Southwest Airlines

I recently took a last-minute flight to Los Angeles — which meant my usual plans of grabbing a cheap seat went out the window, since many airlines require an advanced purchase for the bottom of the barrel prices. Even so, sites like Sidestep, Kayak, and Bing can grab the best last-minute deals, but this time I decided to pay full fare on my favorite discount airliner, Southwest.

For my trip, Southwest's fares were not that much more than any discounted ticket on other airlines that I found through a search, so I knew that I wasn't paying much more than I would have to in order to fly. But I did end up paying a premium.

So why did I choose the full fare instead of a discounted ticket? Find out after the break.

Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, Southwest Airlines has announced pricing for its in-flight WiFi program. With 32 planes ready for your browsing pleasure (and 28 more being added by the end of the year), Southwest will offer WiFi for an introductory rate of just $5 for any flight on any device (which means pricing will most likely go up eventually). While other airlines are still playing catch-up to the in-flight WiFi trend, this low pricing is a big relief for frequent fliers, and family members that will trek cross-country for holiday festivities.

So how will you know if you've reserved a seat on a WiFi-enabled plane? Find out, and learn about some freebies Southwest is providing after the break.

I don't know if you guys use AP Mobile, but I find its breaking news alerts to come in handy when I need to stay on top of developing stories. You could say the same for Southwest Airlines' new app, which will keep you travel gurus informed on what the airline has to offer.

Available on your iPhone or iPod Touch, the app allows you to book, confirm, and check-in for flights, while its new "Ding!" feature immediately alerts you to any new and upcoming airfare sales so you can get the most bang for your travel buck. Plus, you can book car rentals, get flight schedules, and redeem your Rapid Rewards points. Great for people who love to take advantage of cheap fares, maybe not so great for those workaholics who never take vacations. PS — you should do that more often.