a few times and it worked out well. For early morning flights, it ensured I didn't have to wake up my kids at the crack of dawn and deal with traffic getting to the airport. The amount I saved on airport parking covered most of the hotel expense and made the actual travel day much smoother. Adding a "staycation" to your larger vacation is always fun for kids as well.
For those in NYC without a car, you can take the LIRR from New York Penn Station to the Ronkonkoma station, roughly a 50-mile and 1.5-hour ride starting at $14.25 per adult one-way (children 5-11 ride for $1 each when accompanied by a fare-paying adult during non-peak morning hours; under 5 are free). From there you can take a taxi/Uber to the airport, which is only a mile away.
Bottom Line
Despite its limited footprint in the NYC metro area, Southwest Airlines is a good option. There are many nonstop, direct and connecting routes and pricing is very favorable, especially when you factor in free bags and the Southwest Companion Pass. You might need to do some research on which routes and airports will work best for you, but it can be worth the effort.
Official application links: Don’t miss out on these up to 75,000-point elevated offers on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
