Have you ever dreamt of that free flight, the one that takes you to your dream destination without costing a dime out of your pocket? With Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program, that dream is absolutely achievable! It's not about a fixed number of points for "free" flights, but rather a dynamic system where your points act like currency. Let's dive deep into how many points it takes and, more importantly, how to get there!
The Quest for Free Flights: Understanding Southwest Rapid Rewards
Southwest Airlines operates on a revenue-based loyalty program called Rapid Rewards. This means the number of points required for a "free" flight isn't a static value but rather directly tied to the cash price of the ticket. The more expensive the fare in dollars, the more points it will cost. Conversely, a cheaper cash fare will require fewer points. This is why you won't find a simple chart stating "X points for a flight from New York to Orlando."
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| How Many Points Does It Take To Fly Free On Southwest Airlines |
Key Factors Influencing Point Redemption Value:
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Fare Type: Southwest offers various fare types, including Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, and Business Select. Generally, Wanna Get Away (and the upcoming Basic fare) will require fewer points per dollar spent than Anytime or Business Select fares, as they are the lowest cash fares.
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Destination and Demand: Popular routes and flights during peak travel times (holidays, weekends) will naturally have higher cash prices, thus demanding more points.
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Time of Booking: Booking further in advance often yields lower cash prices, which translates to fewer points needed. Last-minute bookings, while sometimes offering "sweet spots," can also be significantly more expensive.
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Point Redemption Rate: While dynamic, a common valuation for Southwest Rapid Rewards points hovers around 1.3 to 1.4 cents per point. This means 10,000 points might be worth approximately $130-$140 towards a flight.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Flying Free on Southwest Airlines
Ready to start earning your way to complimentary travel? Here's your comprehensive guide:
Step 1: Embark on Your Rapid Rewards Journey – Sign Up!
First things first, if you haven't already, you need to become a Southwest Rapid Rewards member. It's completely free and takes just a few minutes.
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How to Do It: Visit the Southwest Airlines website (Southwest.com) and look for the "Rapid Rewards" section. Click on "Enroll" and follow the prompts to create your account. You'll receive a Rapid Rewards account number, which is your key to earning and redeeming points.
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Engagement Tip: As you sign up, start dreaming! Where's the first place you'd fly if you had unlimited points right now? Picture yourself there!
Step 2: Mastering the Art of Earning Rapid Rewards Points
This is where the magic happens! There are numerous ways to accumulate points, both in the air and on the ground.
Tip: Read at your natural pace.
Sub-heading 2.1: Flying with Southwest Airlines
This is the most direct way to earn points. The number of points you earn per dollar spent depends on the fare type you purchase:
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Business Select: Earns the most points per dollar.
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Anytime: Earns a good rate of points per dollar.
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Wanna Get Away Plus: Earns a moderate rate of points per dollar.
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Wanna Get Away (and Basic fare after May 28, 2025): Earns the fewest points per dollar.
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Pro Tip: Always remember to add your Rapid Rewards number to your reservation when booking flights to ensure you get credit for your travel!
Sub-heading 2.2: Unlocking Points with Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards
This is arguably the fastest and most lucrative way to earn a substantial amount of Rapid Rewards points. Chase offers a variety of Southwest co-branded credit cards, each with attractive sign-up bonuses and ongoing earning potential.
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Consumer Cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card.
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Business Cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card.
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How They Work: These cards typically offer a large bonus after meeting a specific spending requirement within the first few months of account opening. They also offer bonus points on Southwest purchases and often on other categories like dining, local transit, and internet/cable/phone services. Many cards also provide annual anniversary points.
Sub-heading 2.3: Leveraging Rapid Rewards Partners
Southwest has a wide network of partners where you can earn points on everyday spending.
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Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal: Earn bonus points by shopping online through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal. Simply log in, find your desired merchant, and click through to their website before making a purchase. This is an easy way to double-dip on rewards!
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Rapid Rewards Dining: Link your credit cards to your Rapid Rewards Dining account and earn points when you dine at participating restaurants.
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Hotel Partners: Earn points on hotel stays with partners like Marriott, Hyatt, Best Western, and MGM Rewards.
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Car Rental Partners: Rack up points when you rent cars from Avis, Budget, Hertz, and more.
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Other Partners: Look for opportunities with various home and lifestyle partners, including electricity providers in some states, survey sites, and even wine clubs.
Sub-heading 2.4: Buying, Gifting, and Transferring Points
While generally not the most cost-effective, these options can be useful if you're just a few points shy of a redemption.
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Buying Points: You can purchase Rapid Rewards points directly from Southwest.
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Gifting Points: You can buy points as a gift for another Rapid Rewards member.
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Transferring Points: You can transfer points to another Rapid Rewards member (often for a fee).
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Chase Ultimate Rewards: If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. This is a fantastic option as Chase Ultimate Rewards are highly flexible and valuable.
