Fly Southwest: DEN to Oakland, California

Oh, the majestic city of Denver, a hub of craft beers and impressive mountain views, a place with charming people beating the cool Rocky Mountain weather. You know what's more fun than catching your breath at a Hard Rock Cafe? Jumping onto one of Southwest’s resplendent ‘flights’ from Denver to Oakland. And lucky for you, this isn’t just any run-of-the-mill mode of transport that may or may not defy gravity – it’s aviation engineering coated in blue and red with a dash of Southwest’s charming cynicism.

Because when you think ‘airfare’, you might not fall immediately onto amusing logos and “low fares”. Who would’ve thought affordable could be branded as a feature? Southwest, that’s who. Reminding you that the luxury of flight needn’t be an experience wrapped in gold and served on a silver platter, they have this subtle way of sticking to the basics - getting you from point A to exquisite point B without burning holes in your pocket. And by basics, we mean ‘direct flights’ that hit their mark with the precision of a Greek God’s arrow.

Now, the real question is, how does one choose between ‘one-way’ or ‘round-trip’? The way of the wanderer or a set plan? Well, isn’t it obvious? The answer is subject to the whims of your ever-changing spirit of adventure. But whether you’re a lone wolf embarking on a ‘non-stop’ journey to the western beacon of Oakland, or a grounded homing pigeon preferring the safety net of a ‘round-trip’, Southwest offers plenty of options ripe for scrutiny and eventual selection.

And just because you’re not Shrek or an ogre hailing from the Far Far Away Land, doesn’t mean you don’t have baggage. But here’s where the ‘baggage allowance’ swoops in, like a knight in shining armor (or a birdie with an overly stretched stomach), prepping you for a voyage where baggage isn’t necessarily a villainous curse. Because while ‘economy class’ may not sound as haute couture as 'first-class', remember, folks, it's not the class of your seat but the class of your experience that matters.

For those counting every mile, you must have heard of the frequent flyer program known as the “mileage program,” otherwise known simply as the "Three M’s" – miles, more miles and still more miles. It encourages you to live life around the world following the simple philosophy that "Miles make you smile". It’s like shopping, only instead of clothes that don’t fit, you get trips to places that do, because the best thing about memories is making them.

Ahhh, the beauty of flying from Denver to Oakland via Southwest. It is an academia yet to be explored, narratives of passenger experiences waiting to be written, theories of in-flight services hinting at near-perfection, reaffirmed by the airline reviews that paint a picture of a flight that’s more of a safe journey rather than an access to a destination.

In the grand scheme of things, 'when' you book is as important as 'what' you book. However, with Southwest’s generous ‘flight cancellation policy’, unpredictability is less of a demon and more of a devil-may-care friend. Because if there’s anything we can learn from the Game of Thrones, it’s that plans change, Kings fall, but in the end, you always have a way out.

And so, from the land of craft beers and mountains to the land of Raiders and Athletics, let’s raise a toast to ‘cheap flights’ - saving wallets, fulfilling dreams and making Penny pinchers out of us all. To an airline that infuses pride in purpose and comfort in travel. Here’s to an “undefined voyage” that is, in reality, a tribute to the magic of movement. Fly safe, travel far, and remember - it’s the journey, not the destination that counts.