Southwest Airlines Award Sale: Save Up to 40% on Rapid Rewards Bookings for a Limited Time

This promotion has ended; please review current/active promotions.

Southwest Airlines is offering a new fare sale with up to 40% off the base fare on one-way and round-trip bookings made with cash or Rapid Rewards points. This offer is valid on new reservations booked by August 13, 2026, for travel across most of the airline's network. Sale travel dates are generally from August 31, 2026 to March 3, 2027 — but there are significant restrictions and blackout dates.

Here's what you need to know about Southwest's latest fare sale.

Save Up to 40% on Southwest Airlines Paid and Award Tickets

Now through August 13, 2026, Southwest flyers can save up to 40% off the base fare of revenue or award flights. Unlike previous versions of this promotion, no promo code is required; the discount is automatically applied to eligible bookings.

This sale applies to qualifying one-way and round-trip Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares booked through Southwest's official channels.

That sounds great at first, but there is a catch. Travel is only valid on certain days of the week, and several blackout dates apply, which can make it challenging to find a discounted fare that fits your schedule.

Credit: Southwest

Southwest fare sale key details

• Promo code: None required (discount applied automatically)
• Discount: Up to 40% off base fare (before taxes and fees)
• Book by: August 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT
• Travel period: August 31, 2026 and March 3, 2027
• Advance purchase requirement: None specified
• Blackout dates:
  • Continental U.S. and interisland Hawaii: November 21, 24, 25, 28, and 30; December 18-19, 23, 26, 28, and 30; January 1-2, 4, 15, and 18; and February 12 and 15, 2027.
  • Continental U.S. → international destinations, Hawaii, Anchorage, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico: September 3-8, November 19-25, and December 17, 2026-January 5, 2027.
  • International destinations, Hawaii, Anchorage, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico → Continental U.S.: September 3-8, November 27-December 1, and December 17, 2026-January 5, 2027.
• Valid travel dates:
  • Continental U.S. and interisland Hawaii: Monday-Saturday
  • Continental U.S. → Hawaii, Anchorage, St. Thomas, and international destinations: Sunday-Wednesday
  • Hawaii, Anchorage, St. Thomas, and international destinations → Continental U.S.: Tuesday-Friday
  • Puerto Rico routes: Monday-Thursday
• Route exclusions: None specified
• Eligibility: Valid on cash or Rapid Rewards bookings (all fare classes); discount applies to new reservations only; changes to the itinerary after purchase will eliminate promotion eligibility
• Where to book: Southwest.com or Swabiz.com

Southwest Airlines recently overhauled its fare structure and introduced fees for checked bags and seat selection. Make sure to review the full inclusions (or lack thereof) of your selected fare class before completing your booking.

Credit: Lukas Souza/Unsplash

Related: Remember to Reprice Your Flights and Hotels to Save Money. Here's How.

How Effective Is This Southwest Airlines Discount?

Southwest rolls out award sales pretty frequently (generally with a promo code), but not every deal is a slam dunk. While these offers are often limited to higher-priced fares, that wasn’t the case this time. On most routes we tested, the discount frequently applied to the lowest-priced Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares.

The biggest catch is that it's tough (though not impossible) to find a true 40% discount. In fact, some fares are discounted by far less than 40%. To give you an idea of what we're seeing, here are a couple of examples.

• Between now and the end of the travel window, Southwest is offering one-way Basic fares from Las Vegas (LAS) to Anchorage (ANC) starting at $178 or 13,000 Rapid Rewards points. Before the discount, the same fare costs $274 or 21,500 points (plus taxes and fees). That's a 35% discount on the cash fare and roughly a 40% discount on the award fare.
• Southwest flies nonstop from Baltimore (BWI) to Los Angeles (LAX), where you can book a Basic fare from $144 or 10,000 points (plus taxes and fees). Based on the advertised pre-sale pricing, that's a savings of 38% on the cash fare and 40% on the award fare.

Screenshot of Southwest Airlines

How to Get More Southwest Points

If you've found something that works for you but need more Southwest points for a redemption, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest or convert Bilt Rewards Points at a 1:1 transfer ratio. AwardWallet data shows that transfers are typically instant. Alternatively, you can transfer several types of hotel points to Southwest, including Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 transfer ratio:

While it won't help you with this promotion, you can stock up on Ultimate Rewards points by applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card (Rates & Fees), which is currently offering a 75,000-point bonus after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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Our Take

Southwest's new up-to-40%-off fare sale is yours to take advantage of through August 13, 2026. While there are deals to be found, the cheapest fares generally fall into the Basic category, which means they can't be changed. But if you're willing to test your luck, don't forget that time is of the essence with this sale, so now's the time to look for a deal.

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