Earning points on Southwest Airlines, through their Rapid Rewards program, is a fantastic way to unlock free flights, upgraded experiences, and other valuable perks. If you're ready to make your travel budget stretch further, or simply want to get more out of your everyday spending, then buckle up! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step to become a Rapid Rewards point-earning pro.
Welcome Aboard, Future Point Mogul!
Are you excited to start flying more for less? Excellent! The first and most crucial step in this journey is to join the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. It's completely free, and it's the gateway to all the fantastic point-earning opportunities we're about to explore. Without a Rapid Rewards account, you won't be able to accumulate any points, no matter how much you fly or spend. So, let's get you signed up!
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| How Do You Earn Points On Southwest Airlines |
Step 1: Join the Rapid Rewards Program
This is your official onboarding to the world of Southwest points!
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1.1 Navigate to the Southwest Website: Open your web browser and go to the official Southwest Airlines website (Southwest.com).
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1.2 Locate the Rapid Rewards Section: Look for a link or tab usually labeled "Rapid Rewards" or "Enroll." It's often found in the top navigation bar or footer of the website.
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1.3 Sign Up for a Free Account: Click on the "Join Now" or "Enroll" button. You'll be prompted to provide some basic personal information, such as your name, address, email, and date of birth. Make sure all information matches your government-issued ID for seamless travel experiences later.
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1.4 Receive Your Rapid Rewards Number: Once you've completed the registration, you'll be assigned a unique Rapid Rewards account number. Keep this number handy! It's your key to earning and redeeming points. You'll typically receive a confirmation email with this information as well.
Congratulations! You're now a Rapid Rewards Member. Let's move on to the exciting ways you can start accumulating those valuable points.
Step 2: Earn Points by Flying with Southwest
This is the most direct way to earn points, and the number of points you earn depends on a few factors, primarily the fare type and the cost of your ticket.
Tip: Reflect on what you just read.
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2.1 Understand Fare Types and Earning Rates: Southwest offers different fare types, and each comes with a specific point-earning multiplier. The more expensive the fare, the more points you'll generally earn per dollar spent.
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Basic: Earns 2 points per dollar spent. This is Southwest's most economical fare.
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Wanna Get Away Plus: Earns 6 points per dollar spent. This fare offers more flexibility, including transferable flight credits.
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Anytime: Earns 10 points per dollar spent. This mid-tier fare provides greater flexibility and benefits.
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Business Select: Earns 14 points per dollar spent. This is the highest fare class and comes with premium perks.
Remember, points are earned on the base fare, excluding taxes and fees.
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2.2 Book Your Flights: When booking flights on Southwest.com, ensure you are logged into your Rapid Rewards account. Your points will automatically be credited to your account after you complete your flight.
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2.3 Maximize with Elite Status (A-List & A-List Preferred): If you're a frequent Southwest flyer, achieving A-List or A-List Preferred status significantly boosts your earning potential.
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A-List: Qualify by flying 20 qualifying one-way flights or earning 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) in a calendar year. A-List members receive a 25% bonus on points earned from paid flights.
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A-List Preferred: Qualify by flying 40 qualifying one-way flights or earning 70,000 TQPs in a calendar year. A-List Preferred members receive a 100% bonus on points earned from paid flights.
This means if you're A-List Preferred, a Business Select fare that normally earns 14 points per dollar will now earn 28 points per dollar!
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Step 3: Supercharge Your Earnings with Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards
This is arguably one of the fastest and most lucrative ways to accumulate a large sum of Southwest points, especially through welcome bonuses. Southwest partners with Chase for their co-branded credit cards.
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3.1 Explore Personal Credit Card Options: Chase offers several personal Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards, each with different annual fees, earning rates, and benefits.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Often features a solid welcome bonus and earns bonus points on Southwest purchases.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Typically offers a higher welcome bonus and more anniversary points annually.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: The premium personal card, offering the highest anniversary points, an annual Southwest travel credit, and upgraded boarding benefits.
Always check the current welcome bonus offers, as they can be quite generous and provide a significant boost to your point balance.
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3.2 Consider Business Credit Card Options: If you own a small business, Southwest also offers business credit cards that can help you earn even more points.
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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Similar to its personal counterpart, offering strong earning rates on Southwest and partner purchases.
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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: The top-tier business card, with accelerated earning rates and premium business-focused travel benefits.
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3.3 Understand Earning Categories: Beyond welcome bonuses, these cards offer bonus points on everyday spending.
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You'll typically earn the most points on Southwest purchases.
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Bonus categories often include Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services.
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All other purchases usually earn 1 point per dollar.
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3.4 Benefit from Anniversary Points and Other Perks: Many Southwest credit cards offer bonus points each year you renew your card and pay the annual fee. They also come with valuable benefits like:
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Anniversary points
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Statement credits for in-flight purchases
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EarlyBird Check-In credits
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Upgraded boarding credits
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Annual travel credits
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TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credits
These benefits can save you money and enhance your travel experience, while the anniversary points keep your Rapid Rewards balance growing.
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Step 4: Earn Points Through Rapid Rewards Partners
Southwest has a wide network of partners where you can earn points on activities you already do.
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4.1 Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal: This is a fantastic way to earn points on your online purchases.
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How it Works: Visit the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal (RapidRewardsShopping.Southwest.com) before you shop online. Log in with your Rapid Rewards account. Search for your desired retailer (there are hundreds of popular stores like Macy's, Sephora, Staples, and more). Click through the portal to the retailer's website and make your purchase as usual.
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Point Earning: You'll earn a certain number of points per dollar spent, which varies by retailer and often has special bonus offers. Points are typically credited to your account within a few weeks.
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4.2 Rapid Rewards Dining Program: Turn your meals into points!
