Deal alert: JetBlue and Southwest flash sales starting at $26 one-way
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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.
If you're on the hunt for winter flight deals, you're in luck as two airlines just rolled out winter flash sales.
JetBlue and Southwest are each running flash sales throughout the continental U.S., as well as the Caribbean and Hawaii. Deals start at $26 one-way. JetBlue's sale ends on Nov. 12, with travel taking place between Dec. 1, 2020, and Feb. 10, 2021. Note that there are numerous blackout dates from Dec. 19 to Jan. 4, 2021. Southwest's sale runs through Nov. 12 and continental U.S. travel must take place from Dec. 1 to March 4, 2021.
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Should I book travel now?
JetBlue is currently capping its jets at less than 70% of capacity through at least Dec. 1, which means an empty middle seat is no longer a guarantee. For families or friends traveling together, JetBlue will have some rows with all seats available for selection. Southwest is ending its capacity caps altogether starting Dec. 1. That means holiday travelers won’t find empty middle seats, and could potentially face completely sold out jets.
When booking your flights, pay close attention to the cancellation and rebooking policies. Many airlines now allow new tickets to be changed or canceled for no fee. If rebooking, you may need to pay a difference between the original and new fare. If you cancel, you’ll typically get flight credit that can be put toward a new reservation.
flight deals currently available
Airlines: JetBlue and Southwest
Routes: Major routes served by JetBlue and Southwest
Cost: $26+ one-way in economy class
Travel Dates: Dec. 1– Feb. 10, 2021, for JetBlue, Dec. 1 to March 4, 2021, for continental U.S. Southwest travel
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline; 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 travel), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare booked directly with the airline or amextravel.com) 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.
Sample itineraries
Here’s a look at some of the best deals you could book. This isn’t an exhaustive list, so you may be able to find deals between other cities as well.
Chicago (ORD) to Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) for $26 one-way in JetBlue Blue Basic:
Boston (BOS) to Newark (EWR) for $33 one-way in JetBlue Blue Basic:
Tampa (TPA) to Miami (MIA) for $35 one-way on Southwest:
Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to St. Maarten (SXM) for $48 one-way on JetBlue Blue Basic:
San Jose (SJC) to Maui (OGG) for $98 one-way on Southwest:
How to book
There are no tricks to find these fares. Just head to both airlines' websites and plug in your desired departure city and destination. Then, use the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you and then click through to book.
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns bonus 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), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card (3x on travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases).
Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
