Lauren Graves

Using the Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar to Book Cheap Flights

May 3, 2021 by Lauren Graves

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The Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar is an easy-to-use widget on the Southwest site that filters your search to find the lowest fares per month for your desired trip. This helpful tool is a favorite among deal hounds, especially those that are already Rapid Rewards members (more on how to use your loyalty status to save even more later).

It’s no secret that Southwest, as one of the nation’s most popular budget airlines, offers great value on its tickets. However, this makes it that much harder to know when you’re getting the absolute lowest price available, and filtering through all search results can be a hassle.

Fortunately, the Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar does the work of finding the best deals for you.

Here’s how to use it to book cheap flights year-round with Southwest Airlines.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

How to Use the Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar

Using the Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar is very straightforward. Simply select the bubble at the upper righthand corner of the screen for “Dollars” or “Points” to determine which unit ticket values will be shown in. You can then toggle your search to see round trips, one-way, and multi-city prices.

Choose the number of people in your party from the Passengers box and then fill in the departure and arrival destinations as you normally would. It might be worth it to try a few different locations if you are able to.

Please note that the Low Fare Calendar can only be used for groups of one to nine people. If you are traveling in a group of 10 or more, you will need to book a flight through Southwest’s Group Travel Program. This program gives group discounts and more booking flexibility on flights. For example, no upfront payment is required (except for possibly a per person deposit) and names can be changed as little as 72 hours before departure. This is a good option for business groups, but it does unfortunately mean that you can’t use the Low Fare Calendar. Contact Southwest Airlines directly if you’re interested in making a group booking.

Examples of Low Fare Deals we found (Round Trip for 1 passenger July, 2021):

Departing City	Destination	Fare
San Diego	New York City LaGuardia	as low as $264
San Jose	New York City LaGuardia	as low as $265
San Antonio	Boston	as low as $204
San Antonio	Los Cabos, Mexico	as low as $229
Chicago	Miami	as low as $78
Seattle	Chicago	as low as $166
Seattle	New Orleans	as low as $164
Denver	West Palm Beach	as low as $187
Los Angeles	Atlanta	as low as $264

Prices shown on the calendar itself reflect discounted Anytime prices per person. Some flights are available for as little as $49 a piece. Actual prices may not be exactly what is shown on the calendar, as fares are subject to change until you purchase a ticket. If all of the available flights at the calendar’s price have been snagged by other customers, you will be shown the next best prices.

If Southwest is running a sale on flights, and they are just about every week, you’ll find these prices through the Low Fare Calendar. Just keep in mind that promotions like this are often popular and many other people are likely to have the same idea.

Some frequent fliers also like to use the Low Fare Calendar to get an idea of what tickets are going for in general during a given time. Not many airlines have a tool like this, so using the calendar offered by Southwest is a good way to find out roughly what budget airlines may charge for a flight you’re looking to take even if you aren’t necessarily planning to travel with this airline.

Benefits of Using the Low Fare Calendar vs. Booking Online

While there is nothing wrong with booking travel online through the Southwest website or mobile app, the Low Fare Calendar makes it easier to book a flight if your number one priority is finding the best price. The calendar simplifies the process of saving money.

But if you do need to filter your search further and are unwilling or unable to have a little wiggle room with dates or flight types, booking online may be your only option for getting exactly what you’re looking for.

Another advantage to using the Low Fare Calendar is that Southwest flights don’t actually show up on a lot of third-party flight booking websites. So if it’s good deals you’re after, this is very likely the only way to find them at Southwest.

Can You Earn Rapid Rewards Through Low Fare Calendar Bookings?

Just as you would normally earn points for booking travel online through Southwest, flights booked through the Low Fare Calendar also qualify to earn points when you pay with cash. However, travel booked with points does not qualify to earn points.

And Southwest does have a decent loyalty program. In 2020, a WalletHub study estimated that the Rapid Rewards program awards an average member about $10 per $100 spent, putting it in the top five airline loyalty programs. Plus, points do not expire as long as you complete at least one points-earning activity (through Southwest or a partner) every 24 months.

Rapid Rewards Credit Card

Another surefire way to save more on flights is with a travel card. Here is what each Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card offers.

Priority (annual fee of $149)

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Receive 7,500 anniversary points and a $75 Southwest® travel credit each year
3X points on Southwest purchases
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2X points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (annual fee of $99)

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year
3X points on Southwest® purchases
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2X points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (annual fee of $69)

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2X points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year

For more information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business credit card, go here.

And of course, all Southwest credit card points can be redeemed for flights—domestic and international—as well as car rentals, hotel stays, cruises, and more with partner companies. You can also use your points to get gift cards.

What Are the Change or Cancellation Fees?

The change or cancellation fees are the same when you book through the Low Fare Calendar as when you book through the Southwest Airlines website.

Southwest Airlines does charge change or cancellation fees. You are only responsible for the difference in fare if you book a new flight that costs more than your previous one.

You can change or cancel as little as 10 minutes before your flight is scheduled to leave, even if you’ve already checked in for it. As long as you make a change to or cancel a flight 10 minutes or more before its scheduled departure, you will be eligible for a full refund to the original payment method or travel credit worth the same amount. There is no limit to how many times you can alter your itinerary.

What Flights Are Available?

The Southwest Airlines Low Fare Calendar features all discounted flights.

In addition, all three fare types—Wanna Get Away, Anytime, and Business Select—are available when you book through the calendar. Flights shown on the calendar are Anytime prices, but the next screen shows prices for each class.

The more flexible you are, the better when using the Low Fare Calendar. Cheap flights go fast, and the prices on the Low Fare Calendar are not guaranteed until you purchase a ticket. If you are alright with making more stops or you are not particular about where exactly you depart from and when, you might be more likely to fly at the price you’re looking for.

On Low Fare Calendar flights (and all other Southwest Airlines flights), you can check up to two bags for free. These must weigh no more than 50 pounds or measure more than 62 linear inches. After these two, bags cost $75 each. See our comprehensive rundown of their baggage policies for more information on excess baggage fees.

Right now, customers can book all the way through April 11, 2021, using the Southwest Low Fare Calendar.

Where Can You Fly for $49 with SouthWest

Southwest has been cutting prices across the country and throughout North America as society gets vaccinated and starts to book vacations again. Back in March of 2021 Southwest started the $49 promotional offers again. Just keep in mind these are typically for short trips and always just one way tickets. Here are the current $49 flights available on Southwest that we’ve seen so far this year:

Departing City	Arrival City	Price
Phoenix	Long Beach, CA	$49
Chicago	Nashville	$49

When to Book Southwest Tickets on the Low Fare Calendar for the Best Deals

A common misconception with booking trips on the Low Fare Calendar from Southwest is that the earlier you book, the better the price. This is not always the case as it generally is with standard airline bookings.

Southwest is one of the most notorious airlines for changing ticket prices. They do it up to several times per week. Using the Low Fare calendar you can watch prices rise and fall regularly, so be sure to monitor this often to lock an optimal price.

COVID-19 Policies

Like most other airlines, Southwest has implemented many new health and safety standards in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested in flying with Southwest at any time soon, you will want to know what they are doing to keep you safe and what their updated cancellation policies are.

As much as possible, the airline requires passengers to distance themselves from each other and has increased their cleaning procedures. Masks are required on all flights and in all airports.

As for the thousands of tickets customers have purchased in 2020 and not been able to use, policies have been updated to account for these too.

For all flights canceled by Southwest, customers are refunded the full cost of their ticket to the original form of payment or in the form of travel funds. For all non-refundable Wanna Get Away tickets—a popular choice for passengers of the biggest budget airline in the world—that have been voluntarily canceled by the passenger, customers are eligible to receive a travel credit worth the full value of their flight that is valid for travel until September 7, 2022.

How to Get in Touch With Customer Support

If you hit a snag in the booking process, want to know whether you’re eligible for a ticket refund, or just have a question that’s not addressed in Southwest’s FAQs section, here’s how to get a hold of someone at the airline.

You can call 1-800-435-9792 to reach the general customer service line, open 24/7. Alternatively, you can tweet @Southwestair or message the airline on Facebook messenger. You can also send a secure message right through the Southwest site, which has a guaranteed response time of 48 hours or less, or send a letter to the following address with non-urgent requests:

Southwest Airlines

P.O. Box 36447-1CR

Dallas, Texas 75235

Final Thoughts

If you are able to compromise on certain aspects of your flight such as flight class and departure date in order to score the best deal on your trip, then the Southwest Low Fare Calendar is for people like you. When paired with a Rapid Rewards account or credit card, customers are sure to save big when they use this calendar to book travel.

