Are you ready to unlock a world of free flights and travel perks with Southwest Airlines? If you've ever dreamt of stretching your travel budget further or even flying for free, then understanding the Southwest Rapid Rewards program is your golden ticket. Let's dive deep into how you can start accumulating those valuable points and turn them into unforgettable journeys!
Your Ultimate Guide to Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
Southwest's Rapid Rewards program is renowned for its simplicity and transparency. Unlike some other airline loyalty programs with complex award charts, Southwest ties the value of your points directly to the cash price of a ticket. This means when fares go on sale, so do the points needed for redemption!
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| How To Get Points On Southwest Airlines |
Step 1: Join the Rapid Rewards Program (It's Free and Essential!)
Your First and Most Crucial Step: If you're reading this, you're likely interested in earning points, so let's start at the very beginning. Have you already signed up for a Southwest Rapid Rewards account? If not, this is your absolute first priority! It's completely free and only takes a few minutes. You can do this directly on the Southwest Airlines website. Without an account, any points you might earn won't have a home, and you'll miss out on tracking your progress.
Why it's important: Think of your Rapid Rewards account as your personal vault for all your hard-earned points. Every flight you take, every dollar you spend with a partner, will funnel into this account.
Step 2: Fly Southwest Airlines (The Most Direct Route to Points)
Naturally, flying with Southwest is a primary way to earn points. The number of points you earn depends on a few key factors: the fare type you purchase, the cost of your flight, and your elite status.
Understanding Fare Types and Point Earning Rates:
Southwest offers different fare types, each designed to meet varying traveler needs, and each offering a different points earning rate per dollar spent (excluding taxes and fees).
Business Select®: This is Southwest's most flexible and premium fare. You'll earn the highest number of points with Business Select fares, typically around 14 points per dollar. If you have A-List Preferred status, this can even jump to 28 points per dollar!
Anytime: These fares offer more flexibility than Wanna Get Away fares. You'll generally earn around 10 points per dollar. A-List Preferred members can earn 20 points per dollar.
Wanna Get Away Plus®: A newer fare option, offering more flexibility than the basic Wanna Get Away. You'll earn approximately 6 points per dollar. A-List Preferred members can earn 12 points per dollar.
Wanna Get Away® (Basic): This is Southwest's most affordable fare. You'll earn the lowest number of points with these fares, typically 2 points per dollar. A-List Preferred members can earn 4 points per dollar.
Example: A $200 Business Select fare would earn you 2,800 points (200 x 14). A $200 Wanna Get Away fare would earn you 400 points (200 x 2). The difference is significant!
Elite Status Bonuses:
If you achieve A-List or A-List Preferred status, your point-earning potential skyrockets:
A-List Members: Earn a 25% bonus on points earned from paid flights.
A-List Preferred Members: Earn a 100% bonus on points earned from paid flights. This effectively doubles your base points!
Step 3: Leverage Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards (Your Fastest Path to Big Points)
For many, the quickest and most lucrative way to accumulate a substantial amount of Southwest points is through their co-branded credit cards issued by Chase. These cards often come with generous sign-up bonuses that can be enough for multiple free flights.
QuickTip: Read with curiosity — ask ‘why’ often.
Personal Southwest Credit Cards:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: This is often an entry-level card with a reasonable annual fee. It typically offers a solid welcome bonus after meeting a specified spending requirement in the first few months. You'll earn bonus points on Southwest purchases and with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, as well as on local transit, commuting, internet, cable, phone, and streaming services.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: This card comes with a higher annual fee but offers more benefits, including a larger anniversary points bonus and potentially higher earning rates on Southwest purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Often considered the most feature-rich personal card, it carries the highest annual fee but offers a generous annual travel credit, upgraded boardings, and a substantial anniversary points bonus, in addition to strong earning rates.
