Southwest Rapid Rewards: A Comprehensive Guide to Earning, Redeeming, and Maximizing Points

Southwest Airlines is known for its "transfarency" approach — offering low fares without change fees, hidden charges, or surprise baggage fees. No matter your ticket type, each traveler can check two bags at no cost, and Rapid Rewards points are among the most straightforward to redeem compared to other loyalty programs. It's no wonder that some TPG staff members consider Southwest to be one of the leading airlines.

Read on to discover some of the top strategies for earning and redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

Overview of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Program

Much like Southwest Airlines, the Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program has developed a dedicated fan base. While it lacks a traditional award chart and isn't linked to an airline alliance, its commitment to no blackout dates and the opportunity to earn Southwest's renowned Companion Pass makes Rapid Rewards an outstanding option for couples, families, and travelers with less flexible plans.

Similar to JetBlue's TrueBlue program, all Southwest award tickets are priced according to the ticket's cash value. This means that if you want to book a more expensive ticket, you'll need more points. TPG currently estimates the value of Rapid Rewards points at 1.4 cents each, which means that 10,000 points should yield approximately $140 in value.

However, your actual value may vary depending on your specific ticket.

Southwest Elite Status

Southwest Airlines features two tiers of elite status: A-List and A-List Preferred.

Southwest A-List Elite Status

To achieve A-List status, you need to complete 20 qualifying one-way flights with Southwest or accumulate 35,000 tier-qualifying points within a calendar year.

Tier-qualifying points are those earned from paid flights booked directly with Southwest (flights booked using Southwest's new Cash + Points option do not count) or through eligible purchases with Rapid Rewards partners. Additionally, for every $5,000 spent on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card, or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, you can earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points. Please note that purchased points, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, partner points, and points from Rapid Rewards program sign-up and credit card bonuses are not applicable toward A-List or A-List Preferred status.

The information regarding the Rapid Rewards Premier card has been independently gathered by Dinogo. The details presented on this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuer.

Holding Southwest A-List status grants you the following advantages:

• Priority boarding
• 25% bonus on points accrued from paid flights
• Free same-day standby/changes (taxes and fees may apply)
• Priority check-in and access to security lanes
• Exclusive A-List member support line

Southwest A-List Preferred Elite Status

To qualify for A-List Preferred status, you need to fly 40 qualifying one-way flights with Southwest or earn 70,000 tier-qualifying points within a calendar year. You will enjoy all the benefits of A-List status, plus:

• 100% bonus on points earned from paid flights
• Complimentary inflight Wi-Fi
• Two complimentary premium beverages on flights of 176 miles or longer

Ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points

There are several methods to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points, some of which don't involve flying at all.

Accumulate Rapid Rewards points by flying

As you would anticipate, Rapid Rewards points can be accrued each time you fly on a paid Southwest Airlines journey. The amount of points you earn is influenced by the flight cost, your elite status, the ticket type, and the payment method used.

Southwest offers four ticket categories, each with distinct advantages. The highest fare, Business Select, provides priority boarding and a complimentary alcoholic beverage onboard. Here’s how many points are earned for each fare class:

• Wanna Get Away: 6 points for every dollar
• Wanna Get Away Plus: 8 points for every dollar
• Anytime: 10 points for every dollar
• Business Select: 12 points for every dollar

Points are awarded based on your ticket's base fare, which does not include any applicable taxes and fees. When booking a Southwest ticket, you can find your flight's base fare on the airline's website.

For example, if you buy a Wanna Get Away fare with a base price of $100, you'll earn 600 Southwest Rapid Rewards points after your flight. Conversely, a Wanna Get Away Plus ticket would yield 800 points, an Anytime ticket would give you 1,000 points, and a Business Select ticket would reward you with 1,200 points.

As noted earlier, holders of Southwest A-List and A-List Preferred elite status receive even greater point earnings on paid flights. Each elite tier provides the following bonuses on these flights:

• A-List: 25% bonus
• A-List Preferred: 100% bonus

Taking the previous example of a $100 base fare, an A-List member would accumulate 750 Rapid Rewards points on a Wanna Get Away ticket, while an A-List Preferred member would gather 1,200 points. This points bonus is arguably the most significant advantage of Southwest elite status and can lead to substantial additional points during your travels.

