You're about to embark on a journey into the world of Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards program, a loyalty system that stands out for its simplicity and transparency. Unlike many other airlines that use complex award charts and varying point values, Southwest keeps things straightforward, making it easier for you to understand how to earn and redeem your hard-earned points. Ready to dive in? Let's start!
Understanding the Southwest Airlines Point System: A Step-by-Step Guide
Southwest's Rapid Rewards program operates on a revenue-based earning system, meaning the more you spend on flights, the more points you earn. The value of your points for redemptions is also tied to the cash price of the ticket, ensuring a consistent redemption value.
Step 1: Join Rapid Rewards (It's Free!)
Before you can start accumulating points, the very first thing you need to do is enroll in the Rapid Rewards program. Don't wait! It's completely free and takes just a few minutes. You won't earn points for past flights, so sign up now to ensure every future Southwest flight contributes to your rewards balance.
How to join: Visit the Southwest Airlines website (Southwest.com) and look for the "Rapid Rewards" section. You'll find an option to "Enroll" or "Sign Up." Provide your basic information, and you'll receive a Rapid Rewards account number. Keep this number handy!
Step 2: Earning Rapid Rewards Points
There are several ways to rack up Southwest Rapid Rewards points, with flying being the most common, but certainly not the only one!
Sub-heading 2.1: Earning Points by Flying Southwest
The number of points you earn when flying Southwest depends on two key factors: the fare type you purchase and your tier status within the Rapid Rewards program.
Fare Types and Earning Rates (Points per Dollar Spent on Base Airfare):
Wanna Get Away (soon to be "Basic"): You'll earn 2 points per dollar. This is Southwest's most economical fare, offering great value for leisure travelers.
Wanna Get Away Plus: This fare earns you 6 points per dollar. It offers more flexibility with transferable flight credit and free same-day confirmed changes.
Anytime: This fare earns you a generous 10 points per dollar. It's fully refundable and includes benefits like priority and express lanes, and EarlyBird Check-In.
Business Select: The highest fare class, Business Select, rewards you with an impressive 14 points per dollar. It comes with premium benefits, including priority boarding (A1-A15), a complimentary premium drink, and priority check-in/security lanes.
Example: If you purchase a Wanna Get Away Plus fare for $100 (base fare), you'd earn 600 Rapid Rewards points. If you bought a Business Select fare for the same $100, you'd earn 1,400 points!
Tier Status Earning Bonuses:
A-List Members: Enjoy a 25% earning bonus on qualifying flights.
A-List Preferred Members: Receive a substantial 100% earning bonus on qualifying flights. This means your points earned per dollar are doubled!
Example: An A-List Preferred member buying a Wanna Get Away Plus fare (normally 6 points per dollar) would actually earn 12 points per dollar due to their 100% bonus!
Sub-heading 2.2: Earning Points with Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards
One of the fastest and most lucrative ways to earn Southwest points is through their co-branded credit cards issued by Chase. These cards offer:
Generous Welcome Bonuses: Often, you can earn tens of thousands of points after meeting initial spending requirements. These bonus points can jumpstart your rewards balance significantly.
Bonus Earning Categories: Earn extra points on Southwest purchases and often on other everyday spending categories like dining, internet/cable/phone services, and local transit.
Anniversary Bonuses: Many cards offer a bonus of points each year upon your account anniversary.
Companion Pass Qualifying Points: Points earned from credit card spending and welcome bonuses do count towards earning the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, which we'll discuss later.
Sub-heading 2.3: Earning Points Through Rapid Rewards Partners
Southwest has a network of partners where you can earn points for everyday activities and other travel.
Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal: Shop online at hundreds of popular retailers through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal and earn points per dollar spent on your purchases.
Rapid Rewards Dining Program: Link your credit cards to the Rapid Rewards Dining program and earn points automatically when you dine at participating restaurants.
Hotel Partners: Earn points when you book stays with Southwest's partner hotel chains like Marriott and Hyatt.
Car Rental Partners: Earn points when you rent cars through Southwest's car rental partners.
