Summer Sale: Save $250 on Southwest Vacations

There’s no denying it. Summer travel prices are on the rise. Southwest Vacations’ Nationwide Summer Sale, however, may be just the ticket to help you cut costs. Southwest Vacations, of course, is the vacation wing of the ultra-popular lowcost airline, Southwest.

With this sale, you can save between $50 and $250 on airfare-and-hotel packages through October 30 when you book by June 3. How does it work? Put simply: The more you spend, the more you save. For instance, if you spend between $700 and $999, you save $50; if you spend $3,000 or more, you save $250. The discount is determined by total package price and not on a per person basis.

This may seem like a lot of money at first, but remember, the price includes airfare and lodging. To understand how it works, let’s apply it to one of the site’s vacation packages. I priced a three-night vacation package to Las Vegas for two people, including round-trip airfare from Ontario, California (other departure cities are available at varying prices), and three nights’ accommodations at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, starting at $715 (with taxes and fees). After $50 discount with the promotion, the total cost came to $665, or $332 per person.

If you’re keeping your vacation budget to a minimum this summer, there are plenty of other discounts on bundled packages to make sure you get the most bang for your buck, including up to 40 percent off on hotels in Las Vegas, a fourth night free in Florida, or a free hotel room upgrade in Baltimore.

And if you’re already planning to spend at least $700 on a vacation this summer, or if there are several people traveling together in your family, this sale could be considered free money and is worth a bit more investigation. Use promo code SUMMER2010 when you book online at Southwest Vacations’ website to receive the discount.

Learn more about the Deal Detective and this new blog here! And, check back every weekday for more deals like this one.