This tool ensures that you will always be getting the lowest prices Southwest has to offer on flights, but there is not a bottomless stash of dirt cheap tickets. To make the most of this option, try to get to the Low Fare Calendar as soon as you possibly can when booking and remember to be flexible. This tool most benefits those with wiggle room in their schedule and the foresight to book well in advance.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Southwest Airlines Elite Status [2022 Ultimate Guide]

April 1, 2021 by Lauren Graves

Southwest may have started as a regional carrier back in the 60s, but today it’s the largest low-cost carrier in the world. It flies primarily in the US serving 111 destinations, but also has service to 10 other countries including destinations in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

The carrier appeals to budget-minded leisure and business travelers, and elite status will appeal mostly to the carrier’s frequent travelers who want to take advantage of available benefits and point earning bonuses.

Because the perks of status with Southwest are not as robust as those offered by other carriers, you need to determine if you fly enough to achieve elite status and if obtaining that status is worth being loyal to Southwest.

There may be another airline that is a better fit for your travel plans depending on where you are based and where you fly. The domestic legacy carriers have better benefits, though it takes more to achieve elite status with them because Southwest has one of the lowest entry points for status seekers.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Southwest Rapid Rewards Loyalty Program

Like other major airlines, Southwest has a frequent flyer program called Rapid Rewards. It works somewhat differently than other programs, but essentially you earn points toward award travel by flying just like other airlines reward you with miles, and you redeem your points for award flights.

Unlike other airlines though, Southwest doesn’t limit award seats on flights and there are no blackout dates, so as long as there are open seats on a flight you can book award travel on it. Also, points don’t expire as they do with many other airlines, so even if you are not a frequent Southwest flyer, you should sign up for its Rapid Rewards program when traveling on the airline.

Southwest points are awarded based on the price of the ticket and the type of fare booked. You’ll get six points per dollar spent on its lowest Wanna Get Away fares. Anytime fares earn 10 points per dollar, and Business Select tickets earn 12 points per dollar.

The number of points needed for an award ticket on Southwest vary by destination, demand, fare class and other factors as the amount of points that you need to redeem is tied to the cash price of the ticket.

Southwest elite status is also different from other airlines which have multiple elite status tiers. The airline only has two elite tiers: A-List and A-List Preferred.

How to Get Elite Status

You qualify for A-list and A-List Preferred elite status by flying a particular number of flights or a set number of miles in a calendar year. You earn status the year that you qualify, and you get to keep it the next year as well.

The only other way to help you achieve A-List status on Southwest is by earning elite status points with one of the airline’s co-branded credit cards issued by Chase.

The Rapid Rewards Premier and Priority personal cards, which carry a $99 and $149 annual fee respectively, let you earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points toward Southwest elite status for every $10,000 spent, up to $100,000 for a total of 15,000 possible points per year. The Premier and Performance business cards also offer the same ability to earn tier qualifying points toward elite status. They carry a $99 and $199 fee respectively.

Status March Promotion

Southwest is also currently running a status match promotion if you have elite status with another domestic airline program. To get the match, enroll in the Southwest Rapid Rewards program if you are not already a member, and register for the match promo on this page before 12/31/21. You will be prompted to send the airline an email with proof of your status with another airline frequent flyer program.

If you fly three roundtrips within 90 days of getting approved, Southwest will extend your A-List status for an extra 12 months. The status match process takes about 12 business days, and you will only get elite benefits on flights booked after you are approved. If you are a current A-List member whose status is expiring, you are not eligible for the match.

Southwest Airlines A-List

This is the first tier of elite status with the airline. To achieve it you must fly 25 one-way revenue flights or fly 35,000 miles in a calendar year. That translates to about one round-trip flight per month if you are going by flight segments. Only segments from the origin city to the destination count, not the legs of a connecting flight. All miles flown count.

You keep your status for the year you earned it and the following year. To maintain status and benefits you need to re-qualify each subsequent calendar year. If you earn more points than you need for A-List, you are elevated to the next and highest tier.

Southwest Airlines A-List Preferred

This is the top tier of the airline’s elite status program. You have to fly 50 one-way flights or 70,000 miles in a calendar year to achieve this level. You also get the status and benefits in the year that you qualify and the following year.

This status level earns you a 100% point bonus, so you get double the points you would have earned without status. This is particularly helpful if you are trying to get a Southwest Companion Pass, a highly coveted benefit that allows you to take a spouse or companion for just the cost of taxes and fees.

Other airlines may offer a single companion pass with a credit card sign-up or companion pass certificates based on status, but the Southwest pass let’s you take someone on any flight including award flights.

Companion Pass

If you earn 125,000 points in a single year or fly 100 one-way trips, you will earn a Companion Pass. Like elite status, It is good the year it is earned as well as the following year. All points earned by using any Southwest co-branded credit card to make purchases count toward this benefit, and points earned through partner promotions also count. The points needed for this benefit do not need to be elite qualifying points.

To quickly boost your points balance to get a Companion Pass, you can apply for one or even two of the airline’s credit cards that offer a sign-up bonus. All three personal credit cards including the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier and the premium Priority card offer a 40,000-point bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first three months after opening the card.

With Southwest Business credit cards you can earn up to 100,000 points as part of the sign-up bonus. You get 70,000 points after spending $5,000 for purchases on the card in the first three months, but you can also get an additional 30,000 points if you spend a total of $25,000 on the card in the first six months.

You can easily earn a Companion Pass if you successfully apply for a personal and business card and meet the minimum spend on each in the allotted time. If you spend the full amount needed to reach the top sign-up bonus on the business card (100,000 points), and add that to the welcome bonus on the personal card (40,000 points), that will give you 140,000 bonus points, which is more than enough to obtain the Companion Pass.

Do Sign-Up Bonus Points Count Toward Elite Status?

Sign-up bonus points will not get you elite status though, unlike some other co-branded airline cards that offer some level of status as part of the welcome package. You still have to fly on Southwest and/or earn elite qualifying points through spend on one of its co-branded cards, and that option is limited to 15,000 points per card, so at least 10,000 more are needed by flying to reach A-list status if you have only one Southwest card.

Bonus points earned by flying with status (25% with A-List status and 100% with A-List Preferred status) will count toward reaching a higher elite status and will also count toward the Companion Pass, so if you do fly the airline regularly and can achieve status, that will help you reach the number of points needed to secure a pass for your companion to fly free with you.

What are the Benefits and Perks

One of the big perks that other airlines offer elite members is the opportunity to upgrade to first class. But Southwest doesn’t offer first class on its planes as most flights are domestic, so this is not part of the A-List program. Likewise, there are no lounge benefits with this status, which is another big perk for elites in other airline programs.

Also, other airlines that charge for extra baggage offer perks like a free second checked bag. But Southwest includes two checked pieces of luggage for each passenger, so that is also not an incentive in its loyalty program.

Priority Check-in and Security Lane

What you do get is Fly By priority check-in and security lane access to get you through that queue faster. You’ll also get priority boarding for yourself and everyone on your reservation. Boarding passes can be issued 36 hours before the flight, but you still need to check-in online 24 hours prior to your flight to get your boarding pass. There’s also a dedicated phone line for A-list members.

Also, If you’re trying to get on an earlier flight, if you have A-List status you can get same-day standby if available. There are no extra airline fees to make this change, but you do have to pay any associated fees and taxes. If you change the date of the flight, you have to pay the difference in fares as well.

A-List status also helps you earn rewards faster, as you get a 25% bonus on points earned, which lets you accumulate enough points the Companion Pass sooner. If you have A-List Preferred status you earn a 100% point bonus, which is double the points per flight. This is the most valuable benefit of A-List status for many.

Obtaining Elite Status by Flying and Spending

If you fly between US cities frequently for work, then you should be able to achieve elite status with Southwest. You only need to fly 25 one-way flights to get A-List status, so that’s an average of one round-trip flight a month, which is not likely for a vacation traveler, but definitely manageable for a business traveler that lives in a city that Southwest serves and travels to the carrier’s destinations. A-List Preferred takes twice as many flights, so you would need to fly about twice a month to get to this level.

