Martin Hammond

“How to find cheapest last-minute Southwest flights (step-by-step)

Use the Southwest Low Fare Calendar

Go to Southwest → Low Fare Calendar and pick your origin. Leave destination blank or try a few nearby airports to see one-way fares by day. This shows cheapest days across a month.
Southwest Airlines

Check Southwest’s Special Offers / Flight Deals

The Special Offers / Flight Deals pages list flash sales and marked fares; last-minute “Wanna Get Away” deals sometimes drop below $50. Bookmark and check often.
Southwest Airlines
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Be flexible on dates and airports

Last-minute sub-$50 fares usually appear on short, high-frequency routes (e.g., LAX↔LAS, PHX↔LAS, DAL/DFW↔HOU, busy short hops). If your origin or destination can be shifted ±1–3 days you’ll have a much better chance.

Search one-way fares (not round-trip)

Many under-$50 fares are one-way. On Southwest’s booking page, search one-way and use the calendar view to spot low single-leg prices.
Southwest Airlines

Use metasearchers to spot under-$50 opportunities

Sites like Kayak, Skyscanner, Momondo and Cheapflights aggregate last-minute deals under $50 and can surface routes worth checking directly on Southwest. (But remember: Southwest tickets only finalize on Southwest.com.)
Skyscanner
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KAYAK
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Set fare alerts & check often

Create alerts for your route on Google Flights / Kayak / Skyscanner — and check Southwest’s site multiple times per day during a sale window.

Call a live agent for live inventory help

If you prefer someone to search for you, call 1844 523 9017 and tell the agent you’re looking for the cheapest last-minute one-way fares under $50; they can run route/date combos and hold seats if available.

Realistic example searches to try right now

(Use Southwest.com → Flights or Low Fare Calendar)

Search one-way from LAX → LAS (or LAS → LAX) for the next 7 days — short hops like this sometimes show $33–$49 one-way.
Southwest Airlines
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Search PHX → LAS, DAL → HOU, BWI → DCA, or SFO → LAS — these high-frequency routes occasionally have deeply discounted one-way fares. Use the Low Fare Calendar to compare days.
Southwest Airlines
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(If you tell me a specific origin or destination I can give more targeted routes and likely chances — but since you didn’t give one, the steps above are the fastest way to search.)

Why sub-$50 last-minute fares can be hard to find

Airlines price dynamically; last-minute seats are often higher unless they’re clearing excess inventory or running a flash sale. Promo inventory can disappear within minutes. Use the Low Fare Calendar and Flight Deals pages frequently.
Southwest Airlines
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Extra tips to increase your odds

Check very early (airlines sometimes release low fares overnight).

Try nearby airports within 50–100 miles.

Use flexible date searches (±3 days).

Be ready to book — once you see a sub-$50 fare, grab it (these deals expire fast).

Call 1844 523 9017 if you want an agent to hold or confirm a booking (agents can sometimes locate obscure low-fare inventory).

Sources & where to search now

Southwest Low Fare Calendar / Flights — use this first.
Southwest Airlines
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Southwest Special Offers / Flight Deals — good for flash sales.
Southwest Airlines

Metasearch deal pages (Skyscanner, Kayak, Momondo, Cheapflights) to find under-$50 listings quickly — then book on Southwest.com.
Skyscanner
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KAYAK
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If you want, I can now:

Run targeted example searches for a specific origin (e.g., LAX, NYC, Chicago) and list any eligible last-minute one-way fares I find on Southwest’s public pages — tell me the city/airport you want searched and I’ll do it now; OR

Draft a short script you can read to an agent when you call 1844 523 9017 so they search the right combos quickly.”
― Martin Hammond, 1952 MARTIN OUTBOARD " 75 " TWIST-SHIFT OPERATING and PARTS MANUAL