Whoa, United's Newest Flash Sale Has Flights for $59

Making a quick weekend trip to a nearby state to see friends or family is a novel idea, until the cost of airfare puts a demoralizing dent in your plans. Luckily, major airlines often give you the chance to take a quick jaunt -- or even a European vacation -- for a fraction of the cost, and United's newest flash sale should sound especially enticing if you're planning some domestic travel in the coming months. 

The airline has discounted, one-way flights departing from seven cities that cost a pittance compared to normal market rates. Flying from San Francisco to Seattle costs $59, and the fares increase marginally from there: Chicago to Detroit is $63, while Denver to Omaha is only $71, for example. The double digit fares crest at $99 for flights from Houston to Oklahoma City during the price-slashing bonanza, and they don't get much more expensive from there. 

In order to redeem the discounted rates, travel has to be scheduled between August 22 and December 17 of this year, which doesn't sound like that bad of a waiting period for such a negligible outlay. The flash sale ends tomorrow, June 29, so it might be worthwhile to break out the credit card sooner rather than later. 

There is a catch to all of this travel-related bliss, however. The cheapest fares are only redeemable for United's Basic Economy option, which only permits one small carry-on item, doesn't allow you to pick a seat, and forbids flight changes and refunds, among various other headaches. 

Don't despair though: All of the flights included in the sale are relatively short, so checking a bag might suffice as a necessary trade-off. Besides, a slew of Standard Economy fares are still available for comparably cheap rates, which you can view here. 

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.