Southwest Fall Sale (Sept 29 to Oct 1, 2026): Travel Days, Blackout Dates and Real Fares
Offer ended October 2, 2026. Southwest's new fall sale runs through October 1 for travel from October 20 to March 3. Which days and airports it covers, the
By Vamsi, RewardsGuru.club. Published September 29, 2026.
This offer ended on October 2, 2026. This sale ended at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on October 1, 2026. Southwest has run a fare sale every few weeks this year; the terms here show what the next one is likely to look like.
Checked September 29, 2026, against Southwest's sale terms on its booking page, the full route list on its sale page, and its own search results for the routes below. Fares change daily, so treat every number as what Southwest showed that morning.
TL;DR
- Southwest opened a new fall sale on September 29, and it closes at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, October 1. Travel runs October 20, 2026 to March 3, 2027, booked at least 21 days ahead.
- The day of the week decides it. Within the continental U.S., sale fares are valid only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The same Los Angeles to Las Vegas nonstop cost $58.40 on a Tuesday and $85.40 on a Friday.
- It covers all 118 airports on Southwest's sale list, up from 86 in the last sale, but "as low as $59" is the floor on short routes. $59 shows on 132 routes, and 16 airports have no fare under $100. Chicago Midway to Denver came back at $121.40 and Baltimore to Orlando at $123.70, both in the cheapest fare.
- Points follow the fare. Los Angeles to Las Vegas was 3,000 points plus $5.60, which works out to about 1.8 cents a point, above the 1.3 cents we usually value them at.
- Eleven blackout dates cover the Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, New Year's, MLK Day and Presidents Day.
The terms, as Southwest writes them
From the sale terms on Southwest's booking page:
- Book by: "Purchase from September 29, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time ("PT") through October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT."
- Advance purchase: "21-day advance purchase required." A booking on the last day can't depart before October 22.
- Travel: "October 20, 2026 through March 3, 2027."
- Days: "Continental U.S. and interisland Hawaii travel valid Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."
- Connections count: "Fares valid on nonstop service where indicated; if not indicated, fares are valid on single connecting service."
- Fare type: "Travel is available for one-way Basic fares unless otherwise specified."
- Limits: "Seats, days, and markets are limited," and fares "won't be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods."
Blackout dates
Within the continental U.S. and interisland Hawaii, these dates are blacked out:
| Month | Dates |
|---|---|
| November 2026 | Tue 24, Wed 25, Sat 28, Mon 30 |
| December 2026 | Sat 19, Sat 26, Mon 28 |
| January 2027 | Sat 2, Mon 4, Mon 18 |
| February 2027 | Mon 15 |
Put that together with the day rule and most weekend trips are out. Fridays and Sundays aren't sale days at all, and the Saturdays around the holidays are blacked out. A Tuesday-to-Saturday or Monday-to-Thursday trip is what this sale is built for.
This list is shorter than the one in Southwest's previous sale, which ended September 24. December 23 and 30 aren't on it this time, but Southwest still says fares won't be available on some flights during very busy travel times, so check your exact flight.
What we found
One-way prices for one adult, including taxes, from Southwest's own search on September 29:
| Route | Date | Basic | Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Las Vegas, nonstop | Tue Nov 10 | $58.40 | $93.40 |
| Los Angeles to Las Vegas, nonstop | Fri Nov 13 (not a sale day) | $85.40 | $120.40 |
| Chicago Midway to Denver, nonstop | Tue Nov 17 | $121.40 | $161.40 |
| Baltimore to Orlando, one stop | Wed Jan 13 | $123.70 | $163.70 |
The Friday line is the one to remember. It's the same route, the same airline, the same week, and $27 more each way because Friday isn't a sale day.
Which airports are in it
Southwest publishes a sale page that lists every route and its starting fare. We read the full list on September 29.
- All 118 airports on Southwest's sale list have sale fares this time, across 6,339 routes. The previous sale covered only 86 airports, and left out Philadelphia, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Colorado Springs, Spokane and every international destination, among others.
- The $59 fare covers 132 routes from 54 departure airports, mostly short hops. The most: San Diego (9 routes, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Oakland and Sacramento), Dallas Love Field (7, including New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Tulsa), and Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Jose and St. Louis (5 each).
- Most sale routes connect. About 28% of the domestic sale routes are nonstop; the rest are priced on one-stop itineraries.
- 16 airports have no domestic sale fare under $100. The lowest starting fare from each: Corpus Christi $101, Knoxville $104, West Palm Beach $106, Myrtle Beach $109, Spokane $109, Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Destin, Midland/Odessa and Panama City Beach $119, Rochester $121, Bozeman $127, Philadelphia $129, Montrose $132, Portland, Maine $134 and San Juan $190.
- St. Thomas appears in the blackout terms but has no routes in this sale's list.
