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Southwest Airlines has long been known for its low fares, lack of change fees and generous baggage policies. But the airline has gone through major changes — including new fare classes, a shift away from open seating, the end of its two free checked bags offer and revamped credit card perks.
Despite all that, there are still plenty of ways to make flying Southwest even cheaper. Here are seven ways to maximize your savings.
1. Use Southwest’s Low Fare Calendar
The Low Fare Calendar is your best friend when searching for the cheapest Southwest flights. Instead of checking day-by-day prices, this tool shows you the lowest fares across an entire month, in either cash or points.
Use it if your travel dates are flexible, and you’ll often find flights significantly cheaper than if you searched for fixed dates. Yes, sometimes even booking a flight just one day off from your intended departure date can result in hundreds of dollars in savings.
2. Book with cash and points
Have some Rapid Rewards points lying around, but not enough to cover a full fare? You can now mix cash + points at checkout.
NerdWallet typically recommends against sitting on points for too long, as points inflation tends to be more pronounced than cash inflation. Plus, your cash is far more fungible than points — so spend them down. With the cash + points option – even if you don’t have enough Rapid Rewards points for the full fare — you can still knock down the price using what you’ve got.
» Learn more: Southwest's Low Fare Calendar + Other booking tips
3. Take advantage of new fare types and early seat selection
Southwest has introduced seat selection during booking and done away with its former (and rather controversial) open seating model. The new fare types are:
- Basic (replaces Wanna Get Away): No seat selection; boards in Groups 6–8.
- Choice (replaces Wanna Get Away Plus): Standard seat selection at booking; boards in Groups 6–8.
- Choice Preferred (replaces Anytime): Preferred or standard seat at booking; boards no later than Group 5.
- Choice Extra (replaces Business Select): Extra legroom, preferred, or standard seat; boards in Groups 1–2.
While seat selection adds convenience, you’ll likely pay more for it — unless you have Southwest elite status or a Southwest credit card. That’s where the next savings tip comes in.
» Learn more: The complete guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards
★ LIMITED TIME OFFER
Heads up! For a limited time, the new cardholder bonus offer on select Southwest Airlines credit cards includes the airline's famous Companion Pass, as well as a bundle of Rapid Rewards points (up to 40,000, depending on the card). The Companion Pass allows you to take someone with you for only the cost of taxes and fees whenever you purchase a fare for yourself. For cardholders who earn it from this bonus, the pass will be good through February 2027. This offer is ends March 19, 2026 at 9 a.m. EST. Get the full details and apply here.
4. Use a Southwest credit card to unlock benefits and save
In 2025, Southwest’s credit cards got an overhaul — with higher fees, but also better perks. If you fly Southwest more than once a year, one of these cards could easily pay for itself. Some highlights:
Credit cards that earn Southwest points
Annual fee
- $229
- $99
Earning rates
• 4 points per $1 on Southwest purchases.
• 2 points per $1 at gas stations and restaurants.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases.
• 2 points per $1 at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
Other benefits
• Free checked bag for cardholder and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation.
• 7,500-point anniversary bonus each year.
Bonus offer: Earn Companion Pass through 2/28/27 and 40,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Free checked bag for cardholder and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation.
• 3,000-point anniversary bonus each year.
Bonus offer: Earn Companion Pass through 2/28/27 and 20,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn more
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5. Fly on holidays for free boozy drinks
Southwest offers complimentary alcoholic beverages on select holidays. If you’re flying on:
- Valentine’s Day (2/14)
- St. Patrick’s Day (3/17)
- Southwest’s Birthday (6/18)
- Halloween (10/31)
... just ask your flight attendant for your drink of choice. Otherwise, alcoholic beverages start at $7. Cheers!
No matter what day you fly, a selection of nonalcoholic drinks (like sodas, juices, coffee, tea, hot cocoa and sparkling water) are always complimentary. Southwest also serves light snacks for free on flights more than 250 miles.
6. Watch for sales (they happen frequently)
Unlike some airlines that rarely offer sales on fares, Southwest regularly puts flights on sale. The sales typically apply to cash bookings as well as redeeming Southwest points.
The best way to get alerts of these sales is by simply subscribing to Southwest's mailing list.
» Learn more: Advanced tips for optimizing your Rapid Rewards points
7. Make the most of the Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass is arguably the best deal in domestic travel (assuming you regularly fly Southwest with the same person). If you earn 135,000 points in a calendar year, your chosen companion flies free (plus taxes and fees) on every flight you take — for up to two years.
Use credit card welcome bonuses and ongoing spending to rack up points faster. Southwest’s credit cards still count toward Companion Pass qualification.
Final thoughts: Saving money on Southwest
With the rise in fees, fare complexity and credit card influence, Southwest is starting to resemble the legacy carriers it once stood apart from. But with the right strategies — especially the use of credit card perks, Companion Pass hacks and flexible booking — you can still unlock significant savings.
Stay alert for sales, choose your fare class wisely, and take full advantage of elite and cardholder benefits. Southwest might be changing, but the deals are still there for savvy travelers who know where to look.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Explore more on
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