When Does Southwest Airlines Have Sales?

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Southwest Airlines is one of the largest low-cost airline carriers in the world; serving mainly domestic airports and a handful of international destinations for super budget-friendly prices. The carrier doesn’t have the same perks or creature comforts as more expensive domestic airlines, but the price point makes it a seriously economical way to get across the country.

Southwest is notorious for its low prices — we’re talking flights for less than $50 in some cases. However, in addition to these low prices, there are even more ways to save on your Southwest airfare if you know where and how to look for deals. Read on to get a better understanding of how Southwest operates and how to score tickets for less than a round of cocktails.

Does Southwest have sales?

Yes, Southwest Airlines does have sales. It should come as no surprise that Southwest Airlines — king of low-cost carriers in the United States — runs a ton of sale events throughout the year to make domestic travel more affordable.

To make the most of these savings, you’re probably wondering when is it the best time to book with Southwest. To help you out, we broke down all you need to know about when and how often Southwest Airlines has sales and how to make the most of your airline fare.

When does Southwest have sales?

You can find discounted Southwest prices all year long if you’re savvy about where to look (more on that later). Southwest Airlines also runs a handful of designated sale events that will help you get the best deal possible on your upcoming flights — no matter where you’re jetting off to.

Here are the three main events to keep in mind while flight shopping.

• Summer sale: You’ll have multiple chances to score discounted fares throughout the summer months. Southwest tends to offer one-way fares for $39 or $49 in the second week of June and the third week of August (but the exact dates shift each year).
• Cyber Monday sale: Southwest has started holding massive Southwest Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales that tend to last anywhere from 24 hours to several days within the constraints of Black Friday (the first Friday after Thanksgiving). Expect to find one-way flights starting at less than $40 throughout the sale event.
• Tuesday sale: Yep, Southwest Airlines actually has a sale event pretty much every single Tuesday. The weekly sale is announced once a week at 3 p.m. ET and lasts until about Thursday. Make sure to sign up for the Southwest newsletter to be among the first to be notified of the weekly sale event.
• Wanna Go Wednesdays: Southwest has added another savings day to its weekly lineup of promotions. Every Wednesday, exclusively, you can find limited-time deals on flights.

Current Southwest sales

Southwest Airlines: Wanna Get Away Sale

Southwest is currently holding one of its infamous Wanna Get Away sales! Right now, if you book before May 9 and travel between May 21 and Nov. 20, 2024 within the continental U.S. you can find one-way fares starting at just $49.

And between Aug 20 and Nov. 20, 2024 (excluding Sept 3) for Hawaii, international, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, you can find one-way fares starting at just $49 as well!

Book here.

How to save at Southwest Airlines

Looking for even more ways to save with Southwest Airlines? Here are a handful of additional tips and tricks that’ll earn you ultra-low fares (and, in some cases, even free flights) with little-to-no additional effort on your part.

1. Use the Southwest Airlines Low Fare calendar

The Low Fare Calendar takes the guesswork out of trying to find the cheapest flights for a given trip. It doesn’t require clearing your cache or working from an Incognito Window just to try to game the algorithm; instead, it allows you to clearly see which dates, which flights and which airports will snag you the cheapest possible fare. The calendar works especially well if you’re flexible with dates and can choose to fly a few days before or after your initial itinerary.

2. Sign up for Rapid Rewards

If you’re flying Southwest Airlines regularly, you’ll want to sign up for Rapid Rewards. The airline loyalty program allows you to earn points for each flight you book. The frequent flyer program rewards loyal clients with things like priority boarding, seat selection and, of course, the chance to book free flights with points.

3. Get a Southwest Airlines co-branded credit card

We don’t recommend getting a new credit card just for the sake of it — but if you are looking for a new travel card, then the Southwest Airlines co-branded Visa might be worth looking into. You’ll receive 2X the Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Southwest Airline flights and a generous 6K-point bonus after a year of using the card. There are also a ton of sign-up bonuses, which have historically included up to 50K in bonus points if you meet the minimum spend.

4. Watch for Southwest Airlines coupon codes

Southwest Airlines also runs a ton of promotions throughout the year. You’ll want to check the Offers.com Southwest Airlines page for the most up-to-date offerings on that front.

5. Take advantage of the Southwest Airlines military discount

Active members of the U.S. military should be sure to look into the Southwest Airlines military discount. The only catch is that you’ll need to be on active duty and able to present military identification while traveling.

6. Sign up for the Southwest Airlines newsletter

The Southwest Airlines email newsletter is by far going to be your best bet when it comes to saving as much as possible on domestic flights. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to find out about the weekly Tuesday sales, with offers landing directly in their inbox around 3 p.m. ET.

7. Purchase a Southwest gift card at a discount

You won’t find Southwest Airlines gift cards available at discounted prices every day, but it does happen. Check out Costco and Sam’s Club for gift card deals – typically, the deal involves you paying $430 or $450 for a $500 value gift card.

8. Opt for a Wanna Get Away ticket

Southwest has a few different fare tier options available to passengers, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs and budget. The most affordable option is the Wanna Get Away fare, while the Business Select is the most expensive option. The Wanna Get Away is non-refundable, but you get flight credit if you cancel and you change flights for free (only paying fare difference), two bags are allowed and you’ll earn 6x the fare in Rapid Rewards points on flights that qualify.

9. Sign up for text alerts

Get all the latest flight deal news from Southwest by texting FLYDEALS to 70139. You will get all the latest news on promotions as soon as they launch, and maybe exclusive access to savings too.

Southwest Airlines saving FAQs

Is Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program free?

Absolutely. The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program is completely free and easy to sign up for. All you have to do is visit https://southwest.com/enroll, fill in a few key details, and you’ll be well on your way to free flights and perks at the airport and beyond.

Do Southwest Rapid Rewards points expire?

Unlike some loyalty programs, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points never expire. This means that even if you don’t get around to using your points, or if you’re slower to collect points, you’ll still be able to put them toward discounted airfare whenever you want.

What day do Southwest flights go on sale?

There’s a lot of opinion around whether or not there are better times to score cheaper flights in general, but with Southwest Airlines, it really is better to book between Tuesday and Thursday when the weekly sale prices are on.

What time on Tuesday does Southwest lower prices?

While there is no specific time detailed on Southwest’s website, many airline experts have shared online that 3 p.m. ET on a Tuesday appears to be the best time to book Southwest flights. This is in part because Southwest might match a competitor’s flight price that was available earlier in the day.

How often does Southwest have 40% off?

As shared above, Southwest tends to have two major fare sales each year where a 40% off discount is often a part of the promotions. The best way to make sure you don’t miss out on these sales is to sign up for Southwest’s email newsletter.

How do I get a Southwest 40% off code?

When Southwest is hosting a 40% off sale, finding a 40% off coupon code isn’t difficult. You can find the applicable coupon code in promotional emails, on the Southwest Offers.com page and usually advertised on the Southwest website homepage as well.