Every $59 route
These are all 132 domestic routes Southwest's sale page listed at $59 one-way on September 29, by departure airport. Every one of them is a nonstop. Remember the day rule: the $59 only shows on sale days.
| From | Routes | $59 to |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | 2 | Las Vegas, Phoenix |
| Amarillo | 2 | Austin, Dallas (Love Field) |
| Atlanta | 3 | New Orleans, Orlando, Tampa |
| Austin | 4 | Amarillo, Harlingen, New Orleans, Tulsa |
| Baltimore/Washington | 4 | Boston (Logan), Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh |
| Birmingham | 2 | Nashville, Tampa |
| Boston (Logan) | 1 | Baltimore/Washington |
| Chicago (Midway) | 4 | Cleveland, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, St. Louis |
| Cincinnati | 1 | Baltimore/Washington |
| Cleveland | 3 | Baltimore/Washington, Chicago (Midway), St. Louis |
| Dallas (Love Field) | 7 | Amarillo, Little Rock, Lubbock, Memphis, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Tulsa |
| Denver | 2 | Steamboat Springs (Hayden), Wichita |
| Fort Lauderdale | 2 | Orlando, Tampa |
| Fort Myers | 1 | Orlando |
| Fresno | 1 | San Diego |
| Harlingen | 1 | Austin |
| Houston (Hobby) | 3 | Jackson, Memphis, San Antonio |
| Indianapolis | 1 | Nashville |
| Jackson | 1 | Houston (Hobby) |
| Kansas City | 1 | St. Louis |
| Las Vegas | 4 | Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego |
| Little Rock | 1 | Dallas (Love Field) |
| Long Beach | 2 | Phoenix, San Jose |
| Los Angeles | 5 | Las Vegas, Reno/Tahoe, San Francisco, San Jose, Tucson |
| Louisville | 1 | Nashville |
| Lubbock | 2 | Dallas (Love Field), Denver |
| Memphis | 4 | Chicago (Midway), Dallas (Love Field), Houston (Hobby), Nashville |
| Miami | 1 | Orlando |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | 2 | Chicago (Midway), St. Louis |
| Nashville | 5 | Birmingham, Indianapolis, Louisville, Memphis, St. Louis |
| New Orleans | 3 | Atlanta, Austin, Dallas (Love Field) |
| Oakland | 4 | Palm Springs, Portland, San Diego, Santa Barbara |
| Oklahoma City | 1 | Dallas (Love Field) |
| Ontario/LA | 2 | Phoenix, San Jose |
| Orlando | 5 | Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Sarasota/Bradenton |
| Palm Springs | 1 | Oakland |
| Phoenix | 4 | Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Ontario/LA, San Diego |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | Baltimore/Washington |
| Portland | 1 | Oakland |
| Reno/Tahoe | 2 | Los Angeles, San Jose |
| Sacramento | 1 | San Diego |
| San Antonio | 1 | Houston (Hobby) |
| San Diego | 9 | Fresno, Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa |
| San Francisco | 2 | Los Angeles, San Diego |
| San Jose | 5 | Long Beach, Los Angeles, Ontario/LA, Reno/Tahoe, San Diego |
| Santa Barbara | 2 | Oakland, San Diego |
| Santa Rosa | 1 | San Diego |
| Sarasota/Bradenton | 1 | Orlando |
| St. Louis | 5 | Chicago (Midway), Cleveland, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville |
| Steamboat Springs (Hayden) | 1 | Denver |
| Tampa | 3 | Atlanta, Birmingham, Fort Lauderdale |
| Tucson | 1 | Los Angeles |
| Tulsa | 2 | Austin, Dallas (Love Field) |
| Wichita | 1 | Denver |
To see every fare from your airport, open Southwest's sale page and pick your departure city.
Basic or Choice?
The sale is priced on Basic, Southwest's cheapest fare. On the Los Angeles to Las Vegas flight, Choice was $35 more. Southwest's own fare rules explain what the difference buys:
- Seat: Basic is "seat assigned at check-in." Choice includes a standard seat.
- Changes: Basic fares "are non-refundable except as allowed by our 24-hour cancellation policy. Flight changes are allowed but require a fare upgrade."
- Credits: If you cancel a Basic fare at least 10 minutes before departure, you may get a flight credit, but "Basic fare flight credits expire 6 months from the date the fare was booked and ticketed." Choice credits last 12 months.
- Bags: "Bag fees apply to Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares." Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers get their first checked bag free.
If your plans are firm and you're traveling light, Basic is the sale. If there's any chance you'll move the trip, the $35 buys a longer credit and changes without buying up.
Paying with points
Southwest prices award seats off the cash fare, so a fare sale is also a points sale. The Tuesday Los Angeles to Las Vegas flight was 3,000 Rapid Rewards points plus $5.60 in Basic. Against the $58.40 cash fare, each point is worth about 1.8 cents, well above the 1.3 cents we value Rapid Rewards at. When the fare is this low, spending points makes more sense than usual.
Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt both transfer to Rapid Rewards one to one.
Hawaii, Puerto Rico and international
These follow different rules:
- To Hawaii, St. Thomas and international: valid Sundays through Wednesdays, blacked out November 19 to 25 and December 17, 2026 to January 5, 2027.
- Back to the mainland: valid Tuesdays through Fridays, blacked out November 27 to December 1 and December 17 to January 5.
- Puerto Rico: valid Mondays through Thursdays, with the same blackouts.
The rule
Check the day of the week first, the blackout list second and the 21-day advance purchase third. If your trip survives all three, book before Thursday night. If it doesn't, Southwest has run a sale every few weeks this year; our record of every Southwest sale we've priced shows what the next one is likely to look like.
Related articles
- Southwest's Fall Sale Has Nonstops Under $100. The Blackout List Is the Part That Decides It.
- If You Think Southwest's "Holiday Travel Included" Sale Puts Christmas Week on Sale, You May Be Wrong: Cleveland to Denver Was $109 on Christmas Eve and $322 on December 29, the First Day Back the Fine Print Allows
- If You Think You Missed Southwest's $59 Holiday Fares on October 12, You May Be Wrong: The Same Sale Is Back Through October 29, and 5,555 of 6,424 Routes Are Within $10
- If You Think Southwest's Up to 40% Off Sale Always Gets You the Cheapest Seat, You May Be Wrong: On Los Angeles to Honolulu, the Regular Nonstop Was Cheaper
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