Dreaming of a free flight on Southwest Airlines? You're in the right place! Southwest's Rapid Rewards program is renowned for its straightforward approach to earning and redeeming points, making free tickets a very achievable goal. Unlike some other airlines with complex award charts, Southwest's point value is generally tied to the cash price of the ticket. This means that the number of points you need for a "free" ticket isn't a fixed amount; it fluctuates based on the fare, demand, and other factors. However, we can definitely break down how it works and how to get there.
So, are you ready to unlock the magic of free Southwest flights? Let's dive in!
Step 1: Understand the Rapid Rewards Philosophy – Dynamic Pricing Explained
First things first, let's address the core concept: Southwest doesn't have a fixed award chart. This is a crucial distinction. Instead, the number of points required for a flight is directly related to the current cash price of that same flight. This is called dynamic pricing.
What this means for you:
Lower cash fares will require fewer points.
Higher cash fares will require more points.
Sales and promotions on cash fares will also translate to sales on point redemptions! This is a huge advantage for savvy travelers.
There are no blackout dates for Rapid Rewards redemptions, which is incredibly flexible! If there's a seat available for purchase with cash, you can book it with points.
Essentially, Southwest points generally have a value of around 1.3 to 1.5 cents per point, though this can vary. So, if a flight costs $130, you'll likely need around 10,000 points. If it's $260, expect to need closer to 20,000 points.
Step 2: Join the Rapid Rewards Program – It's Free!
Before you can earn any points, you need to be a Rapid Rewards member. This is a quick and easy process.
Sub-heading: How to Enroll
Visit the Southwest Airlines website (southwest.com).
Look for the "Rapid Rewards" section or a prominent "Enroll" button.
Fill out the simple online form with your personal details.
Once completed, you'll receive your unique Rapid Rewards account number. Keep this handy!
Step 3: Strategies for Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
Now for the fun part: accumulating those points! There are numerous ways to build your Rapid Rewards balance, from flying to everyday spending.
Sub-heading: Flying with Southwest The most direct way to earn points is by flying. The number of points you earn per dollar spent depends on the type of fare you purchase:
Wanna Get Away (soon to be Basic): 2 points per dollar spent
Wanna Get Away Plus: 6 points per dollar spent
Anytime: 10 points per dollar spent
Business Select: 14 points per dollar spent
Bonus Points for Elite Status: If you achieve A-List or A-List Preferred status (more on that later!), you'll earn even more points per flight (25% for A-List, 100% for A-List Preferred).
Sub-heading: Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards This is often the fastest and most lucrative way to earn a large number of points quickly, especially through sign-up bonuses. Southwest partners with Chase for co-branded credit cards.
Welcome Offers: These cards frequently offer substantial welcome bonuses (e.g., 50,000 to 80,000 points) after meeting a minimum spending requirement in the first few months. This alone can be enough for multiple "free" tickets!
Everyday Spending: These cards also earn points on your daily purchases, with bonus categories for Southwest purchases, hotel and car rental partners, local transit, internet/cable/phone services, and select streaming.
Annual Anniversary Points: Many Southwest credit cards also offer bonus points annually just for being a cardmember.
Sub-heading: Transferring Points from Chase Ultimate Rewards If you have a premium Chase credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points directly to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. This offers incredible flexibility!
Sub-heading: Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal This is an easy way to earn extra points on your online purchases.
Visit the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal (rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com).
Log in with your Rapid Rewards account.
Search for your favorite online retailers and click through the portal to their websites.
Make your purchase as usual, and points will be credited to your Rapid Rewards account.
Sub-heading: Rapid Rewards Dining Earn points just by dining out!
Enroll your credit cards in the Rapid Rewards Dining program.
Dine at participating restaurants and pay with your linked card.
Points will automatically be added to your account. You can often earn bonus points for opting into email communications or for reaching certain spending thresholds.
Sub-heading: Hotel and Rental Car Partners Southwest partners with various hotel chains (like MGM Resorts) and car rental companies. When you book through their specific portals or provide your Rapid Rewards number, you can earn points on your stays and rentals.
Sub-heading: Other Partners and Promotions Keep an eye out for other opportunities! Southwest occasionally offers promotions with various partners, or through survey sites like e-Rewards and Rewards for Opinions.
Step 4: Finding and Booking Your "Free" Ticket
Once you have a healthy Rapid Rewards balance, it's time to book your flight!
Sub-heading: Logging In and Searching for Flights
Go to Southwest.com and log in to your Rapid Rewards account.