Step 3: Understanding the Value of Your Points
As mentioned, Southwest operates on a dynamic pricing model. The value of your points isn't fixed, but generally, Rapid Rewards points are valued by experts at around 1.3 to 1.4 cents per point.
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Example: If a flight costs $130, you would likely need around 10,000 points (130 / 0.013 = 10,000).
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Finding the "Sweet Spot": You might find instances where your points yield a higher value (e.g., 1.5 cents per point or more) on certain routes, especially for close-in bookings or during fare sales. It's always worth checking both the cash price and the point price.
Tip: Don’t overthink — just keep reading.
Step 4: Redeeming Your Points for "Free" Flights
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Once you've accumulated enough points, redeeming them is straightforward.
Sub-heading 4.1: Logging In and Searching for Flights
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How to Do It: Go to Southwest.com and log in to your Rapid Rewards account. When you search for flights, you'll have the option to "View Fares In Points." Select this option.
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Seeing the Options: The search results will display the number of points required for each available flight and fare type.
Sub-heading 4.2: Selecting Your Flight and Completing the Booking
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Choose Wisely: Compare the point costs for different dates and times to find the best value.
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Taxes and Fees: Remember that even "free" flights require you to pay a small amount for government-imposed taxes and fees (typically $5.60 one-way for domestic flights).
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Confirm and Enjoy: Once you select your flight, review the details, and proceed to complete your booking. Your ticket will be issued using your Rapid Rewards points.
Step 5: The Holy Grail: The Southwest Companion Pass
This isn't directly about how many points it takes to fly you for free, but it doubles the value of all your points (and paid flights)! The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) on any Southwest flight, whether you paid with points or cash, for the entire year you earn it and the entire following calendar year.
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How to Qualify (as of 2025):
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Earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in one calendar year.
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Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in one calendar year.
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Qualifying Points: Points earned from revenue flights, Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card spending (including welcome bonuses), and base points from Rapid Rewards partners count towards Companion Pass qualification. Crucially, welcome bonuses from Southwest credit cards are a major accelerator for the Companion Pass.
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Annual Boost: Southwest Rapid Rewards Cardmembers receive a 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying point boost each calendar year, effectively reducing the points needed to 125,000.
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Strategy: Many savvy travelers aim to earn the Companion Pass early in a calendar year to maximize its usage. Combining a credit card welcome bonus with strategic spending is often the fastest route.
Step 6: Maintaining Your Rapid Rewards Account
While Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire, it's a good practice to have some activity on your account every 24 months to keep it active. This could be as simple as earning points from a partner or redeeming a small amount.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 10 common questions about flying free on Southwest Airlines:
QuickTip: Copy useful snippets to a notes app.
How to calculate how many points I need for a specific flight?
To determine the exact number of points, log into your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com, search for your desired flight, and select "View Fares In Points." The website will display the precise point cost.
How to earn Southwest points quickly?
The fastest way is typically through the welcome bonuses of Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards. Additionally, actively using the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal and Rapid Rewards Dining can significantly boost your earnings.
How to find the best value for my Southwest points?
Look for "Wanna Get Away" fares, especially during off-peak times or on less popular routes, as these generally offer the best cents-per-point redemption value. Booking in advance can also help find lower cash prices, and thus lower point costs.
How to use the Southwest Companion Pass?
First, book your own flight (either with points or cash). Then, log back into your Rapid Rewards account, go to "My Trips," find your upcoming flight, and click the "Add Companion" link to add your designated companion to your reservation for free (plus taxes/fees).
How to transfer points to Southwest Rapid Rewards?
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account at a 1:1 ratio. This is done through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Tip: Don’t skip — flow matters.
How to avoid paying fees on "free" Southwest flights?
While the base fare is covered by points, you will always be responsible for government-imposed taxes and fees, which are typically $5.60 one-way for domestic flights. There's no way to avoid these mandated fees.
How to determine if a Southwest credit card is right for me?
Consider your spending habits, travel frequency, and whether you can meet the minimum spending requirements for the welcome bonus. If you fly Southwest often and can leverage the Companion Pass, a Southwest credit card can offer immense value.
How to make sure my points don't expire?
Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire. However, it's generally good practice to have some account activity (earning or redeeming) at least once every 24 months.
How to combine points with cash for a Southwest flight?
Southwest offers a "Cash + Points" option, allowing you to use a combination of Rapid Rewards points and cash to pay for a flight if you don't have enough points to cover the full fare.
How to reach Southwest A-List or A-List Preferred status?
A-List status requires 20 qualifying one-way flights or 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points in a calendar year. A-List Preferred requires 40 qualifying one-way flights or 70,000 Tier Qualifying Points. Points earned from revenue flights and credit card spending contribute to Tier Qualifying Points.
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