Southwest Airlines To Offer Red Eye Flights — 3 Ways They Can Save Money on Your Trip
Budget carrier Southwest Airlines, known for all-economy seating with no assigned seats, friendly service and complimentary checked bags, recently announced it would launch overnight flights at some point in the next few years. Southwest’s Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green told visitors at a travel conference that the airline could fly roughly 50 red-eyes per night once the program gets off the ground, according to Fox News affiliate Fox29.com. Southwest announced that some of its first red-eye routes would travel from Las Vegas to Hawaii.
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Most travelers don’t relish the thought of a red-eye flight (an overnight or very late-night flight). That said, most red-eyes flights travel from West to East, using the time change to their advantage. You can leave Los Angeles at 9 PM PST, fly for roughly 6 hours, and arrive in New York at 6 AM EST. You might not get the best sleep on the plane, though, which can leave you a bit groggy (which is how nighttime flights earned their moniker, red-eye).
Even so, choosing a red-eye has many benefits. Most major carriers offer night-time flights, at lower prices to fill seats. But a lower fare for your trip is just one of the ways you can save money with a redeye.
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1. One Less Hotel Night
When you take a red-eye flight, you’ll most likely catch some sleep on the plane. That is one less day of your trip where you’ll need a hotel room. For instance, if you were to leave Los Angeles at noon and arrive in New York at 9 PM EST, you’d need to spend money on a hotel that night. If you don’t leave until 9 PM Los Angeles time, instead, you can get to New York and hit the ground running.
2. An Extra Day at Your Destination
Likewise, a red-eye flight gives you an extra day to enjoy your destination city. That is, as long as you don’t find a place to fall asleep when you arrive. To avoid this, try to adjust to local time at your destination city a few days before your trip, if possible, by adjusting your sleeping hours and meals even before you depart.
3. Don’t Miss a Day of Work
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If you don’t get paid-time-off, you can still work on the day of your trip if you take a red-eye flight. Even if you get PTO, choosing a red-eye flight means you can save your time off for vacation, rather than travel.
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