How to Get Cheap Southwest Flights

Southwest Airlines has long been known for its low fares, lack of change fees and generous baggage policies. But in 2025, it’s undergoing 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.

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.

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

Starting Jan. 27, 2026, Southwest is introducing seat selection during booking and doing 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

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:

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.

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

The Southwest Companion Pass is arguably the best deal in domestic travel (assuming you regularly Southwest fly 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.

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.