The earlier in the year that you qualify for elite status or the Companion Pass, the more valuable the benefit is because you’ll get to use those perks for the remainder of that year you qualify and the following year. If you can achieve either elite status or earn the Companion Pass in the first quarter for example, you will retain it for nearly two years.

Like elite status, you need to re-qualify for the Companion Pass each calendar year after it expires. Keep in mind that the companion must be booked on the same flight, and if the main passenger has elite status not all of the benefits are available to the companion. Early boarding is available for both passengers because they are booked on a single reservation, but your companion won’t get priority check-in and security lane access if you are an A-List elite and they won’t get free wi-fi if you are an A-List Preferred member.

Southwest Credit Cards

As previously noted, Southwest credit cards have limitations on how many qualifying tier points can be awarded to achieve elite status. How much you plan to spend on the card to achieve tier points is another consideration in whether elite status is an achievable goal.

All personal SW credit cards offer bonus spending categories where you can earn 3x per dollar on dining the first year you have the card and 2x on Southwest purchases as long as you hold the card. You earn one point per dollar for all other purchases.

Business cards earn 3x per dollar on Southwest Airlines purchases and 2x on every dollar spent on social media and search engine advertising, as well as internet, cable and phone services. But while those bonus points will count toward the Companion Pass if that is your goal, they do not count as elite qualifying points so they will not help you earn elite status.

Is it Worth It?

If you are working toward getting the Companion Pass by flying, you will get elite status on the way and that will help you achieve your goal because the earning bonus on flight purchases will help you accumulate more points.

Because all the points you earn through credit card spending don’t count toward elite status though, you need to do the math to determine if elite status is a realistic goal based on your flying and spending patterns if you have a Southwest credit card or plan to get one, as well as tabulating the points you will earn with the fare class you usually book.

If Southwest is your carrier of choice and you fly on it enough for personal and/or business travel, or you can make up the elite qualifying points needed for status with a co-branded card, then it’s worth shooting for. But if you can find comparable fares on another carrier and you fly enough to get elite status with that airline, then those perks are likely more beneficial as Southwest has limited benefits.

If you already have elite status with another carrier though, it’s a no-brainer to match it with Southwest for the perks even if you don’t fly on the airline much. Because they offer discounted fares that are lower than many other domestic carriers, you may find yourself booking a flight in the future so it’s a good idea to secure status if you qualify.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

United Airlines Partners Guide

March 12, 2021 by Lauren Graves

It’s not uncommon for large airlines to partner with corporations including but not limited to other airlines, hotel networks, rental car companies, and even cruises. Having business partners like this allows airlines and other companies to streamline their booking processes and share customers. These agreements are mutually beneficial for partners in a network and they benefit customers too. By taking advantage of airline alliances, customers can typically book tickets more quickly and easily—and save money—when they fly within a network.

There are many ways to earn points through United Airlines’ frequent flyer program, MileagePlus, when you often find yourself on United planes, but why limit yourself to one airline? United is partnered with many airlines. In fact, United is a member of the Star Alliance network and has several partners outside of this for a grand total of over 35 partners. Learn more about how to earn MileagePlus points when flying with other airlines, book award tickets with partner airlines using miles you’ve earned with United, and more here.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

United Airlines’ Star Alliance Network

As a member of the Star Alliance network, the largest global airline network in the world, United is partnered with some industry giants. As of 2021, there are 26 members of Star Alliance. These are:

Aegean (Greece)
Air Canada
Air China
Air India
Air New Zealand
All Nippon Airways (Japan)
Asiana Airlines (South Korea)
Austrian Airlines
Avianca (Colombia)
Brussels Airlines (Belgium)
Copa Airlines (Panama)
Croatia Airlines
Egyptair
Ethiopian
Eva Air (Taiwan)
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa (Germany)
SAS (Denmark-Norway-Sweden)
Shenzhen Airlines (China)
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
SWISS International
Air Portugal
Thai
Turkish Airlines

As you can see, these airlines represent countries across the globe. Frequent United flyers should definitely brush up on this list and get to know the airlines on here to save major cash.

So what does it mean for United Airlines to be a part of this network? Essentially, this partnership makes it possible for Star Alliance passengers to earn miles on any flight they take with a participating airline. So if you take a flight through Singapore Airlines, for example, you can earn miles for your MileagePlus account with United.

And this miles exchange goes both ways. You can also use United miles to book award flights with any Star Alliance airline, whether you are a member of that individual airline or not. However, the more Star Alliance airlines you are a member of, the more opportunities you will have to transfer points to and from your different accounts for ultimate savings potential. Alternatively, you can just use your MileagePlus miles as you normally would when booking United tickets. More on how to use United award miles later.

But beyond helping you save money, this network of airlines can also save travelers time. Rather than searching various separate airlines every time you want to fly somewhere new, simply search for a flight right through Star Alliance.

This will allow you to input your desired itinerary and see all available airlines within the Star Alliance network that can complete your trip. If more than one airline is required to complete a trip, the search results will automatically populate with these options as well. Using this tool is especially helpful when booking long flights with complex itineraries (i.e. multiple stopovers, class changes, etc.). You can book United flights this way too.

How to Become a Star Alliance Member

To become a member of the Star Alliance, you just need to become a member of at least one of the participating airlines in the network. In this case, you’ll need to join the United Airlines MileagePlus program if you haven’t already.

Star Alliance also has its own membership program to reward loyal flyers with perks like complimentary checked baggage, seat upgrades, and pre-boarding food and beverage All Elite Star Alliance members enjoy priority check-in and baggage handling, free lounge access at over 1,000 partner airline airport locations, and much more. See a complete list of perks for every status level here.

All MileagePlus members are automatically Star Alliance members. To become an elite Star Alliance member, you need to reach elite status with United Airlines. Premier Silver MileagePlus members are automatically granted Star Alliance Silver status. Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, and Global Services members are automatically granted Star Alliance Gold status. So when you’re earning MileagePlus miles, you’re really earning points for two loyalty accounts.

Other Worldwide Partners

Although the Star Alliance network is one of the most extensive airline networks in the world, United Airlines’ partner program doesn’t stop there. Beyond the Star Alliance, United partners with the following worldwide airlines:

Aer Lingus (Ireland)
Azul (Brazil)
Edelweiss Air (Switzerland)
Olympic Air (Greece)
Aeromar (Mexico)
Boutique Air (U.S.)
Eurowings (Germany)
Silver Airways (U.S.)
Air Dolomoti (Italy)
Cape Air (U.S./Caribbean)
Hawaiian Airlines (U.S./Hawaii)
Vistara (India)

Some of these are low-cost or budget carriers and others are luxury carriers; some offer international flights and others feature short commuter flights. Between these airlines and those in the Star Alliance, United partners with over 30 countries.

You can also earn MileagePlus points when you fly with any of these airlines and can use United miles to book award flights.

Earning Premier Qualifying Credit With United Partners

MileagePlus members are eligible to receive premier qualifying credit on all flights flown on or after January 1, 2020, through United, United Express, and most United partner airlines (and a few other partner airlines not yet mentioned).

Premier qualifying points determine your MileagePlus status level. Whether you have already reached Premier status with MileagePlus or are still working your way up through the ranks, points you earn taking flights with partner airlines can help you reach the next award tier with MileagePlus.

These partners are divided into two categories: preferred partners and MileagePlus partners.

When you fly with a United preferred partner, you will earn slightly more premier qualifying points (PQP) than when you fly with a United MileagePlus partner.

As of 2021, the preferred partner airlines are:

Air Canada
Air China
Air Dolomiti
Air New Zealand
All Nippon Airways
Austrian Airlines
Avianca
Azul Brazilian Airlines
Brussels Airlines
Copa Airlines
Edelweiss
Eurowings
Lufthansa
SWISS International Airlines

The MileagePlus partner airlines are:

Aegean Airlines
Air India
Asiana Airlines
Croatia Airlines
EgyptAir
Ethiopian Airlines
EVA Air
Juneyao Air
LOT Polish Airlines
Olympic Air
SAS
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
TAP Air Portugal
Thai Airways International
Turkish Airlines

Miles caps for these partner flights are as follows:

	Preferred PQP	MileagePlus PQP
First/Business class	1,500	1,000
Economy/Premium Economy	750	500

All flights taken on eligible partner airlines, preferred or MileagePlus, qualify as premier qualifying flights in your United account. This will bring you closer to your Premier 1K status, the most elite tier. For reference, Premier Silver requires 3,500 PQP and Premier 1K requires 15,000 PQP.

