# How DO You Get Those $49 Airfares?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 9, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684 "2010-08-09T07:43:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/1 "2010-08-09T07:43:43Z")
I am confused-Southwest Airlines has been running TV ads, claiming that you can fly (Boston-Miami) for $49.00!)
I went to their website, and found no such fare-the lowest was about $149.00
Is this false advertising? Or is it legitimate to advertise such a fare-if it is only available on the 2nd wednesday of odd-numbered months, and only from 6 AM to 6:20 AM?
At what point does exaggeration crosss the line into lying (in advertising)?
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### Author:  [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/2 "2010-08-09T10:08:21Z")
In my experience there is usually a limited number of these cheap fares availible for a very specific range of times and dates.
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### Author:  [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/3 "2010-08-09T12:07:11Z")
To get their very lowest fares, you have to check their website regularly under their flexible travel dates options. And you pretty much have to be there at the right moment. IIRC, their really low prices are for one-way trips. They’re still the cheapest option if you get the timing right.
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/4 "2010-08-09T12:47:47Z")
It’s an alogrithm that analyzes data and opens and closes the price. This is why you have to keep checking as conditions constantly change.
The revenue manager at the airline sets the conditions where the computer is allowed to sell a $49.00 fare and then lets the computer do it’s thing.
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/5 "2010-08-13T19:58:23Z")
I can always find the advertised fare. Not for any flight I could possibly take, mind you, but it’s there, somewhere.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/6 "2010-08-13T20:41:26Z")
My wife is making a trip from San Diego to San Francisco next week, and the price of the flight was $49 each way. If she had booked three days earlier, it would have been $59 each way. If i booked those same flights right now, the SD-SF leg would be $79, and we could still get the return leg SF-SD for $49.
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-those-49-airfares/549684/7 "2010-08-14T15:04:50Z")
Yeah, I was wondering the same thing about Southwest’s cheap fares. We were making flight arrangements from KC to Seattle about a month ago and my wife was looking at Southwest and all the flights were around $300 one way. $49 my ass! (Even so, SW was still cheaper than any other airline we looked at.)