Business Southwest Credit Cards:
If you own a business, these cards can be a game-changer for your point-earning strategy.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Similar to its personal counterpart, this card offers a good balance of features and earning potential for business expenses.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: This is the top-tier business card, offering the highest earning rates on Southwest purchases and other business categories, along with significant anniversary points and other travel perks like Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
Key Credit Card Benefits for Earning Points:
Welcome Offers: The initial bonus points you earn after meeting the spending requirement can be tens of thousands of points, often enough for a round-trip flight or more.
Bonus Categories: Southwest credit cards offer accelerated earning on Southwest purchases, and often on categories like dining, hotel and rental car partners, and even everyday spending like internet and phone bills.
Anniversary Bonus Points: Most Southwest credit cards provide bonus points each year you renew your card and pay the annual fee, helping to offset the cost and continuously boost your point balance.
Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs): Some Southwest credit cards allow you to earn TQPs for your spending, which can help you achieve A-List or A-List Preferred status, further increasing your point earnings from flights.
Companion Pass Qualifying Points: Points earned from Southwest credit card welcome bonuses and regular spending count towards the coveted Companion Pass, which allows a designated companion to fly with you for just the cost of taxes and fees on any flight, paid or award! This is arguably the best value in all of travel rewards.
Step 4: Maximize Earnings Through Rapid Rewards Partners (Beyond Flights)
Southwest has an extensive network of partners where you can earn Rapid Rewards points for everyday activities and purchases. Don't leave points on the table!
A. Rapid Rewards Shopping:
Shop Online and Earn: This is an incredibly easy way to earn points. Visit the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal, log in with your Rapid Rewards account, and then click through to your favorite online retailers. You'll earn a certain number of points per dollar spent (e.g., 3 points per $1 at Macy's, 5 points per $1 at Sephora). Always check the portal before making any online purchase!
Bonus Opportunities: The portal frequently offers bonus points for specific merchants or during promotional periods, so keep an eye out for these enhanced earning opportunities.
B. Rapid Rewards Dining:
Dine Out and Earn: Link your credit and debit cards to your Rapid Rewards Dining account. When you eat at participating restaurants, cafes, or bars, you'll automatically earn points for your spending.
Email Opt-in Bonus: Make sure you're opted into email communications from Rapid Rewards Dining to maximize your earnings. Often, you'll earn 3 points per dollar spent if opted in, versus 1 point per $2 if not.
New Member & Review Bonuses: New members often receive bonus points for their first dine and for leaving restaurant reviews.
C. Hotel Partners:
Southwest partners with several major hotel chains, allowing you to earn Rapid Rewards points for your stays.
Marriott Bonvoy™: Earn Rapid Rewards points for qualifying stays. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Rapid Rewards, though the transfer ratio might not always be optimal.
Choice Hotels®: Convert your Choice Privileges points into Rapid Rewards points.
Hyatt®: Earn Rapid Rewards points for qualifying stays and transfer World of Hyatt points to Southwest.
Best Western®, MGM Resorts®, Radisson Hotels: Other hotel partners offer opportunities to earn points for your stays.
Important Note: With most hotel partners, you typically have to choose between earning hotel loyalty points or Rapid Rewards points. Decide which currency is more valuable for your travel goals.
D. Car Rental Partners:
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When renting a car, book through Southwest's car rental partners to earn points.
Partners include: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty.
Earning rates vary but often provide a flat number of points per rental (e.g., 600 points).
E. Home and Energy Partners:
In some regions, you can earn points just by signing up for or paying your home energy bills with a Southwest partner. Check the Southwest website for current offers in your area.
F. Specialty Partners:
Southwest has a variety of other unique partners where you can earn points. These can include:
1-800-Flowers.com® & Harry & David®: Earn a significant number of points for purchases of flowers and gourmet gifts, especially during promotional periods.
e-Rewards and Rewards for Opinions: Earn points by taking online surveys. This is a slower but consistent way to accrue points in your spare time.
Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+): Enroll in their travel protection program and earn bonus points upon enrollment and annual renewal.
Step 5: Consider Other Point Earning Strategies (A Little More Advanced)
While the above methods cover the vast majority of point-earning opportunities, there are a few other avenues to explore.
