Southwest Airlines is offering discounted flights, but you'll have to book soon Californians
Southwest Airlines is offering 30% off many summer and fall flights, but you have to book by 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday to get the deals.
Using the code SUMMER30, Southwest passengers booking new tickets can get up to 30% off the base fare on Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares on many travel dates.
Still, as with most airline sales, it's important to read the fine print, because there are some limits to a carrier's generosity.
Generally, the sale applies to flights operating:
Between May 20 and Oct. 2 for flights in the continental U.S.
Between Aug. 17 and Oct. 3, for flights between the continental U.S. and origin or destination airports abroad or in Hawaii and Puerto Rico; and
Between May 20 and July 2 for Hawaii interisland flights
According to the airline, the promotion is only valid on flights operating from the continental U.S. to Hawaii and international destinations on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
On flights from Hawaii and international origins to the continental U.S., the deal is only valid on flights operating on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
For interisland Hawaii flights, the deal is valid only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
For travel to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the deal is valid on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Beyond those broad restrictions, the deal may have further limited availability.
"Seats, days, and markets are limited," the fine print says. "Discount availability may vary by destination, flight, and day of the week and won't be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods."
To check if your flight is eligible, enter the promo code before starting your flight search.
"If you have entered the promotion code SUMMER30 in the Promo Code box on Southwest.com or swabiz.com during the Booking Period, then while selecting your flights, savings in the base fare will be visible as a strike-through of the original fare on eligible flights," Southwest's website says.
See a full list of Southwest Airlines routes here.
Hollywood Burbank Airport
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Long Beach Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Oakland Airport
Ontario International Airport
John Wayne Airport
Palm Springs International Airport
Sacramento International Airport
San Diego International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San José Mineta International Airport
Santa Barbara Airport
The deal comes as the airline recently announced its new fare bundles and benefits for certain flyers.
Instead of Business Select, Anytime, and Wanna Get Away Plus, Southwest will now offer Choice Extra, Choice Preferred, Choice, and Basic, which will be available for booking in the third quarter of 2025 as the airline begins selling assigned and premium seating, according to a news release.
Each tier has different rules for seat selection, boarding, checked bags, and more. For example, Choice Extra travelers get two free checked bags. Travelers in other tiers will be paying for their luggage.
Among the new perks coming is one for Southwest Rapid Rewards cardmembers, who can select a seat regardless of fare type purchased, receive a boarding benefit, and have their first bag checked for free, according to a news release.
A-List and A-List Preferred Tier Members can also look forward to perks such as free checked bags and seat selection, according to the airliner.
Airlines have various lists of deals and cheap flights being offered that you can browse through.
For example, American Airlines lists its flights that are under $100, showing one-way and roundtrip flights for those who are looking for a cheaper travel experience. As of Wednesday morning, the airline is offering flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Dallas and Las Vegas.
Delta Air Lines has a list of current flight deals as does United Airlines.
People can also use travel websites such as Expedia and Kayak that will compile flights from various airliners and make it more convenient to see the affordable options available.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Southwest Airlines deal on summer, fall flights is ending soon
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Airfares fall 7% in May amid Trump tariff uncertainty, weak travel demand
US travelers got some relief this spring when it came to prices for air travel. The latest Consumer Price Index report showed fares were down a whopping 7.3% last month from a year ago, following a 7.9% decline in April. The data's release comes amid uncertainty over how President Trump's tariff policy might affect consumer demand and the economy at large. Earlier this year, Delta (DAL) and American Airlines (AAL) pulled their full-year outlooks for revenue and EPS, citing tariff-related headwinds and weak demand in the domestic main cabin, where cost-conscious travelers have pulled back. United (UAL) took the unusual step of offering two potential outlooks, while Southwest Airlines (LUV) pointed to "economic uncertainty" as the reason it did not reiterate its 2025 or 2026 guidance. "We were highly impacted on the demand side by the tariffs and the consumer confidence erosion," Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan told Yahoo Finance in April. "We need that uncertainty to go away." Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in its recent 2025 outlook report said it expects air passenger traffic growth will slow to 5.8% year over year in 2025, down from 10.6% in 2024. The group cited ongoing challenges, including US trade policy and a cooling global economy. Travel executives also point to shifting trends amid the ongoing trade tensions — most notably, a decline in foreign visitors to the US. Last month, Expedia (EXPE) cut its full-year bookings and revenue outlook, citing weakness in both domestic and inbound US travel. "Europeans are traveling less to the US, but more to Latin America," said Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin during the company's earnings call in May. In response, airlines have scaled back their transborder flights between Canada and the US. Air carriers have also separately been adding premium capacity to flights to increase revenue from higher-income travelers. "Five years ago, they [airlines] wouldn't dream of putting more premium seats on an airplane. Today, they can do it. They're allowed to do it because the demand in the main cabin is less than it used to be," aviation consultant Mike Boyd, president of Boyd Group International, told Yahoo Finance. Boyd believes domestic budget airlines, which are already under pressure, will take the greater hit from decreased demand and falling prices. Overall, airline stocks are down year to date despite a recovery from their April lows following the rollback of President Trump's broad-based "reciprocal" tariff policy. The US Global Jets ETF (JETS), which includes the major and domestic carriers, is down 9% year to date. Ines Ferre is a Senior Business Reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @ines_ferre. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Newsweek