Many people are able to reach MileagePlus elite status or maintain elite status faster or more easily by flying with both United and its partners (prior to these point caps, flying with United partners exclusively sometimes earned more points).

Just remember that not all flight segments qualify for points. For example, certain airline partners do not award MileagePlus miles to passengers with economy tickets and sometimes short flights are not eligible either.

For additional information about what flights are eligible, the tickets with the most earning potential, and more, visit this page.

United Partner Airlines That Are Not Eligible for PQP

Airlines that partner with United but are not participating in this premier qualifying credit program are:

Aer Lingus
Aeromar
Boutique Air
Cape Air
Hawaiian Airlines
Vistara
Silver Airways

These airlines still partner with United to make booking more smooth for travelers, but you won’t earn MileagePlus points when you fly with them.

Best Ways to Earn United Miles

The best ways to earn United miles are by:

Booking flights through United or a United partner
Booking hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related reservations with United partners
Making purchases with a United credit card or other travel credit card
Taking advantage of the MileagePlus shopping and dining programs and the MileagePlus X app (see “H3. Other Financial Products Partnered With United” below)

Keep in mind that when flying with one of United’s many partner airlines, the precise details of your ticket are important if you’re going to earn as many United points as possible. Using an algorithm provided by United, you can calculate exactly how many points a flight is worth by doing the following:

If you’re flying with a preferred partner: divide base award miles by five
If you’re flying with a MileagePlus partner: divide base award miles by six

How to Keep Your MileagePlus Account Active

Maybe you don’t fly that often and want to make sure your MileagePlus account stays open to continue taking advantage of miles-earning opportunities with partner airlines. There are many ways to accomplish this, many of which don’t require a flight ticket at all.

Here are several popular ways to keep your MileagePlus account active:

Use a United-branded credit card
Make a purchase through MileagePlus shopping or the MileagePlus app or dine through MileagePlus dining
Rent a car from a United partner car rental agency (Hertz, Thrifty, or Dollar)
Book a hotel stay through a United partner hotel
Buy more miles or transfer some of yours to someone else

Conveniently, everything you can do to keep your MileagePlus account active are also ways to earn more miles.

Also, it’s important to note that MileagePlus miles never actually expire. So as long as your account is open and in good standing (not suspended for any reason or closed by your United), you’re good to use your miles whenever. However, it’s always a good idea to use your miles sooner rather than later, because you never know when an airline may change its policy and cause you to lose some or all of your balance.

Using United Miles for Partner Perks

There are so many ways to use the miles you’ve accumulated in your MileagePlus account, but you’re probably interested in using them to book award flights. In some cases, booking with miles costs less per mile than booking with cash (whether your miles have been earned or purchased). This is important to keep in mind and it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on ticket prices to scope out savings opportunities.

Here’s how to use your United miles to easily book flights with United Airlines partners.

How to Book Partner Flights With MileagePlus Miles

To use your MileagePlus miles to book a flight with a United partner airlines, visit the United Airlines site booking tool as you normally would when booking a flight. Enter the details of your desired flight and check the box at the top of the search field that says “book with miles.” This will convert all prices to miles. All award flight ticket options will be displayed and you will see which Star Alliance airline or airlines will complete your flight. Miles are eligible to be used on connecting partner flights or flights with no changes.

Please keep in mind that award flights with United and partner airlines are now priced dynamically. This means that they are subject to change and will fluctuate based on peak flying times and capacity.

Can Award Tickets With Airline Partners Earn Points?

If you’re taking a flight on a United partner airline and that ticket is an award ticket, you’re unfortunately not eligible to earn premier miles on that flight. Award tickets are restricted from points accrual. If you’re planning on taking a long flight, make sure you crunch the numbers to see whether booking an award ticket or using cash to pay and earning miles like normal would save you more money.

However, there are plenty of ways to keep earning United Miles when you’re far from home that don’t involve flying.

How to Earn MileagePlus Miles Through Partner Flights

You don’t need to do anything special to earn MileagePlus miles when flying with one of United’s partner airlines. They will automatically deposit into your account just as they would after a United flight has been completed.

To see the miles you’ve earned in this way, just sign in to your MileagePlus account. If for some reason you can’t see your miles, get in touch with United’s customer support at 1-800-864-8331 to resolve this.

Travel Credit Cards to Earn More MileagePlus Miles

A trusty travel credit card can make it possible to earn miles on just about any other purchase you make beyond flight tickets, hotel bookings, and rentals. Get points not only by booking flights with United partner airlines but by always keeping a good travel card with you.

United Airlines has two co-branded credit cards issued through Chase Bank, the United℠ Explorer Card and the United℠ Business Card. Both offer two miles for every dollar spent on United purchases and dining and hotel purchases.

Other excellent travel credit cards with great bonus offers include:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (a Chase Ultimate Rewards-eligible card. See credit score required + odds of approval)
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

These travel cards and the ones offered through United are eligible to earn points on all purchases including dining, gas, grocery, and more.

Other Financial Products Partnered With United

If you don’t feel like you need another credit card, don’t worry. There are plenty of other ways to rack up United miles when you spend.

Recently, United has rolled out a couple of co-branded financial products. The MileagePlus GO Visa Prepaid Card is your standard prepaid card in that it doesn’t require a credit check to get, doesn’t charge interest or fees, and is continually reloadable from a linked account, but it also lets you earn MileagePlus credit to the tune of up to 2,500 miles a month on qualifying purchases.

The MileagePlus X app awards users with miles when they make purchases through the app at approved retailers including Domino’s, Walmart, Starbucks, and many more.

United also partners with mortgage broker Quicken Loans and currency exchange company Travelex to award flyers with miles when they make big purchases with either corporation.

And of course, MileagePlus members should always be on the lookout for ways to earn miles when shopping and dining through MileagePlus.

Final Thoughts

United Airlines makes it easy to keep enjoying the benefits of a MileagePlus membership no matter where you are in the country and earn miles flying with over 35 airlines globally. And remember, according to sources like WalletHub, United’s membership program is generally considered to be one of the best and most rewarding airline frequent flyer programs out there.

If you’re a frequent flyer with United Airlines, get familiar with this airline’s many business partners. This will help you save money on tickets, make your life easier when it’s time to book international travel, and rack up even more points for your MileagePlus account.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Google ITA Flight Matrix Guide – Tips, Tricks & Hacks

March 4, 2021 by Lauren Graves

The ITA Flight Matrix is the software that powers Google Fights and other popular booking portals.

Planning on booking a flight soon but not sure of the best way to find a flight?

Look no further than Google.

But instead of using the standard web search engine you know and love and coming across numerous advertisements and sponsored results to sift through, try using the advanced flight search engine created by Google’s very own travel information software company, ITA Software.

If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of the ITA Flight Matrix, it’s probably because you’ve been using one of the many search engines powered by its groundbreaking technology.

Though the ITA Matrix functions as its own entity and can be used to search flights, the software behind it is actually used by countless other flight search engines. If you’ve ever visited search platforms and online travel agencies (OTAs) like Google Flights, Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline, or Kayak or airline sites like United and Delta to find flights, you’ve indirectly used the ITA Matrix.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

How Google Acquired ITA Software

Google and the ITA Matrix were not always the power couple that they are today. Though the company ITA Software was created by MIT grads in the 90s, it wasn’t until 2010 that Google announced plans to absorb the online air travel broker and its Matrix for a cool $700 million.

After this smart business move on Google’s part, the original Matrix tool was reimagined into Version 3.0, a more convenient and up-to-date translation of the original. The software that started it all, called QPX, was kept intact for use by corporate customers, but it was also rolled into Google’s own separate airfare search entity created in 2011, Google Flights

Google’s all-in-one flight search engine might sound like science fiction, but it’s a very real and very useful tool that also happens to be free to use. By extending its business to include cutting-edge search software, Google made finding travel information easier than ever for flyers and airlines alike.

Google’s ITA Flight Matrix is the most robust flight search vehicle on the market today. Using the Matrix, users can select for flights by route, price, airline, and any other detail they desire in mere seconds. Here’s how to use the prolific but surprisingly accessible search engine to find your next flight.

How To Use The Flight Matrix For Best Results

Before Google’s acquisition of ITA Software, the user flight-shopping experience was messy and confusing with a single flight search resulting in pages and pages of competing outputs to choose from.

