Southwest Airlines sale fares start at $30 each way [Updated]

No need to get a costume to take advantage of Southwest Airlines’ Halloween airfare sale on winter travel. Follow the pumpkins on the airline’s website to cash in on fares starting at $30 each way — until Thursday.

[Updated at 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26: Virgin America also launched a “No Tricks, Just Treats” airfare sale that started at $34 plus tax each way.]

The deal: One-way fares under the Southwest Airlines offer are $30, $60, $90 and $120, plus tax, based on how far you fly. For example, flights under 450 miles cost $30 and flights 1,501 miles or more cost $120. The fare sale includes flights from Los Angeles, Burbank and Orange County.

Sample fares from Los Angeles (prices don’t include tax):

> $30 to Oakland, San Francisco, Reno, Sacramento, Phoenix and Tucson.

> $60 to Albuquerque, Denver, Portland, Ore.; and Seattle.

> $120 to Baltimore, Chicago; Detroit; Ft. Lauderdale; Hartford, Conn; New Orleans and Philadelphia.

When: The offer ends 11:59 PST Thursday and applies to travel any day except Sundays between Dec. 1 and 15 and Jan. 4 and Feb. 16.

Tested: Southwest’s website showed plenty of availability for sale fares as of Tuesday morning, but that’s not going to last, so act quickly if you want a spot.

In a random online check, I found a $120 one-way fare from Los Angeles to New Orleans leaving Dec. 3 and returning Dec. 7. I also found a $30 one-way fare from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank to San Francisco for the same dates.

Contact: Southwest Airlines, (800) 435-9792