Earning points with Southwest credit cards

Southwest Airlines offers a range of cobranded credit cards through Chase. Presently, the airline features three personal credit cards and two business credit cards, each with different perks, welcome bonuses, and annual fees.

Currently, you can receive 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account.

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Southwest also provides the following business credit cards:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Beyond a generous welcome bonus, each card comes with its own set of benefits. For instance, the Southwest Priority card features an annual $75 travel credit and offers 7,500 bonus points (valued at $105 according to TPG's assessments). These perks effectively cover the card's $149 annual fee and can help you accumulate even more points throughout the year.

You can also transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. If you’re open to sacrificing some Southwest-specific benefits, applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card might be worthwhile, as it offers 2 points per dollar on travel and 3 points per dollar on dining.

Accumulate points while dining with Rapid Rewards Dining

Similar to many airlines, Southwest features a dining rewards program that allows you to earn points. By creating a Rapid Rewards Dining account and linking your credit cards, you can earn Rapid Rewards points each time you dine at a participating restaurant. This is in addition to the points you would earn through your credit card, so consider linking a card that earns bonus points on dining to maximize your rewards.

When you enroll in Rapid Rewards Dining, be sure to sign up for email notifications; this will enable you to earn 3 points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. If you opt out of email notifications, your earnings will drop significantly to just 1 point for every $2 spent.

The Rapid Rewards Dining program provides enticing welcome bonuses. You'll receive 500 bonus points after spending $25 and reviewing a participating restaurant within the first 30 days. You can earn even more points by submitting reviews and completing other activities. Participating restaurants can be found on the Rapid Rewards Dining website.

Shop through Rapid Rewards Shopping

Earn bonus points when you shop online with Rapid Rewards Shopping. Similar to Rapid Rewards Dining, the points you earn through this shopping portal are in addition to the points accrued with your credit card.

The points earned per dollar spent vary by merchant and are subject to frequent changes. The portal often features promotions that provide bonus points for spending a specific amount, so be sure to check the Rapid Rewards Shopping website for the latest offers.

One final note: Always consult a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor before using Rapid Rewards Shopping. The merchant you’re buying from might provide better points elsewhere.

Reserve hotels

Southwest partners with several major hotel chains, allowing you to earn Rapid Rewards points instead of hotel loyalty points during your stays. However, we typically advise against this option due to the lower earning rates.

You can earn up to 10,000 points per night by booking accommodations through Southwest Hotels or Rocketmiles. Be sure to compare rates between both services, as well as other options like credit card travel portals, to find the best deal for your needs.

When using Southwest Hotels, the points earned often reflect the cost of your hotel room, with increased earnings available when booking Points Plus properties. Keep in mind that you won’t earn hotel points or be able to use hotel elite status benefits for these reservations; typically, you'll need to book directly with the hotel to access those perks.

Many boutique hotels can be booked through Southwest Hotels, making it worthwhile to reserve these if they wouldn’t earn points otherwise. Just be sure to compare prices with the hotel’s own website to ensure you're receiving a competitive rate through Southwest Hotels or Rocketmiles.

How to use your Southwest Rapid Rewards points

Now that you’ve accumulated Rapid Rewards points, let’s explore how to use them effectively.

You have various options for redeeming your points, but you’ll typically receive the highest value by using them for travel on Southwest flights. Other options, like gift cards and merchandise, generally offer lower value.

The procedure for redeeming Rapid Rewards points for flights is similar to booking a paid ticket. Visit the Southwest homepage, input your search details, and select the "Points" option. Then click the yellow search button to view your flight choices.

To the right of each available flight, you’ll see the award pricing. You can filter your flight options by layover count and departure times using the buttons at the top of the page. Once you've selected your desired flight, click on the ticket price and follow the prompts to complete your booking.

Which fare type is right for me?