Surveys: Participate in market research through platforms like e-Rewards and Rewards For Opinions to earn points by sharing your opinions.
Other Partners: Keep an eye out for other unique earning opportunities, such as switching electricity providers in select states.
Step 3: Understanding Point Value and Redemption
Unlike some other airline programs, Southwest Rapid Rewards points have a relatively fixed value when redeemed for flights. This means that if the cash price of a ticket goes up, the number of points required for that ticket also increases proportionately. This makes the program very transparent.
Sub-heading 3.1: Redeeming Points for Flights
The primary and most valuable way to redeem your Rapid Rewards points is for Southwest flights.
No Blackout Dates: One of the most attractive features of Rapid Rewards is that there are no blackout dates for reward flights. If a seat is available for purchase with cash, it's also available with points.
Dynamic Pricing: The number of points required for a flight is tied directly to the cash price of that flight. Generally, you'll get a redemption value of around 1.4 cents per point (though this can vary slightly).
How to Redeem:
Log in to your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com or the Southwest mobile app.
When searching for flights, select the "Points" option instead of "Dollars."
The search results will display the point cost for each flight.
Select your desired flight and proceed with the booking. You'll still need to pay minimal taxes and fees (typically $5.60 per one-way flight for domestic travel).
Cash + Points Option: Southwest now offers a "Cash + Points" redemption option, allowing you to pay for flights with a combination of points and cash. This can be useful if you don't have enough points for the entire ticket. When using this option, you will earn Rapid Rewards points on the cash portion of the fare.
Sub-heading 3.2: Other Redemption Options (Use with Caution!)
While you can redeem points for things other than flights, these generally offer a much lower value for your points.
Hotels and Car Rentals: You can redeem points for hotel stays and car rentals through the Rapid Rewards portal. However, the value per point is often significantly less than 1.4 cents, making it a less optimal use of your points.
Gift Cards and Merchandise: Redeeming points for gift cards or merchandise also typically provides a poor redemption value.
Recommendation: Always prioritize redeeming your Rapid Rewards points for Southwest flights to get the best value!
Step 4: Achieving Elite Status (A-List and A-List Preferred)
Southwest's elite status tiers, A-List and A-List Preferred, offer valuable benefits that enhance your travel experience.
Sub-heading 4.1: A-List Status
How to Qualify:
Fly 25 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year, OR
Earn 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) in a calendar year. TQPs are earned from paid flights and certain Rapid Rewards Credit Card spending.
Benefits:
Priority Boarding: Automatically reserved boarding position 36 hours before the flight, giving you an earlier boarding spot.
25% Earning Bonus: Earn 25% more Rapid Rewards points on qualifying flights.
Dedicated A-List Member Phone Line: Faster access to customer service.
Priority Lane and Express Lane: Expedited check-in and security at select airports.
Same-Day Standby: Ability to standby for an earlier flight on the same day for free (taxes and fees may apply).
Sub-heading 4.2: A-List Preferred Status
How to Qualify:
Fly 40 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year, OR
Earn 70,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) in a calendar year.
Benefits (Includes all A-List benefits, plus):
100% Earning Bonus: Earn double the Rapid Rewards points on qualifying flights.
Free Inflight Internet: Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi on board.
Up to Two Free Premium Drinks: On select flights over 250 miles.
Important Note on Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs): While you earn Rapid Rewards points from various sources, only points from paid flights and points earned through Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card spending count as Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) towards A-List and A-List Preferred status. Points transferred from partners (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy) or purchased points do not count towards elite status.
Step 5: The Coveted Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass is arguably one of the most valuable benefits in the airline industry. It allows you to designate one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) on unlimited Southwest flights, whether you pay with cash or points.
How to Qualify:
Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year, OR
Earn 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points in a calendar year.
What Counts as Companion Pass Qualifying Points:
Points earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest.
Points earned from Rapid Rewards Credit Cards (including welcome bonuses and spending).
Base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners (e.g., hotels, car rentals).
Crucially, points transferred from other loyalty programs (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy), purchased points, points from program enrollment, tier bonus points, and flight bonus points generally do NOT count towards Companion Pass qualification.
