In the wake of ongoing drama, Southwest announces a $49 sale

I won’t judge you for not wanting to book with Southwest anytime soon, but how can you pass up a $49 fare sale? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know by now that Southwest left people really mad, stranded, and searching for their luggage in late December. In an attempt to fix things, the airline is offering crazy-cheap deals. But are they worth it? 

To score deals, you’ll have to act fast

Perhaps in the hope you won’t overthink it, Southwest Airlines is selling tickets for as low as $49 through this Thursday, January 12. The deals, undoubtedly a means for scoring good press, and giving back to the many affected passengers, are for travel beginning in late January and into the spring. 

There are some exceptions

The deals are mostly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while blackout dates occur on February 16 and 20. International travel and flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico are also excluded from March 9 through April 10. Finally, travel from the mainland US to Hawaii is blacked out from March 16 through April 10. All routes require a 21-day advance purchase.

Sample flight deals

Upon my search, I discovered I could fly roundtrip from LAX to Austin, Texas for $108 roundtrip later this month for a four-day getaway. But this isn’t just about me. Here are some other sample itineraries I found: 

• Denver to Phoenix, January 31–February 6 for $90, roundtrip, nonstop

• Dallas to San Diego, February 4–10 for $178 roundtrip, nonstop 

• Boston to Orlando, February 11–17 for $178 roundtrip, nonstop

Southwest doesn’t specify which routes are included, so your best bet is to use the Low Fare Calendar to search for flights. I found it to be rather time-consuming and somehow added stops kept popping up despite selecting nonstop only. Sigh.