When searching for flights, make sure to select the "Points" option instead of "Dollars" for your fare display. This will show you the point cost for each flight.
Sub-heading: Selecting Your Flight and Confirming
Browse the available flights and choose the one that suits your travel plans and point balance.
The website will clearly display the number of points required for the base fare.
Remember to factor in taxes and fees! While the base fare is "free" with points, you are still responsible for paying government-imposed taxes and fees, which are typically $5.60 per one-way domestic flight. These are paid with cash (credit card).
Sub-heading: Confirming Your Redemption
Follow the prompts to confirm your booking.
Review all details carefully before finalizing.
You'll receive an email confirmation with your itinerary.
Step 5: Leveraging the Southwest Companion Pass (The Ultimate Perk!)
While not directly related to how many points you need for a free ticket, the Southwest Companion Pass dramatically enhances the value of your Rapid Rewards points, effectively doubling their power.
Sub-heading: What is the Companion Pass? The Companion Pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) on every flight you take, whether you paid with points or cash, for the remainder of the year you earn it and the entire following calendar year. It's widely considered one of the best travel perks available!
Sub-heading: How to Earn the Companion Pass To earn the Companion Pass, you need to either:
Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year, OR
Earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a calendar year.
Key to Earning Points: Points earned from Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card sign-up bonuses and spending, as well as points from flying and certain Rapid Rewards partners (like shopping and dining), count towards the 135,000 qualifying points. Purchased points or transferred points from other loyalty programs (like hotel points) generally do not count towards Companion Pass qualification.
Strategy for Success: Many people achieve the Companion Pass by strategically opening one or two Southwest credit cards to earn large welcome bonuses early in a calendar year.
Step 6: Maximizing Your Rapid Rewards Points Value
To truly get the most out of your points, keep these tips in mind:
Sub-heading: Be Flexible with Travel Dates Since point values are tied to cash fares, flying during off-peak times or on less popular days (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays) will often require fewer points.
Sub-heading: Book Early (or Watch for Sales) Generally, booking further in advance can yield lower prices, meaning fewer points. However, Southwest also has frequent fare sales, so it's worth keeping an eye out even for last-minute deals.
Sub-heading: Consider "Wanna Get Away" Fares These are the lowest-priced fares and therefore require the fewest points. While they have some restrictions (like no same-day change without a fare difference), they offer the best point redemption value.
Sub-heading: Don't Be Afraid to Re-Price Southwest allows you to change or cancel flights without a change fee. If the cash price (and therefore point price) of your booked flight drops, you can re-price your ticket and have the difference in points refunded to your account! This is a fantastic and unique benefit.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points quickly? The fastest way to earn a significant number of points is by applying for a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card and earning its welcome bonus, which can be tens of thousands of points.
How to find out how many points a specific Southwest flight costs? Go to southwest.com, log in to your Rapid Rewards account, and when searching for flights, select "Points" instead of "Dollars" to see the point cost.
How to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points for gift cards or merchandise? While flights offer the best value, you can redeem points for gift cards, merchandise, and other experiences through the "More Rewards" program on the Southwest website.
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 desired number of points to transfer (at a 1:1 ratio).
How to use the Southwest Companion Pass after earning it? First, book your own flight (with cash or points). Then, go to the "My Trips" section of your Rapid Rewards account, find your flight, and click the "Add Companion" link to add your designated companion. You'll only pay their taxes and fees.
How to check my Southwest Rapid Rewards point balance? Log in to your Rapid Rewards account on southwest.com. Your current point balance will be prominently displayed on your account dashboard.
How to ensure my Southwest credit card spending counts towards the Companion Pass? Points earned from your Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card spending (including welcome bonuses) automatically count towards Companion Pass qualification, as long as they post to your account within the same calendar year.
How to re-price a Southwest flight if the point cost drops? Go to "My Trips" on southwest.com, select your upcoming flight, and choose the "Change Flight" option. If a lower point fare is available for the exact same flight, you can select it, and the difference in points will be refunded to your account.
How to avoid paying cash for taxes and fees on Southwest reward flights? Unfortunately, you cannot entirely avoid paying the government-imposed taxes and fees (typically $5.60 per one-way domestic flight) on reward tickets. These must be paid with cash.
How to find promotional offers for earning extra Southwest points? Regularly check the "Rapid Rewards" section of southwest.com, subscribe to their email newsletters, and follow Southwest and Chase credit card news from reputable travel blogs for ongoing promotions.
