In what might be the first of many sales we see this year from Southwest as it continues to recover from its holiday meltdown, the airline announced its 2023 Travel Sale, offering one-way fares starting at $49.
Sale fares must be booked by Jan. 12 for midweek travel for most destinations through May 17.
Deal basics
Airline: Southwest Airlines.
Routes: Across the Southwest network.
How to book: Directly through the airline’s sale page.
Travel dates: Jan. 31 through May 17; exact availability depends on the route, and certain blackout dates apply.
Book by: Jan. 12 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
All routes require a 21-day advance purchase, and travel is valid Monday through Thursday for travel from the continental U.S. to/from Hawaii and Puerto Rico through March 15.
Travel to international destinations is valid Sunday through Wednesday through March 8. Travel from international destinations is valid Tuesday through Friday through March 8.
Sale fares are for one-way Wanna Get Away fares, which are nonrefundable but may be applied toward future travel as long as reservations are canceled at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure.
Review additional terms and conditions of the sale here.
Read more: Southwest Airlines customer service woes: From refund frustrations to missing bags
Sample flights
To find sale flights, search your desired flight route via Southwest’s Low Fare Calendar, which will populate the lowest-priced flights of the month.
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For a test search conducted for this story, I looked for one-way routes from Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW), which is one of the airline’s largest hubs. At the time of publication, the below routes were available:
- To Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Denver International Airport (DEN), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), starting at $69.
- To LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Dallas Love Field (DAL), starting at $79.
- To Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), starting at $101.
- To Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), starting at $108.
Because Southwest does not specify which routes are included, using the Low Fare Calendar is the easiest way to search for flights included in this deal.
I was not able to identify any fares at the advertised $49 sale price and the airline did not respond to a request for more specificity prior to publication.
Maximize your purchase
If you book this deal, use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases. Southwest loyalists should consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card for 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card for 2 points on Southwest purchases or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card for 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases. Or try the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to earn 2 points per dollar on travel.
See this post for more on maximizing Southwest airfare purchases.
Bottom line
Although this sale is advertised for one-way fares, you can find and stack two one-way fares at the same price to make a round trip.
Be sure to book your flights by Thursday.
