Best Time to Book Southwest Flights & Save Big in 2026

There's no good reason that traveling by air has to be costly, especially when Southwest Airlines is on board. Southwest continues to be one of the most traveler-oriented airlines in the United States with its no hidden fees, free checked bags and easy cancellation policies. Despite being known for its low fares, however, there is a little strategy in securing a cheap Southwest flights.

The ticket prices are subject to variation depending on the season, demand and time of booking. You can save from $30 to more than $150 on each of your tickets by knowing the right time and place to book cheap Southwest flights. Here are some of the best and modern tips for 2026 that you can use to help you.

Quick Answer: Best Day and Time to Book Cheap Southwest Flights

If you don't have a lot of time, you'll want the answer in a nutshell?time to read the answer. Booking of ticket for domestic travel one to three months in advance and 2 to 6 months in advance during the holiday time is best time to book your ticket. You can also get cheapest tickets on Tuesday and Wednesday, and also booking of flights early morning is also the best option to get cheap tickets. 

When is the Best Time to Book Southwest Flights?

The Best Time to Book Southwest Flights follows the same pattern repeatedly but it largely depends on season and the route that you take. Booking of tickets 30-90 days in advance is required when traveling domestically. When planning to travel during the major holiday times it is recommended to book 3 to 4 months ahead. 

Southwest also does Tuesday and Wednesday fare sales. These offers could be only a few hours in length, which means some flexibility could be the key to saving lots of money. Fare alerts are a good idea, and check southwest's sales page weekly.

Another important factor is timings of the journey. Early morning or late evening flights will be cheaper as there is less demand for the flight. Also the price for flights on Tuesday and Wednesday is lower than on Fridays and Sundays, and midweek travel deals are cheaper.

What Day of the Week are Southwest Flights Cheapest?

Tuesday or Wednesday is best day to book Southwest flights. Other airlines follow suite with their sales, and by Tuesday morning they've matched the price, leaving them with an actual period of low fares, which is typically Monday evening on Southwest and other airlines. People appear to like to travel on the Friday and get home on Sunday, which makes for the best days for airfares, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pro tip: Remember, that Saturday trips may have surprisingly low fares on Southwest, especially on leisure journeys, as business travelers are less likely to travel during the weekend.

What are the Benefits of Traveling with Southwest Airlines?

It's good to have an understanding of why Southwest is already a good value proposition for the majority of large carriers before getting into the specifics of savings.

• Two free checked bags: Unlike other airlines which charge $35 or more per bag; Southwest lets every passenger check two bags at no extra cost. It's approximately $280 you can save for your family of four one way.
• No change or cancellation fees: Southwest's flexible fare policy allows you to change or cancel your fare without any penalties. If plans can change, a well-saved fare credit will come in very handy for future trips!
• Transparent pricing: You can see it, it's what you'll get! Southwest does not charge extra fees like seat selection, booking, and fuel surcharges on the fares advertised.
• Rapid Rewards loyalty program: Southwest's points program is simple and rewarding with a loyalty program called Rapid Rewards. No blackout dates for award travel and points do not expire just because you have not been active in your account.
• Low-Cost Domestic Travel: Southwest's focus is on low cost domestic travel, making it easier to book Cheap Southwest flights to major cities and vacation destinations.
• Clear Pricing: The airline has a consistently high satisfaction rating in customer service, which is evidenced by the clarity of its pricing, ease of its policies, and its overall customer service.

All in all, these traveler-friendly amenities make Southwest a good deal for the price-conscious traveller looking for comfort, flexibility and affordability.

7 Proven Tips to Find Cheap Flights on Southwest Airlines

Finding cheap Southwest airline tickets in 2026 requires a bit more than going on a lucky streak. A few effective strategies to keep you getting the best rates and value from travel at all times.

1. Use Southwest's Low Fare Calendar

Southwest has a Low Fare Calendar that allows you to see the lowest fare in a month at a view. You can scan all of them in one go, after all, in the 30 days window, and you will be able to see the cheapest travel days immediately. One of the lesser known methods to find cheap Southwest flights is free and it is certainly one of the best. With just a little effort you can save $40-$80 per leg with some flexibility on your travel dates with this calendar.

2. Book with Cash and Points

Southwest offers redemption of its points at a fixed rate, meaning it is simple to figure out if it's worth using points or paying cash. The actual secret is using points and cash. If you are a few thousand points away from a free flight, but you have not accumulated enough points to win it, you can purchase it using cash before you accumulate enough points. Southwest is also periodically offering a promotion, where you can use your points even more than at regular fare.

3. Take Advantage of New Fare Types & Early Seat Selection

Southwest also underwent an important change in its operations, abandoning its ?open seating? approach and implementing assigned seating and a tiered pricing system on most of its routes. This is yet another for budget travelers: An economy passenger is assigned a seat of some sort, regardless of how he or she book it. It's the best to book in the first few weeks after a flight opens because they are relatively cheap, and the price and seat quality are good.

4. Use a Southwest Credit Card to Unlock Benefits

When it comes to the best airline co-branded credit cards available today, there aren't any better than the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards. After users are new to the program they can receive 50k to 80k bonus points for meeting a minimum spending requirement (usually several round trips). Along with the sign-up bonus, all purchases will earn points that can be used for airline travel and Tier Qualifying Points will be stored on the participant's account to become an elite, and to gain access to the very popular Companion Pass. By using the card just a handful of times a year, even less frequent than Southwest flights, you could easily earn the cost of the card and more.

5. Fly on Holidays for Free Boozy Drinks

This traditional practice of the Southwest has become popular amongst frequent flyers, and it's not widely known. On certain significant days, southwest flight attendants can serve free alcoholic beverages to their passengers. Here are some holidays on which free drinks are usually provided:

• Valentine's Day
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

Although it is not necessarily offered on all routes, many travellers claim to have had a good time on board with festive offers on holiday travel. Interestingly the days around the holiday can sometimes be cheaper as less people want to travel on a holiday. It may actually cost less on a holiday weekend (Thanksgiving or Christmas Day) than the day before or after. This will not only cut down on travel expenses but also make the holidays more appealing to those wanting to go by airplane without breaking the bank.

6. Search Using Third-Party Tools (With Caution)

But even if Southwest is not on the list, third-party flight search sites can be a useful tool to help you find discounts on Southwest flights. These websites are excellent for discovering the lowest travel times, knowing the price to anticipate for routes you are interested in and to set a price alert so you know when the price drops. They also give you a quick and simple way to compare the actual total cost of other airlines you're considering using with Southwest; while Southwest doesn't charge a no change fee, they do have a free checked bag policy, so Southwest often wins. Use these to research and think of strategies.

7. Become a Rapid Rewards Member

It's easy and only takes 2 minutes to sign up for Southwest's Rapid Rewards program. You can obtain special member rates and be given advance sale notice and have the chance to earn and redeem points on all flights in addition to your membership. Even if you're a frequent flyer on Southwest, you'll be able to travel for free in no time at all. The program also has arrangements with other hotel and car rental partners of Southwest, so that you can earn points on other purchases, too. If you are planning to book cheap Southwest flights then it's very important that you are a rapid reward member.

Conclusion

With the help of clever planning, flexible travel dates and using the correct tools and reward programs you can easily get cheap tickets with Southwest airlines. Some tips and tricks, such as making a reservation during the period of the week with lesser number of passengers, or applying low fare calendar or rapid reward point program can help you to save more. More value to your trip is added due to the airline?s customer friendly policies. Follow these tips and tricks to book cheap flights with Southwest Airline today!