3️⃣ Three tasty domestic flight deals

Estimated read time: 5 minutes and 6 seconds

Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop, the newsletter that enables your obsession with searching for flights at 11:47 pm instead of sleeping.

Speaking of searching for flights…

• 1️⃣ Save 30% on Southwest flights (today only)

• 2️⃣ Why you shouldn’t use this Breeze promo

• 3️⃣ Get a $25-50 discount on Alaska Airlines

• 💪 Start the year strong (and hydrated)

• 🌎 Join us at DIY Trip Summit this month

1️⃣ Save 30% on Southwest flights (today only)

Southwest is out with an annoyingly last-minute promo to save up to 30% on flights this year.

Before we get into some examples, let’s lay out the terms real quick:

• You need to book by TODAY (sorry)

• Use code DREAMBIG when booking

• Valid for flights through May 13, 2026

• Only valid for flights Monday through Thursday

• Must be booked at least 21 days in advance

• Only valid on select flights in the continental U.S.

So yeah… It’s last-minute, super restricted, and we don’t like that.

…but… 30% off is pretty awesome.

For example, let’s take this flight from Washington D.C. (DCA) to Chicago (MDW).

You can book this route on tons of dates for just $65 each way, which is solid:

(As usual, Southwest’s website is busted at the time of writing this, so these screenshots are from the app.)

Anywho, the nice thing about Southwest promos is that they apply to award flights as well.

For example, shorter routes like this one from San Francisco to Las Vegas are bookable for just 2,500 Southwest points each way with this sale.

If you don’t have any Southwest points, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio, which is a solid deal when flights are this cheap.

If you don’t have any UR points, well… you should get some.

Anyway, this deal is only valid today, so you’ll need to act quickly if you want to take advantage of it.

2️⃣ Why you shouldn’t use this Breeze promo

Okay next up, we’re going to talk about a promo that you shouldn’t waste your time with (and I’ll explain why). If you’d rather just skip this section, feel free. I won’t be (that) offended. 😉

Breeze is out with a deal to save 35% on flights through September 2026. Wow!

Here are the basic details:

• Book by tomorrow (January 9)

• Travel can take place between January 12 and September 15, 2026

• Use code YESYEAR at checkout

• Blackout dates apply

• Only valid on round-trip bookings

There are some other terms and conditions, but let’s illustrate this promo with an example.

Let’s say you want to fly from Charleston to New Orleans on Breeze.

Oh, look, here’s a flight for $59 each way. It’s restricted and doesn’t include bags, seat selection, or anything else, but hey – it’s cheap.

But thanks to this promo, that $118 flight should be just $77, thanks to the 35% discount… right?

Wrong.

You see, Breeze is one of those budget airlines where they have a “base fare” of a few dollars, then make up the rest of the ticket with bullshit fees.

In this case, only $55 of that $118 is the actual “fare” that the promo applies to.

Meanwhile, you’re paying $61 for a “segment fee” and “technology development fee” (whatever the heck those are), which the promo does not apply to.

Here’s what else grinds my gears:

Breeze makes you create an account and give them all of your information just to book a flight or even see the full price breakdown (or apply a promo code 😤).

Look…

Breeze serves some smaller airports on some niche routes. So for some people, flying Breeze (and using this promo) might make sense.

At the same time, other budget airlines like Spirit or Southwest serve many of the same routes and charge less than Breeze (and offer wifi, loyalty benefits, earn useful points, etc).

So if Breeze fits your travel needs, go for it. But generally, this promo is underwhelming.

3️⃣ Get a $25-50 discount on Alaska Airlines

If you’re not already an Atmos Rewards member, I’ve got good news:

You can become a member and get a $25 or $50 discount on your first Alaska Airlines flight.

I told you about this last year, but it seems they’ve extended this offer, and it’s still valid.

All you need to do is use one of these links to sign up:

• $50 off if you live in California or Hawaii (link here)

• $25 off for everyone else in the U.S. except Alaska (link here)

So yeah, Alaska is the only state where you can’t get any discount… Thanks, Alaska freaking Airlines. 🙄

You’ll get the discount code in your account within 72 hours, and then you just need to make sure you abide by these rules to apply it:

• Book a flight within 28 days of signing up

• Travel must take place within 120 days of enrollment

This isn’t going to change your life, but here’s the thing: You should be joining Atmos Rewards anyway.

Atmos might just be the single best airline loyalty program in the world right now.

For one, you can earn status with Alaska by redeeming points, which is rare. Plus, they just have amazing deals all over the world.

Even in the U.S., you can book short flights on American Airlines for as few as 4,500 Atmos points in economy or 9,000 in first class.

If you don’t already have an account, sign up now to get the discount code and save some cash on your next flight.

If you want to start racking up Atmos points (which you should), the easiest path is by transferring them from Bilt Rewards or getting the [[ alaska-airlines-visa.name ]].

🌎 Join us at DIY Trip Summit this month

One of the best ways to stretch your travel budget is learning from people who’ve already figured out what not to do.

That’s why Daily Drop’s own Megan Johnston is joining 30+ trusted travel pros for the DIY Trip Summit: Europe Beyond the Crowds (January 13–15).

They’ll be sharing real-world strategies for finding better flights, stays, and experiences – without overpaying or relying on package tours.

You’ll get:

• Expert-led sessions to help you plan confidently and avoid rookie mistakes

• Practical guidance for finding hidden gems and creating meaningful itineraries

• Daily live Q&A calls with seasoned travelers

• Access to a pop-up Facebook group for connection and support

• A free virtual gift bag filled with travel tools, resources, and exclusive discounts

It’s completely free to attend, and you can watch every session from the comfort of your home.

That’s all for today, folks. I hope you enjoyed these three quick-hit travel deals.

See you next time 🫡

6.9175° S, 107.6191° E

With contributions by McKay Moffitt