Southwest Airlines Promo Codes + Cashback
Save with our selection of working offers for September 2026



Curating savings from Southwest Airlines just for you? That's what I do as your dedicated savings editor at Coupons.com. Since I joined the team in 2022, I've worked directly with our Southwest Airlines affiliate partners to find ways to help you save. I also scour the web for deals, testing everything to make sure it works before publishing it here. Even if you're a less frequent flyer, I always recommend joining the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. I've found it to be a good way to save on future flights, hotels, and more.
Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, Texas, has been flying travelers since 1976. What makes them stand out to us is how they keep things easy and affordable. Flexible ticket options and the perk of checking two bags for free take a lot of stress out of planning. That means more room to focus on the fun part of your trip!
Questions about booking, earning Rapid Rewards, or how EarlyBird Check-In works? Their customer service team is just a call or email away. From our own experience, they’re quick to respond, making the whole travel process even smoother.
The Low Fare Calendar shows Southwest's cheapest fare for each day across an entire month. Tuesday and Wednesday flights often cost as low as $59-$89 while Friday and Sunday flights for the same route can run $149-$229.
How to use it:
Enter origin and destination on Southwest.com.
Select the box for "Search with low fare calendar."
View the month grid showing lowest price per day.
Pick the cheapest days that work for your schedule.
Dallas to Denver in July 2026 might show $59 on Tuesday, $89 Wednesday, $149 Friday, and $189 Sunday. Flying Tuesday instead of Friday saves $90 per ticket or $360 for a family of four.
The calendar displays only the lowest fare class available that day. If those sell out, prices jump to the next tier. We recommend you book immediately when you see low fares since Southwest doesn't charge change fees. You can adjust dates later if necessary.
Best savings appear on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday flights. Worst prices hit Monday mornings (business travel) and Friday evenings (weekend trips). The calendar works best for flexible travelers who can adjust dates by two to three days.
Southwest's newsletter sends flash sale alerts for fares as low as $59 one-way and periodic 40% off promotions on base fares. Sign up at the bottom of Southwest.com with your email address.
What you actually get:
Flash sale alerts
$59-$89 one-way fare promotions
30-40% off base fare sales (three to four times yearly)
Route-specific deals for your home airport
About an email a day
The 40% off sales happen quarterly and can save $100-$200 per round-trip ticket. A typical $350 Dallas-Denver round-trip drops to $210 during these sales. By missing the email, you could miss the sale since these promotions rarely last beyond 72 hours.
The $59 one-way deals appear monthly but cover limited routes and dates. They're real (we've booked them), but usually for Tuesday and Wednesday flights to less popular destinations. Still worth it if you're flexible.
We recommend you sign up if you fly Southwest more than two times yearly and can handle daily emails. The email clutter isn't worth one potential discount if you only fly one time a year with them.
Receive up to 15% off eligible Dollar car rentals when booking through the Southwest website and the promotional coupon is applied during the reservation process. This Offer applies to qualifying rentals at participating locations, with the discount calculated on the base rental rate only and excluding taxes, fees, and optional extras. Last verified 9/1/2026.
Save up to $500 on select international vacation packages. Discount varies by package. Multiple uses allowed. Cannot combine with other offers. While supplies last.
How does Southwest Airlines cashback work?
Get one-way flights starting at $59. Price varies by route. Subject to availability. Multiple uses allowed. Limited time offer.
Earn 50,000 points plus first checked bag free with Rapid Rewards Card. Subject to credit approval. One per customer. Cannot combine with other offers. While supplies last.
Save up to $250 on select domestic vacation packages. Discount varies by package. Multiple uses allowed. Cannot combine with other offers. While supplies last.
Purchase points by 10/2/2026.
Get up to 30% off plus up to 2,750 Rapid Rewards points with Hertz car rentals. Discount varies by rental. Multiple uses allowed. Cannot combine with other offers. While supplies last.
Save up to 40% on eligible base fares when booking through the retailer’s website. This discount applies to qualifying fares, while taxes, fees, baggage, and other additional charges may not be included in the advertised savings. Available routes, fare types, and discount amounts may vary at the retailer’s discretion.