Companion Pass Boost for Cardholders: Many Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards offer an annual boost of Companion Pass qualifying points (e.g., 10,000 points), making it easier to achieve this status.
Duration of the Pass: Once you earn the Companion Pass, it's valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earned it, plus the entire following calendar year. This means if you earn it early in the year, you could potentially have it for almost two full years!
How to Use the Companion Pass:
Book your own Southwest flight (with cash or points).
After your flight is booked, go to "My Trips" in your Rapid Rewards account.
Select the "Add Companion" link for your booked flight.
Enter your designated companion's information.
Pay the minimal taxes and fees for your companion's flight.
You must book your flight first, then add your companion.
You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year.
Step 6: Maximizing Your Rapid Rewards Points
Now that you understand the system, here are some tips to get the most out of your points:
Prioritize Credit Card Welcome Bonuses: These are often the quickest way to accumulate a large sum of points, potentially even enough for a Companion Pass.
Strategize for the Companion Pass: If you're aiming for the Companion Pass, focus your spending on Southwest credit cards and paid Southwest flights. Consider the timing of credit card applications to maximize the pass's validity.
Use Shopping and Dining Portals: Make it a habit to click through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal before online purchases and enroll your dining cards. These small efforts add up!
Redeem for Flights Only: As mentioned, avoid redeeming points for anything other than flights unless absolutely necessary, as the value is significantly lower.
Monitor Promotions: Southwest frequently offers promotions for earning bonus points on flights or through partners. Keep an eye on your email and the Southwest website for these opportunities.
Leverage Chase Ultimate Rewards: If you have Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred cards, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. This provides incredible flexibility and can top off your Rapid Rewards account for a specific redemption.
Step 7: Understanding Point Expiration
Good news! As of October 2019, Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. This is a significant advantage over many other airline loyalty programs.
Important Note on Flight Credits: While points don't expire, flight credits (from canceled flights paid with cash) do have expiration dates. Flight credits created on or before May 27, 2025, do not expire. However, flight credits created from reservations booked or voluntarily changed on or after May 28, 2025, will have a specified expiration date based on the fare type. Ensure you use them before they expire!
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some common questions about the Southwest Rapid Rewards point system, with quick answers:
How to Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points Quickly?
The fastest way to earn a large number of Rapid Rewards points is through Southwest Airlines co-branded credit card welcome bonuses and by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your Rapid Rewards account.
How to Calculate the Value of My Southwest Points?
Generally, you can estimate the value by dividing the cash price of a flight (minus taxes and fees) by the number of points required for that same flight. Southwest points typically provide a value of around 1.4 cents per point for flight redemptions.
How to Get Southwest A-List Status Faster?
Focus on earning Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) through paid Southwest flights (especially higher fare classes like Anytime or Business Select) and by spending on Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, as some card spending counts towards TQPs.
How to Use the Southwest Companion Pass After Earning It?
Once you've earned it, book your own flight first (cash or points). Then, go to "My Trips" in your Rapid Rewards account, find your booked flight, and select "Add Companion" to add your designated companion (who will only pay taxes and fees).
How to Transfer Points to Southwest Rapid Rewards?
You can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. Log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, select "Transfer to Travel Partners," and choose Southwest Airlines.
How to Buy Southwest Rapid Rewards Points?
You can buy Southwest points directly through the Southwest Airlines website. However, buying points is generally not recommended as the cost per point is usually higher than the redemption value you'll get.
How to Prevent Southwest Rapid Rewards Points from Expiring?
Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
How to Find Out How Many Tier Qualifying Points I Have?
Log in to your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com. Your TQP balance, along with your flight segment count, will be displayed in your "My Account" section.
How to Change My Designated Companion for the Companion Pass?
You can change your designated Companion Pass companion up to three times per calendar year by logging into your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com and navigating to the Companion Pass section.
How to Use Southwest Cash + Points for Booking?
When logged into your Rapid Rewards account and searching for flights on Southwest.com or the app, select the "Cash + Points" payment option during the booking process. You'll be presented with various combinations of cash and points to complete your purchase.
