Southwest offers fall/winter sale

Southwest Airlines, which just commenced service from Boston, is launching a fare sale for the slower fall and winter seasons, with one-way prices starting at $59. Purchases must be made by Sept. 3 for travel from Sept. 9-Jan. 7 and days around the holidays and all Fridays and Sundays are blacked out. Here's the rest of the fine print.
Airlines, struggling with sluggish traffic because of the recession and volatile fuel prices, began fall price battles early this year -- in fact, Southwest fired the opening salvo in early July with a wide-ranging 48-hour sale. Since then, we've seen a steady stream of offerings for fall and now we're beginning to see offers pushing into winter.
It's a tricky time for travelers. Airlines are simultaneously scrambling to fill seats with limited, targeted sales and trimming schedules. If you are planning a trip and you see a good deal, jump on it. Waiting is probably not a good strategy as carriers appear to be moving aggressively this year to ensure that they fill seats as soon as possible, avoiding the dilemma of having to slash prices or fly planes with lots of empty seats.