Is This the Real Reason Southwest Changed Its Boarding Policy?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On a recent Southwest flight from Las Vegas to San Jose, so many passengers requested wheelchair pre-boarding that the plane took off late—only for most of those passengers to walk off the aircraft upon arrival, no wheelchair necessary. Frequent fliers call them "Jetway Jesuses" — apparently disabled passengers who take advantage of the perks of boarding via wheelchair, only to miraculously recover in the air and deplane with full use of their legs. Travel industry outlets have repeatedly called out what has become a common practice—part of a growing trend that is drawing increased scrutiny from airline analysts, truly disabled travelers and even law enforcement. Now, some regular Southwest fliers are wondering if this surge in last-minute wheelchair requests is one of the reasons the airline is changing its signature open-seating policy. Newsweek reached out to Southwest for comment but did not immediately hear back. A boarding agent (r) checks his computer as travelers wait to board a delayed Southwest Airlines flight inside Denver International Airport's Concourse C. A boarding agent (r) checks his computer as travelers wait to board a delayed Southwest Airlines flight inside Denver International Airport's Concourse C. Getty Images The Context For years, Southwest maintained an open policy where passengers could take any available seat upon boarding. That meant those who were first in line to board would have the best options available to them. The way to board early? Be a frequent flier, buy a higher-tier ticket — or use a wheelchair. Then last summer, Southwest stunned the travel industry by announcing it would move away from that well-known practice of not assigning seats—the biggest change in the company's 53-year history. The Dallas-based airline made the announcement in July 2024, following a tough year in which profits fell more than 46 percent compared to 2023. Southwest said the move was intended to "elevate the Customer experience, improve financial performance, and drive Shareholder value." What to Know Under federal law, airlines are not permitted to require medical proof of disability or inquire into the nature of a passenger's condition. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and subsequent aviation-specific guidelines are designed to ensure accessibility for all. But that openness, critics argue, has made the system vulnerable to exploitation. Reports of wheelchair pre-boarding followed by miraculous recoveries at arrival gates have become frequent enough to gain their own nickname in the industry. "We used to call them 'Miracle Flights,'" said a former Southwest flight attendant quoted in a Simple Flying article. "The worst were flights from LaGuardia to Palm Beach—40 wheelchairs on, nearly all of them walked off." The consequences are not just logistical, say industry insiders—they're ethical and financial. Passengers with genuine mobility limitations often find themselves waiting behind those using wheelchairs for convenience. In View from the Wing, travel pundit Gary Leff put it bluntly: "They don't all need a wheelchair. They've just cracked the code." Beyond perceptions of unfairness, the policy also affects scheduling. Wheelchair pre-boarding can add at least several extra minutes to the already tight boarding process—delays that cascade across an airline's daily operations. "A 10-minute delay can affect passengers with connections and delay downline flights operated by the same aircraft or with the same crew," Leff noted. Hey @SouthwestAir it is absurd that people have to pay extra to board as early birds so we can feel safe in your boarding process and then see 25 individuals in wheelchairs, boarding first for free and running and walking once we land. Stupidity or miracles? — Rubén Ortiz (@rubennortiz) December 12, 2020 The shift to assigned seating won't affect Southwest's legal obligation to accommodate passengers with disabilities. The airline will still offer wheelchair boarding and assistance. What changes is the outcome: those who pre-board will go directly to their assigned seats—not to the prime spots near the front of the plane. "This is going to eliminate a lot of the nonsense," Leff wrote. "Seat savers, the wheelchair scams, and the last-minute disputes over row space—it all goes away." Among other changes, Southwest has updated its checked bag policy. For the first time, passengers with a standard ticket will no longer get two free checked bags. Instead, the airline will begin charging fees for checked luggage. What Happens Next Southwest plans to eliminate its open seating model and shift to assigned seating starting next year. In a press release, the airline said it would begin selling tickets with seat assignments in late 2025.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Southwest Airlines Might Fly to Europe in Major Change
Southwest Airlines is still dealing with passenger fallout over its elimination of free checked bags for most customers. The popular, largely domestic airline's deviation away from unassigned seating was also a significant change for people to absorb. At the same time, Southwest is making some other big moves that might be more to passengers' liking. And one of them would be massive. The airline is planning to move headfirst into the international market. That means that Southwest could start offering fares to Europe. The airline may add a route to Reykjavík, Iceland, in early 2026, according to Aviation2z. That would be the airline's first flight to Europe, according to View from the Wing. The significance is that this would be Southwest's "first transatlantic route." Normally a domestic airline, Southwest Airlines "is expected by many to announce its first flight to Europe," that site reported. Perhaps more significantly, it may signal the start of something bigger for the airline. Customers may have the ability to fly to new European routes through Southwest down the road. The airline "may use its upcoming partnership with Icelandair (FI) to offer access to additional European destinations," the Aviation2z site reported, "leveraging Iceland as a strategic entry point into Europe." According to View From the Wing, with the exception of Mexico and the Caribbean, Southwest has been mostly known as a domestic carrier. Until the near future, perhaps. That site explained that Iceland is the best choice for the launch because Southwest's planes can make it there. The Points Guy noted that the airline has had some flights outside the U.S. before, but the last one added was to Cozumel in 2020, which stopped in 2024. "We believe its first forays into long-haul international service could involve connecting into Reykjavík, which is in range for its [737] MAX 8s," wrote Tom Fitzgerald, an airline analyst, in a May 31 report, according to The Points Airlines Might Fly to Europe in Major Change first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
