Hurry: Southwest sale starting from $29!

Southwest just announced a fare sale for travel between September 24, 2019, through March 4, 2020 with fares as low as $29.  The sale ends on September 12, but most of the cheap flights will likely sell out well before then.


This is a great opportunity to score some cheap deals, particularly for short-haul trips like SJC-LAX for $49 and inter-island Hawaii flights for $29.  One of the best things about Southwest is that they also allow for refunds for the fare difference in the form of credits or points if your existing reservation dropped in price.  So always check your existing reservations to see if the flights are cheaper now, and you can apply for an easy refund for the fare difference if applicable.

Southwest also has a great low fare calendar tool to help you find the cheapest fare.  As you can see, there are plenty of dates for cheap Hawaii inter-island flights like HNL-KOA:

Southwest made quite the Aloha splash last year when they started service from the West Coast to Hawaii, creating fare wars with the other legacy carriers and especially HNL-headquartered Hawaiian Airlines.  And with expanding inter-island service that still includes their famous 2 free checked bags, they've made a serious dent against Hawaiian, which was previously the only mainline carrier offering inter-island services.  Hawaiian has since reduced fares and checked bag fees as Southwest continues to expand their inter-island services


Upcoming Hawaii nonstop service start dates
Oakland (OAK) – Kona (Island of Hawaii) (KOA) starting January 19, 2020Sacramento (SMF) – Honolulu (Oahu) (HNL) starting January 19, 2020
Oakland (OAK) – Lihue (Kauai) (LIH) starting January 21, 2020Honolulu (Oahu) (HNL) – Lihue (Kauai) (LIH) starting January 19, 2020
San Jose (SJC) – Kona (Island of Hawaii) (KOA) starting January 21, 2020Honolulu (Oahu) (HNL) – Hilo (Island of Hawaii) (ITO) starting January 19, 2020
San Jose (SJC) – Lihue (Kauai) (LIH) starting January 19, 2020Kona (Island of Hawaii) (KOA) – Kahului (Maui) (OGG) starting January 19, 2020

Another great thing about Southwest is that they don't impose any change or cancellation fees for award points bookings, so you could speculatively book any of these cheap flights and apply for a full refund for your points in the future if you choose not to make the trip.  These fares can also be used in conjunction with your free companion fare booking.


Bottom line

This is a great sale for Southwest, so don't delay if you plan on booking.  If you have a stash of Southwest points, you could also book speculatively and receive a full refund if you cancel later on.  And don't forget to check your existing reservations to see if the current price has dropped, and then apply for a refund for the fare difference!





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