Fortunately for consumers now, it doesn’t get more user-friendly and customizable than Google’s ITA Flight Matrix, which allows travelers to tailor every aspect of their flight to fit their specific itinerary needs and search for the most affordable travel options. Plus, the ITA Matrix is straightforward and un-intimidating to use. Here’s how to build your whole search using the Flight Matrix search engine. See the empty search page below.

Selecting for Round-trip, One-way, or Multi-city Trips

To begin your search, simply toggle to select for your type of trip at the top of the Matrix site, where 3 options are organized into separate tabs: round-trip, where you purchase one ticket for both departure and arrival; one-way, where you purchase one ticket for only your departure; and multi-city, a round-trip option where you can choose separate cities for departure and arrival.

If you’re not sure what type of trip you want to take before you start your search, no need to worry. The search tool will auto-populate most of your selections between tabs so indecisive users don’t have to keep starting over.

Choosing City of Departure

The Google Flight Matrix allows users to specify exactly which airport they’d like to depart from using either a city name or airport code and filling in the Departing from search box. If you don’t know your desired airport’s code, find it at https://www.world-airport-codes.com/.

Searching a city that contains multiple airports will show all airports when you type the city’s name into the search bar. Choose “All airports” at the top of this list if you don’t have a preference.

Travelers can even use the name of a state for this search and see every airport in that state. This might be a good option for anyone that wants the cheapest flights and has some flexibility as to where they can go to take off.

Choosing Destination City

Choosing a destination city is no different than choosing a departure city in the Google Flight Matrix. Using the Destination box, just search the airport you’d like to land in, again by either a city name or airport code.

The “Nearby” option to the right of the Departure from and Destination boxes lets you search airports outside of the city you’ve chosen within a specified radius than ranges from 25-2000 miles—you can even select all of the options that pop up.

Users looking for round-trip flights can choose separate departure and destination cities/airports or opt to use the same. The “Reverse route” option swaps the destinations of arrival and departure.

Optional Advanced Routing Codes

Airport routing codes might sound a little intimidating, but they are just an advanced flight search option in the Matrix that you may or may not want to use to quickly specify your exact preferences.

Using only routing codes, you can indicate how many stops you wish to make, which airline you’d like to use, where you’d like to connect, your itinerary duration, and more. Find out how to determine the routing codes for travel searches below.

Specifying Dates In The Matrix

There are a few options you’ll want to be aware of when inputting your flight dates into the Matrix. First, in the Dates section, you’ll want to select either Search exact dates or See calendar of lowest fares.

When you toggle the mm/dd/yy Outbound Date o r Return Date box, a calendar will automatically pop up. Use this to find the dates you’re looking for.

Outbound Departure Date

For every date you select in the Google Flight Matrix, you have the option of also stipulating your preferred time of departure. These time brackets include:

● Early morning (before 8:00 AM)

● Morning (8:00 – 11:00 AM)

● Midday (11:00 AM – 2:00 PM)

● Afternoon (2:00 – 5:00 PM)

● Evening (5:00 – 9:00 PM)

● Night (after 9:00 PM)

You can select as few as one or all of these boxes. Don’t mind getting up early? Let the Matrix filter for early morning and morning flights to avoid airport traffic. Fares tend to fluctuate according to flight time, so if you’d like to see all of your options, check each time box or select “No preferred times” below.

Return/Arrival Date

When choosing your return/arrival date, you can specify your preferred time of arrival just as you could specify your preferred time of departure. Another handy feature of the entire dates section is the On this day only drop-down box. As you might guess, this lets you decide whether to open your search to include dates outside of your given range in your search results. These options include:

● On this day only

● Or day before

● Or day after

● Plus/minus 1 day

● Plus/minus 2 days

Take advantage of any flexibility you may have here to save money.

Filling In Number of Adults

When you get to the Adults section, be prepared to give the exact ranges of all passengers you anticipate being in your party. Those flying with adults only (between the ages of 18 and 61 years old) can just choose the number of adults from the menu and move to the next section.

Click Children, seniors if you’ll be taking anyone under 18 years old and/or above 61 years old with you because this will open up age selection options. Just like other flight search engines, the Google Flight Matrix wants to know how old your party’s passengers will be. Why? Because some airlines have certain age restrictions. For example, some require you to have tickets for passengers under the age of 2, others don’t. Some define adults and children differently.

Let the Matrix do the dirty work of weeding out the flights that won’t work for your party. All you have to do is select the appropriate number of passengers in each age bracket:

● Adults (18 – 61 years)

● Seniors (62 and over)

● Youths (12 to 17)

● Children (2 to 11)

● Infants in seat (under 2)

● Infants in lap (under 2)

Many airlines will ask that you either purchase your infant a separate seat or keep them in your lap for the duration of your flight.

Cabin Type Options

The Cabin section asks you to pick your flight type. Most airlines offer four classes of cabin types, and the Flight Matrix uses these as well: cheapest available (economy), premium economy, business class or higher, and first class.

Each flight class offers different services and accommodations to its passengers. Economy class—also known as coach or standard—is, of course, the most affordable option and first class is on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Economy flyers can expect only the most basic amenities, narrow seats and walkways, and minimal snack and beverage selections. Premium economy is a step better and business class a step better than that.

First class flyers usually enjoy spacious seating, luxury entertainment, privacy doors or even rooms, and fine dining. The Google Matrix is interested in your cabin preferences primarily so that it can cater your results to your budget. After all, you don’t want to see first class flights if you have a premium economy budget, do you?

Choosing Your Desired Number of Stops

Choose the number of stops ideal for you using the Stops box and selecting from the following:

● No limit

● Non-stop only

● Up to 1 stop

● Up to 2 stops

You will notice that the stops selection alone drastically changes your search results.

Extra Stops Allowed

Remember that the Matrix is designed to search all possible options for you, and if you allow it to hunt for even better deals, it will. Essentially, the difference between Stops and Extra stops is just is the difference between what you’re okay with and where you absolutely put your foot down.

If, for example, you’d prefer to keep your itinerary to 1 stop but you’d go as high as 2, choose 1 stop for Stops and up to 1 extra stop for Extra stops. This will guarantee that you aren’t passing your limit while also showing more flight choices.

Selecting Options In The Other Section

Toward the bottom of your Matrix search, you will see boxes to check in the Other section. These are “Allow airport changes” and “Only show flights and prices with available seats”.

Both of these boxes are automatically checked in the interest of saving you money, but you can uncheck “Allow airport changes” for a simpler itinerary or “Only show flights and prices with available seats” if you’re willing to risk not getting a spot on your flight.

What To Do When You Get To Currency

The Currency box search page is an optional advanced feature, but you can use it to show flight fares in a different currency. The currency you will see defaults to the currency of sales or departure city, so if you’re leaving from the United States, flight prices will be shown in USD or U.S. dollars.

When would changing this box come in handy? Say you have been on an international trip in Europe for a while and are ready to book a flight home to the United States. Your fares in the Matrix will be given in euros unless you change them to dollars, which you might prefer if that is the currency you are most comfortable using.

What Is The Sales City?

At the very bottom of the Google Matrix search box is the Sales option. The default for sales city is departure city, but international flyers might find cheaper flight options by changing sales city.

Sometimes, due to currency exchange rates, flight prices are different in different cities for no apparent reason. If you play around with currency and sales city, you might get lucky and find slightly lower fares.

Flight Search Example: Understanding and Filtering Results

To understand what your search and results will actually look like when you use the ITA Matrix to find a flight, take a look at this example.

This is the search page for a trip from Chicago to Los Angeles. The results page is shown below.

Look at the different drop-down menus above the results. Filtering options include Price, Airline, Depart, Arrive, Duration, From/To, Stops, a nd Advisory. These choices will allow you to not only sort your results in various ways but also change aspects of your trip without having to go back and edit your whole search.

Select departure time and compare prices.

Want to change your departure time window? Simply select Depart and click the boxes you’d like to see results for.

Want to see the shortest or longest possible flights? Select Duration and toggle the sliders as needed.

You will notice that the Matrix automatically filters prices by low to high, showing the cheapest flight options first in orange type. If you hover your cursor over the prices for any of the flights, a box showing the exact price per passenger and the total cost will appear. Click on a price to see that flight’s itinerary.

Remember flights can’t be purchased directly from the ITA Software.