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How it Works: Enroll in Rapid Rewards Dining (RapidRewardsDining.com) and link your credit and/or debit cards to your account. When you dine at participating restaurants, bars, or clubs and pay with a linked card, you'll automatically earn points.
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Point Earning: You typically earn a base rate of points per dollar, and you can often earn bonus points for leaving reviews or for your first dine.
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4.3 Hotel Partners: Book your stays with Southwest's hotel partners to earn Rapid Rewards points.
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Major Partners: Southwest collaborates with major hotel chains like Marriott Bonvoy, MGM Rewards, Choice Hotels, World of Hyatt, and Best Western.
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Earning Details: The number of points you earn varies by partner and promotion. For example, you might earn a flat number of points per qualifying stay or a certain number of points per dollar spent. Always check the specific earning rules on Southwest's partner page before booking.
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4.4 Car Rental Partners: Need a car for your trip? Renting with Southwest's partners can add to your point stash.
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Participating Companies: Partners often include major car rental agencies like Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
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Earning Potential: Similar to hotels, you'll earn points per rental or per dollar spent, depending on the partner and any ongoing promotions.
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4.5 Specialty Partners & Other Opportunities: Southwest frequently adds new ways to earn points. Keep an eye out for:
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1-800-Flowers.com and Harry & David: Earn points on flower and gift deliveries.
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Laithwaites Wine: Earn points on wine club subscriptions and purchases.
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Home and Energy Partners: In some states, you might earn points by switching energy providers like NRG or Reliant.
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Surveys: Companies like e-Rewards and Rewards for Opinions allow you to earn Rapid Rewards points for taking online surveys.
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Southwest Vacations: Booking a vacation package (flight + hotel) through Southwest Vacations can also earn you points.
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Step 5: Special Strategies and Maximization Tips
Now that you know the main ways to earn, let's look at how to maximize your point accumulation.
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5.1 Monitor Promotions: Southwest and its partners frequently run promotions offering bonus points for specific activities (e.g., double points on certain flights, extra points for new credit card sign-ups, or enhanced earning rates through the shopping portal). Always check the "Promotions" section on the Southwest Rapid Rewards website.
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5.2 Refer a Friend for Credit Cards: If you have a Southwest credit card, check if Chase offers a referral program. You can often earn a significant number of bonus points when a friend applies and is approved for a Southwest card using your unique referral link.
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5.3 Utilize Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfers (Indirectly): While Chase Ultimate Rewards directly transfer to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, it's important to note that these transferred points do NOT count toward Companion Pass qualification. However, they are still incredibly valuable for booking flights. If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred card, you can convert your Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest.
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5.4 Buy, Gift, or Transfer Points (Use Sparingly): If you're just a few points shy of a redemption, you can purchase points directly from Southwest. You can also gift points to another Rapid Rewards member or transfer points to another member's account. Be aware that these methods often come with a cost, so evaluate if the value is worth it. Purchased, gifted, and transferred points do not count toward A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass status.
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5.5 The Holy Grail: The Southwest Companion Pass: This is considered one of the best deals in travel. The Companion Pass allows you to bring a designated companion with you on any Southwest flight (revenue or award) for just the cost of taxes and fees, for the entire calendar year in which you earn it and the entire following calendar year.
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Qualification: To earn the Companion Pass, you need to accrue 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.
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Credit Card Bonus Power: The quickest way to earn the Companion Pass for most people is by earning welcome bonuses from one personal and one business Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card. These welcome bonus points do count towards the Companion Pass qualification.
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Strategically timing your credit card applications to earn the bonuses at the beginning of a calendar year can maximize the duration of your Companion Pass benefit.
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By strategically combining these earning methods, you'll be well on your way to enjoying the perks of the Southwest Rapid Rewards program and flying more often for less!
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10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some quick answers to common questions about earning Southwest points:
How to check my Southwest Rapid Rewards points balance?
You can check your Southwest Rapid Rewards points balance by logging into your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com. Your current point total will be displayed on your account dashboard.
How to ensure I earn points on every Southwest flight?
To ensure you earn points on every Southwest flight, always book your flight while logged into your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com, or provide your Rapid Rewards number when booking through other channels.
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How to earn points faster on Southwest Airlines?
You can earn points faster by applying for a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card and earning its welcome bonus, achieving A-List or A-List Preferred elite status, and actively utilizing the Rapid Rewards Shopping and Dining programs for everyday purchases.
How to get bonus points with Southwest credit cards?
Bonus points with Southwest credit cards are primarily earned through the initial welcome bonus after meeting a specific spending requirement within a certain timeframe, and also through ongoing bonus categories for various types of purchases.
How to earn Southwest points without flying?
You can earn Southwest points without flying through various methods, including spending on Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards, shopping through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal, dining with Rapid Rewards Dining partners, and booking hotel or car rentals with Southwest partners.
How to earn Tier Qualifying Points for elite status?
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Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) for A-List or A-List Preferred status are earned from paid flights booked directly through Southwest Airlines. Additionally, some Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards offer TQPs for a certain amount of spending.
How to earn Companion Pass qualifying points?
Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights flown on Southwest, points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards (including welcome bonuses), and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners (e.g., hotel, car rental, shopping, dining).
How to earn points with Southwest's shopping portal?
To earn points with Southwest's Rapid Rewards Shopping portal, you must first log in to the portal with your Rapid Rewards account, then click through to your desired online retailer before making a purchase.
How to earn points by dining out?
To earn points by dining out, enroll in the Rapid Rewards Dining program, link your credit/debit cards, and then use those linked cards when paying at participating restaurants.
How to transfer points to Southwest Rapid Rewards?
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. Note that these transferred points do not count towards Companion Pass qualification. You can also buy, gift, or transfer points directly within the Rapid Rewards program, though fees may apply.
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