Access up to 10% off eligible Payless car rentals when booking through the Southwest website. This Offer applies to qualifying rentals at participating locations, with the discount applied during the reservation process to the base rental rate only, excluding taxes, fees, and optional extras.
Book one trip, fly a friend free. Valid until August 10, 2026. One per customer. Cannot combine with other offers. While supplies last.
Rapid Rewards membership costs nothing and points never expire. You earn based on fare price, not distance flown, with no blackout dates on reward flights.
Points earning structure:
Basic fares: 2 points per $1
Choice fares: 6 points per $1
Choice preferred: 10 points per $1
Choice extra: 14 points per $1
Points can buy flights, hotel stays, gift cards, car rentals
Status tiers unlock more benefits:
A-List (25 one-way flights or 35,000 points annually): Priority boarding, free same-day standby, 25% bonus points
A-List Preferred (50 one-way flights or 70,000 points annually): All A-List perks plus free WiFi, 100% bonus points
Companion Pass (135,000 points in calendar year): Someone flies free with you (except taxes) for up to 2 years
A $300 round-trip earns 1,800 base points (worth $23-$27). With A-List Preferred status, you'd earn 3,600 points (worth $46-54) on that same flight. The Companion Pass essentially gives you 50% off all flights when traveling with someone. This would mean a $400 ticket costs $200 when split with your companion.
We recommend you combine points with cash to book flights. You still earn points on the cash portion, unlike most airline programs.
Joining Rapid Rewards makes sense if you fly Southwest twice or more yearly. The Companion Pass alone justifies heavy Southwest loyalty for couples or regular travel partners.
Southwest offers three different credit cards. These all earn Rapid Rewards points and include perks worth more than their annual fees for frequent flyers.
Card comparison:
Plus ($99 fee): 2X on Southwest/gas/grocery (first $5K), 10K Companion Pass points yearly
Premier ($149 fee): 3X on Southwest, 2X grocery/restaurants ($8K), 6K anniversary points, 15% off code yearly
Priority ($229 fee): 4X on Southwest, 2X gas/restaurants (no cap), 7,500 anniversary points, preferred seating
Premier card savings example:
Annual fee: -$149
6,000 anniversary points: +$78-$90 value
15% off one booking: +$45 on a $300 flight
First checked bag free: +$70 (2 round-trips)
Net value: $44-$56 positive before any spending rewards
Earning toward Companion Pass: All cards give 10,000 points yearly toward the 135,000 needed. The Priority card adds 2,500 tier points per $5,000 spent toward A-List status. Spending $60,000 on the Priority card in one calendar year earns enough for Companion Pass (worth thousands for couples).
Which card works best:
Plus: Fly Southwest one to two times yearly, the $99 fee barely breaks even
Premier: Fly three to four times yearly, perks exceed the $149 fee
Priority: Fly six or more times yearly or chase Companion Pass through spending
The first checked bag free saves $35 each way for all cards. Three round-trips yearly covers the Premier's entire annual fee. All cards include 25% back on inflight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
Southwest's Special Offers page consolidates deals across seven categories, with new promotions added weekly. Access it through the "Special Offers" link in the main navigation.
Examples of special offers:
Flight Offers: Bundle deals (flight + hotel save 10-20%), $59-$89 one-way fares
Hotel Offers: Earn up to 10,000 points per night (worth $130-$150)
Car Offers: 30% off base rates or 600+ points per rental
Vacation Packages: Save $100-$300 bundling flight + hotel + car
Check every Tuesday when Southwest typically loads new weekly offers. The best deals last 48-72 hours before selling out.
Southwest promo codes apply during the payment step, not when searching for flights. The discount shows immediately after entering a valid code.
Steps to apply:
Search and select your flights
Enter passenger information
Find "Apply Promo Code" field on payment page
Enter code and click "Apply"
Discount appears before final booking
Common issues:
Code won't work on sale fares already discounted
Most codes exclude Basic Economy fares
Expired codes give error message immediately
Each booking accepts one code only
If a code doesn't work, the fare might already be discounted or the code expired. Southwest doesn't stack codes, so use your highest-value code. Book immediately after applying since codes can expire mid-checkout.
You can write a review for your approved transactions.