Comparing Airline Options

Using the Airline menu, you can select for and/or delete airline options from your search. “All airlines” is automatically selected, but you can check and uncheck boxes as you please. If for some reason you prefer not to fly through American Airlines, for instance, uncheck its box and these flights will no longer appear in your search.

Because different airlines price their flights differently, analyzing all fares across airlines might be smart. Some frequent flyers through a particular airline can use this feature to ensure that they can put miles and points toward the price of their flight.

Saving Money Using The Google Flight Matrix

There are a few simple rules you can follow to save more money using the Google Flight Matrix before you’ve even gotten to the results page. Use search strategies such as the following to make sure that your results only include the most economical options out there.

Fly economy—select this option from the Cabin section.
Be flexible—open up your search to include more days and times (choose “Plus/minus 2 days for Dates and “No preferred times” for outbound and return flights).
Allow stops, airport changes, and connections.
Avoid hidden fees (keep reading to see how).
Take advantage of the See calendar of lowest fares feature.
Try entering a few different currencies and sales cities.

Follow these steps in your search and use the hacks provided later in this article, you’re sure to get the best value on your next flight.

Price Differences Between The Matrix And Google Flights

So, are prices the same between across the Google Flight Matrix API (Application Programming Interface) and Google Flights? Not quite, but the Matrix is more accurate.

Until Book With Matrix, users could not book using the Matrix. And while they still can’t purchase directly from ITA using Book With Matrix, they can input their selected itineraries to find the exact flight they’re looking for. Because this redirects users to travel agency and airline sites, these prices are always up-to-date and what you see in the Matrix is what you’ll get.

Google Flights, on the other hand, doesn’t usually reflect changes when airlines update prices. Because of this, you might be shown a fare that’s no longer offered and you won’t see the true price of a flight until you prepare to check out.

As for other flight comparison sites, you can expect similar, if not the very same, fares between these and the Matrix. For the same round-trip premium economy flight from Chicago to L.A. shown in this article, the total price is $2639.40 across:

The ITA Matrix
Flight Network
Priceline
Expedia
United Airlines

How To Use Routing Codes In The Google Flight Matrix

Routing codes can restrict your options so that you see only precisely what you want to see, but how do you know what codes to use? You don’t have to be a computer programmer or tech wiz to use advanced routing language, but it might take a little practice to craft coded queries. Here are all of the possible input options.

Using routing code syntax may help you drill down to your ideal flights quicker.

By clicking “Advanced routing codes,” you can input codes and narrow your search quickly and accurately. Every flyer is different and has different preferences, and the Matrix leaves room for all of these. Here are a few real examples for reference. (Note: Find an airline’s two-letter code using IATA’s code search tool.)

Routing Code Examples

These example queries came directly from a Google Help page devoted to ITA Routing Codes.

● A direct flight through American Airlines: [AA] or [C:AA]

● Up to three flights, at least one through US Airways: [F? US F?]

● Two connections or less: [X? X?]

● Two connections or more: [X X+]

● A flight on US Airlines followed by a flight on United Airlines: [US UA]

Keep in mind that you will have to input your codes into the right box for each part of your flight. If, for instance, you are flying round-trip and don’t want to make any stops on the way back (Destination flight), you will need to input this code into the Returning routing code box beneath your second flight as opposed to the Outbound routing code box beneath your first flight.

Extension Codes

In addition to the standard routing codes shown above, users can use extension codes to sharpen their searches even further. These can limit the number of stops, establish minimum connection times, and even prevent overnight flights from being displayed. See these below.

You can have a routing code, an extension code, or both—just be sure to plug your codes into the right boxes.

Extension codes, like routing codes, are a helpful advanced feature of the search engine. Some flyers, for instance, might want a specific connection point so they can drop in a friend’s city for a cup of coffee—they would use [X:___] and fill in the blank with the code for the connecting city—and they could even specify a minimum connection of 1 hour using [/ minconnect 60] to make sure they have sufficient time to visit.

Think you’re ready to try coding for yourself? Try this example: You’re willing to make a single stop on your flight anywhere other than New York City, and you’d like to avoid this stop being either red-eye or overnight. What would the code be?*

Tips And Hacks For Booking Flights

In the past, tickets couldn’t be purchased directly from ITA Software. Now, however, there is the almost too-good-be-true BookWithMatrix tool (which is not affiliated with Google or ITA Software). This program redirects users to booking sites right from their search. If you thought building the perfect search was easy, wait until you see this part.

To book your chosen flight through Matrix, follow these steps:

Select the flight you want by clicking its price. This will direct you to a page titled “Itinerary Details”.
Highlight the entire itinerary page by clicking CTRL + A. Once the whole page is highlighted, click CTRL + C to copy.
Input this itinerary into the BookWithMatrix toolbar by clicking CTRL + P.

Note that “BookWithMatrix” is not actually affiliated with the ITA matrix or Google.

This is how your page will appear once you’ve followed the above three steps. Now you should be ready to book your flight and all you have to do is navigate to the Book With… button and choose from a couple of flight booking sites that use the Matrix, such as Flight Network and Priceline. But before you do that, make sure you know exactly what you’re agreeing to.

Airplane tickets are tricky. Hidden fees and bloated prices can quickly overwhelm even the savviest travelers, but don’t let them trip you up or catch you off guard. When it comes to actually booking, there are many hacks for ensuring that you are getting the best possible fare using your search results. Follow these tips and tricks for best results.

How To Quickly Spot Hidden Fees

One money-saving booking trick is to know how to spot hidden fees. Most flights come with hidden fees and unexpected expenses that you often wish you’d known about ahead of time. For your next flight, you can. Save money by avoiding bogus charges associated with:

● Checking luggage

● Prebooked seats

● Reservation changes

● In-flight Wi-Fi

● Payment card type

Some flight fees are unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared for them. Find out before y ou book what you will be charged for checked and carry-on bags (most airlines offer carry-ons for free, but not all), what payment types come with additional service fees, whether there is a cancellation or change charge (and what it is), and which in-flight amenities are not complimentary. Usually, important flight information is included in a detailed separate document or page attached to a ticket booking screen. Scan this thoroughly if you don’t want any charges sneaking up on you and look into the common ones listed above.

Identifying Economy Class Flights

Perhaps it goes without saying, but choosing economy class is often going to save you the most money and one of the easiest cost-cutting hacks to use. This, well, economical option is designed for people that are willing to sacrifice comfort and convenience for savings.

Economy class flights are denoted with many labels, including third class, coach class, steerage, standard economy, and budget economy. Airline booking codes for economy class include O, Q, N, S, G, V, L, M, K, H, and Y. If you see one of these, your ticket is an economy ticket, and you’re probably getting the lowest fare possible.

The Google Flight Matrix makes identifying economy class flights easy by allowing you to search for this cabin type exclusively (see section about cabins above).

Using The Full Calendar For Lowest Fares

Remember that See calendar of lowest fares s ection of the Matrix? Here’s how to take full advantage of that. The results page lists the cheapest options right at the top, but you can see even lower fares by selecting See calendar of lowest fares in the Dates section of your search. You will then need to type in your departure date and approximate length of stay.

What this does is show you fare prices for an entire month or more, with ticket prices for your trip displayed on each day. Select one of these days as your exact departure date and your arrival date will be automatically chosen based on the length of your stay. This feature lets users see fare fluctuations all in one place without having to edit their search over and over again to hunt for the lowest fares.

Comparing Two, One-Way Hacker Fees

One trick that’s trending among thrifty air travelers is known as the hacker fee or fare. This is the process of piecing together two individual flights on separate airlines to form a round-trip in order to save money.

To try this hack, pull up a round-trip flight in one window, one-way departure flight in another, and a one-way arrival flight in a third. Select the cheapest fare options for each and do a side-by-side comparison of itinerary prices. To ensure that you are actually seeing the lowest prices, use the calendar above.

Booking Flights Using Airline Points And Rewards

Loyalist flyers with miles to use and cardholders with airline points might want to know how to use the Matrix to book flights using their rewards. This process is simple.

First, if there’s a particular airline you must use to redeem rewards, filter your results or search to include only that airline. Next, find the best flight for your trip and input your itinerary into Book With Matrix. At some point during your booking and checkout process, there should be an option to use points and rewards.

If there is not an option to redeem rewards on the websites linked through Book With Matrix, just save a copy of your Matrix itinerary and show it to a travel agent or airline representative. They will be able to use the provided fare codes to find the right flight for you and walk you through cashing in on miles and points. This tip will guarantee that your hard-earned points aren’t wasted.