You can use your points to book flights across any of the four fare types offered by Southwest. The most economical choice, Wanna Get Away, is ideal for most travelers. Like all fare types, Wanna Get Away fares come with two free checked bags and no fees for changing or canceling your flight. While these tickets are nonrefundable, if you cancel, you’ll receive a flight credit, or if booked with points, your points and fees will be refunded.

Wanna Get Away Plus provides a bit more flexibility, allowing free confirmed and standby same-day flight changes. Furthermore, these fares allow you to transfer flight credits to someone else if you cancel your trip.

Anytime fares offer the same advantages as Wanna Get Away Plus, plus priority security and EarlyBird check-in. Anytime cash fares are fully refundable, but keep in mind that all fare types can be refunded when booked with points.

Ultimately, the perks of Business Select fares often do not justify their higher price. These tickets come with A1 to A15 boarding, expedited security at certain airports, and a complimentary alcoholic beverage on board. Typically, they are priced at more than triple the points of a Wanna Get Away fare, so we suggest avoiding them unless absolutely necessary.

Is it possible to change Southwest award tickets at no extra cost?

Like all Southwest fares, you can change or cancel your award tickets without any fees. If you change to a more expensive ticket, you'll only need to pay the difference. Conversely, if you choose a less expensive flight, Southwest will refund you the points difference. We strongly recommend monitoring award prices after your booking; if the fare drops, you’ll get back the difference in points.

Cancelling a Southwest award ticket is just as straightforward. When you cancel, the points used for your booking will be credited back to your Rapid Rewards account without any cancellation fees.

Will I need to pay taxes and fees on award tickets?

When booking Southwest award tickets, you are responsible for certain taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 for a one-way flight. If you cancel your award flight, any fees paid will be refunded to your payment method.

Is it possible to redeem points for partner award tickets?

As mentioned earlier, Southwest is among the few airlines that do not have international airline partners.

Maximize your rewards with the Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Companion Pass stands out as one of the most valuable benefits of the Rapid Rewards program. Once you obtain the pass, you can select a companion to travel with you for just the taxes and fees on any Southwest flight you book, whether using cash or points. This allows you to use the Companion Pass on as many flights as you wish, effectively doubling the worth of your Rapid Rewards points.

To earn a Companion Pass, you need to complete 100 one-way flight segments with Southwest or, more conveniently for many, accumulate 135,000 qualifying points. These qualifying points can be earned through flying, spending on credit cards, and making purchases through Rapid Rewards Dining and/or Rapid Rewards Shopping.

Welcome bonuses from Southwest cobranded credit cards also contribute toward the Companion Pass, so you can significantly advance your goal by signing up for one of the Southwest credit cards mentioned earlier. Additionally, all Southwest credit card holders receive 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points added to their account each year.

Unfortunately, transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards do not contribute toward earning the Companion Pass.

Your Companion Pass will remain valid for the rest of the year in which it was earned and throughout the following year. If you plan to obtain your Companion Pass via credit card welcome bonuses, consider timing your spending to accumulate the necessary points early in the year. This strategy allows you to maximize your use of the Companion Pass, as it will be valid for nearly two years.

You can designate only one companion at a time, but you are allowed to change your companion three times within a year by calling Southwest at 800-435-9792. Keep in mind that while your companion won't earn Rapid Rewards points on their flight, you will still earn points if you book a paid ticket.

Bottom line

Earning and redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points is incredibly straightforward, and the highly sought-after Companion Pass distinguishes Southwest from other airlines. Take advantage of the right cobranded credit card to expedite your path to obtaining a Companion Pass.

Conversely, Southwest has experienced its share of operational challenges. Additionally, its highest-tier elite members and full-fare Business Select passengers aren't guaranteed access to bulkhead or exit-row seats, which may lead to discomfort for taller travelers on Southwest's longer flights to destinations like Hawaii.

Nonetheless, the program continues to attract a wide range of travelers, particularly families.

With this information, you're now equipped to make an informed choice about whether Southwest's Rapid Rewards program aligns with your travel needs.