A. Transferring Points from Chase Ultimate Rewards®:
If you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. This provides incredible flexibility, allowing you to consolidate points from everyday spending into your Rapid Rewards account for flights.
B. Purchasing, Gifting, or Transferring Points:
Buying Points: You can directly purchase Rapid Rewards points from Southwest. While generally not the most cost-effective way to acquire points (as the price per point can be high), it can be useful if you're just short of a redemption.
Gifting Points: You can gift points to another Rapid Rewards member.
Transferring Points: You can transfer points from your Rapid Rewards account to another member's account. Note that purchased, gifted, or transferred points typically do not count towards Tier or Companion Pass status.
C. Rapid Rewards Promotions:
Keep an eye on the Southwest website's "Promotions" section. Southwest frequently offers limited-time promotions, such as:
QuickTip: Stop scrolling fast, start reading slow.
Bonus points for booking certain routes.
Increased earning rates with specific partners.
Discounts on purchased points.
Putting It All Together: A Strategy for Maximum Point Accumulation
To truly maximize your Southwest Rapid Rewards points, a multi-faceted approach is key:
Get a Southwest Credit Card: This is almost always the fastest way to earn a large chunk of points quickly due to welcome bonuses.
Fly Southwest When Possible: Prioritize Southwest for your flights, especially if you can choose higher fare classes for better earning.
Utilize Rapid Rewards Shopping & Dining: Make these your go-to portals for online shopping and dining out. Always check for bonus offers.
Leverage Travel Partners: Book hotels and rental cars with Southwest partners and ensure your Rapid Rewards number is linked.
Consider Chase Ultimate Rewards: If you have a transferable Ultimate Rewards card, keep Southwest in mind as a strong redemption option.
Stay Informed: Regularly check the Southwest Rapid Rewards website for new partners and promotions.
By consistently applying these strategies, you'll be amazed at how quickly your Rapid Rewards points balance grows, bringing those dream Southwest flights within reach!
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to check my Southwest Rapid Rewards points balance?
You can easily check your Rapid Rewards points balance by logging into your account on Southwest.com or through the Southwest mobile app. Your current points total will be prominently displayed on your dashboard.
How to earn Companion Pass qualifying points?
Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest, points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards (including welcome bonuses and spending), and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. Points purchased, gifted, or transferred do not count.
How to link my credit card to Rapid Rewards Dining?
Visit the Rapid Rewards Dining website (rapidrewardsdining.com), sign up for a free account, and then register your eligible credit and/or debit cards. Once linked, simply use those cards at participating restaurants to automatically earn points.
How to earn points from hotel stays with Southwest partners?
To earn points from hotel stays, you typically need to be a member of both the hotel's loyalty program and Rapid Rewards. When booking, select Rapid Rewards as your earning preference and provide your Rapid Rewards account number.
QuickTip: Return to sections that felt unclear.
How to use Rapid Rewards Shopping to earn points?
Log in to the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal (rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com) using your Rapid Rewards account details. Search for your desired retailer and click the link from the portal to the merchant's website. Make your purchase as usual, and points will be credited to your account.
How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest?
Log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, navigate to the "Transfer to Travel Partners" section, select Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, and enter the amount of points you wish to transfer. The transfer ratio is 1:1.
How to buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points?
You can purchase Rapid Rewards points directly on Southwest.com. Look for the "Buy, Gift, Transfer Points" section. Points are sold in blocks, and there's typically a minimum purchase requirement.
How to earn bonus points with Southwest credit cards?
Bonus points are primarily earned through the welcome offer when you sign up for a new Southwest credit card and meet the initial spending requirement. Additionally, many cards offer anniversary bonus points and accelerated earning on specific spending categories.
How to ensure my points from flights post correctly?
Ensure your Rapid Rewards account number is added to your reservation when booking your flight. Points from flights typically post to your account within 72 hours after your flight is completed.
How to find current Southwest Rapid Rewards promotions?
Visit the "Promotions" section on the Southwest.com Rapid Rewards page. Southwest frequently updates this section with limited-time offers for earning bonus points through flights, partners, or credit card applications.
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