Should You Use The Matrix To Book Flights

The Google Flight Matrix can handle the most complex travel plans and navigate the entire scope of flight search data for you, condensing only relevant results into a useful and easy-to-navigate page. This powerful search tool can make tedious components of travel significantly easier to manage, and you stand to lose nothing by using it (it’s free, remember?). Soyes, youshouldbeusingtheMatrixtofindandbookflights.

If you’re like the 4 billion and counting passengers turning off electronics and fastening their seat belts for lift-off each year, odds are good that you’ll be taking to the sky soon. And if you do, save yourself the stress of endless searching by using the Google ITA Matrix. Once you learn how to use this search engine, you’ll never go back to your previous methods of finding flights.

*Answer: [~NYC / -overnight;-redeye] with ~NYC in the routing code box and -overnight;-redeye in the extension code box.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees, Policies & Loopholes

February 20, 2021 by Lauren Graves

As with many budget airlines, bags are not included when flying with Spirit Airlines in 2021. This includes both carry-ons and checked bags. If you would like to bring bags with you on your trip (and who travels without some form of luggage?) it will cost you.

Therefore customers flying with Spirit Airlines will need to factor in the cost of their luggage to get a full view of the flight’s price tag.

On top of that, the closer you get to your flight’s departure, the more it will cost to add luggage. So planning ahead can save you money.

Here is everything you’ll want to know from size allowances to baggage fees and more, for this budget airline.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

Spirit Airlines Carry-On Rules

Spirit Airlines gives their customers one free personal item per flight but — unlike many other major airlines — charges for standard carry-ons.

A personal item like a laptop, small backpack, or purse must not exceed the dimensions of:

18” x 14” x 8” or 40 linear inches (height + length + width)

While carry-ons must not exceed the dimensions of:

22” x 18” x 10”

Exactly how much passengers are required to pay per carry-on depends on a few factors. These factors include date, flight route, and booking type. Use the Spirit Bag-O-Tron to figure out your exact carry-on fee. Alternatively, if you’d just the approximate averages, below is our table of what you can generally expect for carry-ons. We obtained these approximate values based on over two dozen searches.

Time bag added to booking	Standard	$9 Fare Club
During Booking	$40	$31
Before Online Check-In	$50	$41
During Online Check-In	$50	$41
Reservation Desk	$60	$60
At the Gate	$65	$65

Remember that these are only typical prices and your fees could be different. The price of a carry-on bag for a standard passenger ranges from $37 – 76 and for a $9 Fare Club passenger from $23 – 76. The sooner you add a bag to your reservation, the more money you’ll save.

Becoming a member of the Spirit $9 Fare Club (called the $9 Fare Club not because it costs $9 to join but because a 60-day trial membership used to cost $9) is also a great way to save on baggage fees. This club offers its members discounted prices and exclusive deals, and it costs $59.95 to join in 2021 and $69.95 to renew annually.

Spirit Airlines Checked Baggage Rules

Checked bags through Spirit Airlines may be a maximum size of 62 linear inches and a maximum weight of 40 pounds. Frequent flyers know that this weight restriction is slightly low when compared to that of other airlines, but that a 62-inch total length is fairly standard. Keep this in mind when flying Spirit.

Like carry-ons, checked bags are charged differently for standard passengers and $9 Fare Club members and prices also vary based on booking. This price breakdown shows what most people will pay per checked bag.

	Bag	Standard	$9 Fare
During Booking	1	$35	$26
	2	$45	$36
	3 – 5	$85	$76
Before Online Check-In	1	$45	$36
	2	$55	$46
	3 – 5	$95	$86
During Online Check-In	1	$45	$36
	2	$55	$46
	3 – 5	$95	$86
Reservation Desk	1	$55	$55
	2	$65	$65
	3 – 5	$105	$105
At the Gate	1 (only)	$65	$65

You’ll notice that all passengers checking bags at the gate are only allowed one piece of checked luggage. Checked baggage fees are also dependent on route and travel dates, but fluctuate less than the prices for carry-ons. The Bag-O-Tron will be a useful tool when calculating checked baggage fees, as well.

There are certain flight restrictions you’ll need to know about if you plan to either fly to or from South America at any point during the year or internationally between December 1st and January 10th. If either of these applies to you, see the list of special restrictions for such flights at the bottom of this page.

Spirit Airlines Excess Baggage Fees

Use the chart below to see how much you can expect to pay by pound for your bag.

A passenger may not bring a bag measuring more than 80 linear inches and/or weighing more than 100 pounds aboard a Spirit flight (unless under special circumstances), but bags under these limits and over the standard dimensions are allowed to be checked. Passengers will just have to understand that oversize and overweight checked baggage is charged an additional fee.

Spirit Airlines Oversize and Overweight Fees

Weight range	Fee
41 – 50 pounds	$30
51 – 70 pounds	$55
71 – 100 pounds	$100
63 – 80 linear inches	$100
80 + linear inches	$150

Examples of items that may count as checked bags or carry-on luggage but that could incur oversize/overweight fees include:

Musical instruments
Sports equipment
Bicycles
Wedding dresses
Art Supplies

Mobile and medical assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, and canes can be checked free of charge at the gate. For a complete list of restriction exceptions, read the Spirit Contract of Carriage. Note that any oversize/overweight equipment not packed securely with the rest of your baggage will be charged separate fees. That means you should do your best to pack bulky items like hockey sticks safely within your bags.

Flying families will want to know that guests are allowed one FAA-approved car seat and one stroller aboard their flight for no additional charge. If these do not fit on board, they will have to be checked at the gate (again, this is free to you). See this list of seat dimensions for various types of Spirit aircraft if you would like to ensure that your child’s car seat will fit on your plane, in their designated seat.

Get Your Baggage Fees Reimbursed

No matter what baggage fees you are charged for a Spirit flight, you can get reimbursed for these if you’ve got the right credit card. Credit cards that reimburse travel fees include:

The Platinum Card® from American Express: $200 annual reimbursement
American Express® Gold Card: $100
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card: $200
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: $300
Citi Prestige: $250

Get 1 Free Checked Bag Through Spirit

Unless you are in the military, there is no way to get free checked bags through Spirit Airlines. Even Spirit Airlines Mastercard holders and members of the $9 Fare Club are charged for every carry-on and checked bag. Spirit’s Bare Fare guarantee is what keeps flights ultra low-cost, but it’s also what makes obtaining baggage waivers and additional discounts difficult.

The only free allowance on a Spirit flight is a personal item and unless your baggage includes medical devices or strollers, you will be charged baggage fees. You’ll have to find other ways to save on flights through Spirit Airlines, like joining the $9 Fare Club and adding bags to your reservation right away.

Spirit Airlines Baggage Fee Exceptions

As mentioned, active-duty military personnel are the only passengers that qualify for free checked bags. These individuals are allowed two free checked bags and one free carry-on, so long as they present valid identification.

Knowing Spirit Airlines Baggage Policies

Spirit Airlines is a company already known for offering affordable flying rates, but you can save yourself even more money by learning about their baggage policies. By knowing what counts as oversize or overweight bags and taking advantage of opportunities to check your bags for less, you can keep more of your cash for spending wherever you go rather than on how you get there.

13 Things To ALWAYS Have in Your Toiletries Kit

January 19, 2021 by Lauren Graves

Whether you’re packing for a long trip or a quick weekend getaway, it’s easy to leave things behind and realize it too late. Make a habit of packing a toiletries kit with the essentials, and you’ll never have to make an emergency trip to the drug store as soon as you arrive at your destination again.

If possible, keep the following items in your designated toiletry kit at all times. Purchase duplicates and travel-sized versions of your favorite items so that you don’t have to move them back and forth whenever you leave and get home. And with all of that in mind, here are the top 13 items to always have in your toiletries kit.

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Additional Face Masks

This one is crucial for 2021 as the ongoing concern of COVID-19 is still present throughout our lives.

As mask mandates remain, these items become absolutely essential for your everyday life. Be sure to pack plenty of extra masks in case you misplace one or more. We’ve all seen masks on the ground littered about over the last year or so, and I’m sure we’ve even misplaced a few ourselves (I know I have), so be sure to keep several additional ones in different places throughout your luggage and person. You don’t want to keep them all in one container in the off-chance the entire container goes missing.

