Southwest Airlines is taking up to 40% off base fares on select domestic and short-haul international flights between November 9, 2026 and March 3, 2027, but you have to book by Thursday, October 22.
Key details (as of October 20, 2026)
- Discount: Up to 40% off base fares, applied automatically (no promo code). It shows as a strikethrough on the base fare and comes off before government taxes and fees.
- Book by: October 22, 2026.
- Travel dates: Select flights from November 9, 2026 through March 3, 2027.
- Blackout dates (continental U.S.): November 28–29, December 26–28, 2026, and January 2–3, 2027, per the published sale terms.
- Blackouts to/from Hawaii, international destinations, St. Thomas and San Juan: Outbound from the continental U.S. is blacked out November 19–25 and December 17–January 5; return travel is blacked out November 27–December 1 and December 17–January 5. Interisland Hawaii flights are excluded.
- Fine print: Seats, days and markets are limited, and “up to” means many fares will be discounted by less than 40%. Southwest doesn’t list sample fares, and bag fees and other charges are not discounted.
Prices and availability change quickly, and discounted seats can sell out before the deadline.
How to book
- Go to the Flight Deals page on southwest.com (linked below) or start a normal search on the homepage.
- Enter your route and dates between November 9 and March 3, avoiding the blackout dates above.
- Look for fares with a strikethrough price; that’s where the discount was applied.
- Toggle between dollars and points. Southwest’s Rapid Rewards prices generally move with cash fares, so check whether the points price has dropped too.
- Already booked a trip in this window? Search the same flight. If it’s now cheaper, you may be able to change to the lower fare and keep the difference as flight credit, depending on your fare type.
Who it’s good for
This sale is most useful for anyone planning holiday travel inside the continental U.S. Unlike Southwest’s early-October sale, which blacked out most of Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, this one only blacks out a handful of peak days. That leaves Thanksgiving week outbound flights and mid-December departures open. It’s also a good fit for winter getaways to Florida, the Southwest and the Caribbean in January and February, as long as you avoid the holiday blackouts on those routes.
Prefer to pay with points? Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Southwest Rapid Rewards. If you’re considering a Sapphire card, you can apply through our Chase referral link.
Disclosure: This is our personal Chase referral link. If you’re approved through it, we may earn a referral bonus, at no extra cost to you. You can always apply directly on Chase’s website. See our Advertising & Referral Disclosure.
Our take
Southwest runs “up to 40% off” sales often, so the headline alone isn’t news. What makes this one worth a look is the timing and the short blackout list: holiday fares are usually the hardest to find on sale. The catches are real, though. The 40% is a ceiling, not a guarantee, and the most popular holiday flights may see little or no discount. Bag fees aren’t discounted, so if you’re checking luggage, compare the total cost against other airlines before booking. And with the sale ending Thursday, there’s no time to wait for prices to drop further. If you see a fare you like for a trip you’re already planning, book it.
Source: Southwest Airlines Flight Deals and Offers (official sale terms). Lead and blackout-date listing via Slickdeals.
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