Medications

This one’s going to vary a lot from person to person, so there’s really not a one-size-fits-all approach to packing meds in your toiletries kit. This is why medication should be one of the first things you think about when you get to packing.

Obviously, if you take any prescription meds, get those in your kit first and double-check that they’re there as you’re walking out the door. Next should come anything you take every day like a vitamin or supplement, and lastly, medication to manage any pain or discomfort you may experience during your trip. Almost everyone has had a perfectly nice outing spoiled by a headache or stuffy nose, so bring any painkillers, antihistamines, or acid reducers you can see yourself needing while you’re gone.

People who take a lot of different pills, vitamins, or supplements should think about getting pill organizers for trips. Travel-sized versions of these are easy to find online and at any store. Keep in mind that medically necessary medications such as inhalers, ointments, and liquids—items that would otherwise be restricted—are fine to bring, you’ll just need to have them checked with TSA.

Toothbrush and Toothpaste

This combo counts as one item because, really, what good is one without the other?

You may love your electric toothbrush when you’re at home, but ditch that for something smaller that won’t leave your toiletry bag. Get a designated travel toothbrush—ideally one that comes in its own case, bonus points if it’s compact. Foldable toothbrushes that collapse are a great, affordable choice. As for toothpaste, any travel-sized kind will do, but toothpaste tablets are a convenient option too. These often come in reusable metal tins, so they’re a favorite among eco-conscious travelers.

If you want to go the extra mile in keeping your breath fresh while traveling, grab some disposable mini toothbrushes. No water necessary for these—perfect when you want to freshen up on a plane.

Shampoo and Conditioner

No matter where you’re staying, you’ll be glad to have your own hair products when you’re there. Hotels and resorts do usually provide complimentary shampoo and conditioner, but it’s rarely as good as you hope it will be. These days, you can buy mini versions of just about any brand of shampoo, but if you can’t find your favorite, just grab a small reusable squeeze bottle the next time you’re at the store.

Many people like to take shampoo bars with them because there’s no risk of spillage and they last much longer than regular shampoo. Whatever you decide, remember the TSA restricts all liquids in your carry-on to a maximum of 3.4 ounces.

First Aid Kit

You should never be without a first aid kit of your own when you’re traveling, but that doesn’t mean you have to try to pack an entire pharmacy into your toiletry bag. Just stick to the essentials: bandages, antibiotic ointments, tweezers, gauze, and some sort of antiseptic. Nail clippers would also be a great addition. Grab a first aid pouch or box that completely closes and bring along anything you use regularly at home.

Again, choose these items wisely to ensure that you will be allowed to bring everything. For example, instead of bringing a bottle of antiseptic that would have to count toward your liquid limit, grab some antiseptic wipes. And rather than pack a gel ointment, choose one that is more like a balm or cream.

Deodorant

Bringing deodorant is a no-brainer, but it’s also an item that’s easy to forget (and awful when you do leave it behind). Purchase a deodorant specifically for traveling and make sure it never leaves your toiletry kit.

Try to avoid gel- or spray-type deodorants if you can as both of these fall under the liquids category. Instead, stick with a tried and true solid deodorant—travel-size, of course—or pick up some deodorant wipes, which are excellent for long trips and travel well.

Face Wash

If face wash is normally part of your daily routine, don’t forget to bring some along when you travel. Try to choose a face wash that is as gentle as possible to avoid having to moisturize frequently, and make sure you test whatever kind you get before leaving for a trip to avoid an adverse reaction (a situation made exponentially worse when you’re on an airplane).

Facial cleansers, like shampoo and conditioner, are easy to get in bar form as well. Plenty of brands are even approved as facial and body bars, and two-in-one options like this should always be purchased when they are available.

In lieu of face wash or sometimes in addition to, many people like to pack disposal face wipes when they travel. This is especially great if you’re going to be in a plane or car for an extended period of time and you won’t have access to a sink. Look for some that double as makeup removers if this is something that would be useful to you.

Earplugs or Headphones

If you’re the type of person that has trouble falling asleep when there’s noise happening around you, don’t forget to put something to dim the sound in your toiletry kit.

The only issue is that headphones, especially the noise-canceling ones, can be a bit bulky. Try to find some foldable ones that come in a hard case to save space and money (as it’s easy for headphones to get broken when they are loose in your bag). These are not at all hard to find at affordable prices through online retailers, and you probably don’t want to travel with more high-end items than you need to anyway. If you prefer, noise-canceling, bluetooth earbuds are widely available too.

As for earplugs, this item can actually function both to block out sound and to reduce pressure in your ears when flying, if you pick the right ones. Look for plugs marketed as aviation earbuds or airplane earbuds for this; these are often disposable. If you’re sensitive to pressure changes and think saving your ears from relentless popping sounds nice, you’re going to want to make sure a pair of aviation earbuds makes it into your toiletry kit as well.

Comb and/or Hairbrush

Forgetting a comb or hairbrush on a trip, though fixable with a quick visit to the nearest store, is a hassle. Make sure this travel essential is in your trusty toiletry kit.

There are many travel hair brushes to choose from that take up less space than a typical hairbrush. Some are simply shrunken-down versions of the standard, some have no handles at all, and others fold into themselves. If you find a good one that comes with a case, grab it to save yourself time picking hair off of everything in your toiletry kit and generally keep things more sanitary.

If you’re a comb user, a collapsible one should do just fine. Look for one that is anti-static to and suitable for your hair type to cut down the time it takes you to get ready in the morning even more.

Multi-Purpose Balm

While lotion and moisturizer are technically permitted in carry-ons as long as they do not cause your liquids to exceed 3.4 ounces total, it can be difficult to keep all of your items under this tight limit. This is why you should bring a multi-purpose balm in place of lotion or cream, which is better anyway because it’s much more versatile. Cosmetic items in solid form do not have to comply with any volume or weight restrictions.

A good multi-purpose balm can often be used safely on your hands, body, face, and lips. Some can even be applied to your hair or used as ointment. Everybody knows how dry airplanes can get, and a balm can solve a lot of the problems this may create for you.

Trimmer or Razor

You may not need to bust out the razor or trimmer for a short business trip, but you certainly don’t want to get caught without one when you really need it.

Electric razors or trimmers are permitted in your carry-on or checked luggage, though these aren’t always the easiest to travel with. Disposable razors are more portable and also permitted as long as the blade part is completely covered and secured in your bag. Safety razors are only allowed when they do not have blades. Do NOT bring any blades not contained in sealed individual cartridges in your carry-on. If you must bring these, you’ll need to get them checked.

If you bring shaving cream, aftershave, or any other type of shaving products, they’ll count toward your liquid limit of 3.4 ounces.

Sunscreen

You may not usually use sunscreen year-round, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of a place in your toiletry kit. And really, you should be using it no matter the season, especially if you’re going to be flying.

Believe it or not, your skin is at a much greater risk of being damaged by the sun when you are flying than when you are on the ground. This is because the sun’s rays are more intense at higher altitudes, and airplane windows don’t always help much with this. A lot of people swear by applying sunscreen whenever they fly to protect their skin, and this is something you should be doing too if you’re not already.

Hand Sanitizer

Last but not least, pack sanitizer to keep yourself safe from germs. The last thing you need when traveling is to contract a cold that could have easily been prevented with a scrub of sanitizer after touching a communal doorknob, handling money, and before eating.

Single use hand sanitizer wipes are a solid option and not better or worse than a regular gel or liquid sanitizer, and the same goes for hand sanitizer spray. Whatever you prefer is fine, as long as you have something. As you’ve probably experienced once or twice, you can’t always count on hotels and airports having their sanitizer dispensers fully stocked.

At least for now, you don’t have to worry about hand sanitizer affecting your liquids allowance. Per the TSA’s current COVID-19 travel guidelines, every passenger is allowed to bring up to 12 ounces of liquid hand sanitizer without penalty. However, if you do decide to bring this much, know that you will need to check it with TSA.

Remember that, besides sanitizer, all of your liquids, gels, and aerosols must not exceed 3.4 ounces. Additionally, anything that falls into these categories must be packed together in a one quart size baggie that seals completely. Failure to do this may result in your items being confiscated and/or check-in being delayed. Keep this bag in your toiletry kit for faster check-in.

Final Thoughts

A good toiletry kit can take some of the guesswork out of packing and alleviate some of the stress that comes with remembering you left something important at home. Having these 13 must-have items in your travel bag will put you in good shape to have the best trips possible, every time.

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