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Opinions about Southwest Airlines vary widely these days. And while there is plenty of criticism, there are still good reasons to fly Southwest, especially if the price is right and its route network works in your favor. If you plan to fly Southwest, though, you might consider taking advantage of its status match offer to make the experience a little better.
Elite status with Rapid Rewards unlocks a few key perks that can enhance your trip and help you save money. And arguably, there's no easier way to get it than by matching your current airline status. What is especially exciting is that matching to top-level A-List Preferred is now an option, which we haven't seen with previous status match opportunities.
Here’s what you need to know about Southwest’s ongoing status match offer.
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Get Rapid Rewards A-List or A-List Preferred With Southwest’s Status Match Offer
Southwest Airlines has a simple status match offer, and it works like this: Join the Rapid Rewards program and show proof that you have elite status of any tier with another major U.S. airline (other than Southwest). You will receive promotional A-List or A-List Preferred status for 120 days, with the option to extend it by booking and flying eligible Southwest flights or earning tier-qualifying points during that period.
Matching your status to Southwest Rapid Rewards is super easy. You can visit this link to register, where you will enter your info and provide proof of status with another airline. There's no cost to apply, and you should hear back within 12 business days.
Here is what statuses will match to A-List or A-List Preferred:
| Matches to A-List | Matches to A-List Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Gold | Platinum, Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, Concierge Key |
| Delta Airlines | Silver | Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Delta 360 |
| United Airlines | Silver | Gold, Platinum, 1K |
| Alaska Airlines | Silver | Gold, Platinum, Titanium |
| JetBlue | Mosaic 1 | Mosaic 2, 3, 4 |
As you can see, most airline statuses above the intro level will match all the way up to A-List Preferred. This is great news for those without top-tier status.
How to extend your status past the trial period
Four months isn't a very long time. Fortunately, if you successfully match to either Rapid Rewards status, Southwest makes it easy to extend your status for an additional 12 months. All you need to do is book and complete qualifying flights or earn enough points during the trial period.
To keep A-List status:
- Fly three round-trip flights (or six qualifying one-way flights) on Southwest, or
- Earn at least 11,500 tier qualifying points from flights
To keep A-List Preferred status:
- Fly six round-trip flights (or twelve qualifying one-way flights) on Southwest, or
- Earn at least 23,000 tier qualifying points from flights.
What counts as a qualifying flight? Here's your answer:
- A qualifying one-way flight for this promotion is a one-way revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city, including any intermediate stops and/or connections on Southwest Airlines.
- A qualifying round-trip flight for this promotion is a revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city and back to the originating airport or carrier-recognized co-terminal.
The key words here are “revenue flight.” That means award tickets and charter flights (should you, for some reason, want to charter a Southwest plane) don't count toward the requirements. However, Cash+Points bookings do count. And only new reservations booked within the promotional period will qualify, so any flights you booked before your status match was approved will not count.
Alternatively, earning tier-qualifying points from revenue flights is another avenue for keeping Southwest status. So if you take fewer flights, but they are more expensive or a higher fare class, it may be possible to earn enough tier-qualifying points to extend your status.
Related: Shortcuts to Airline Elite Status With Status Match or Fast Track Opportunities
How often can you match your status to Southwest Rapid Rewards?
Of all the airline status match offers available right now, Southwest's is one of the most generous. That's because you're not limited to matching once in a lifetime, like with Alaska Airlines, or once every few years, like with Delta.
With Southwest, you can complete a match as long as you have not received promotional A-List status through any other offer in the past 12 months.
Rapid Rewards Elite Status Benefits
Let's go over the benefits you can expect as a Rapid Rewards elite member.
A-List benefits
Rapid Rewards A-List status is the program's elite tier that's one step above the general member level. And it comes with the following benefits:
- Seat selection: Choose any Standard or Preferred seat at the time of booking. Plus, upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat at no cost within 48 hours of departure.
- Priority boarding: With Southwest's new boarding procedure, A-List members will have a boarding group no later than group five.
- Check one bag for free: Southwest now charges for checked bags, and A-List members, plus up to eight additional passengers traveling on the same reservation, can check a first bag for free.
- Priority Lane and Express Lane: Access the Priority Lane at the Southwest check-in counter, and the Express Lane at the security checkpoint at select airports.
- Dedicated phone line: Priority access when calling Southwest Airlines.
- Same-day standby: Free same-day standby for all fares, including Basic (formerly Wanna Get Away).
- 25% earning bonus: Earn 25% bonus points on qualifying flights.
A-List Preferred benefits
A-List Preferred has similar, but expanded benefits as follows:
- Seat selection: Choose any seat, including Extra Legroom seats, at no cost at time of booking.
- Priority boarding: With Southwest's new boarding procedure, A-List Preferred members will have a boarding group no later than group two.
- Check two bags for free: Southwest now charges for checked bags, and A-List Preferred members, plus up to eight additional passengers traveling on the same reservation, can check two bags for free.
- Priority Lane and Express Lane: Access the Priority Lane at the Southwest check-in counter, and the Express Lane at the security checkpoint at select airports.
- Dedicated phone line: Priority access when calling Southwest Airlines.
- Same-day standby: Free same-day standby for all fares, including Basic (formerly Wanna Get Away).
- 100% earning bonus: Earn 100% bonus points on qualifying flights.
- Drinks and snacks: Receive free premium drinks and snacks on flights.
Is It Worth Status Matching to Southwest for A-List or A-List Preferred Benefits?
So, is it worth status matching to Southwest? If you have upcoming travel on the airline and plan to check bags or select seats, you can save a lot of money by completing a free status match. And that's where matching is easily worth it.
Remember, Southwest now charges $35 for your first checked bag, so that's immediate savings you can take advantage of. Selecting seats can also be costly, as this example flight ranges from $20-$71 for a seat. That price is per segment, which matters if you have a connecting flight.
The additional benefits, like 25% or 100% bonus points, are valuable if you plan to earn points by using a travel rewards card to book future flights instead of redeeming ones you already have. And the priority boarding perks are also valuable now that Southwest has rolled out its new assigned seating policy.
Elite members will be able to choose various seats either at booking or starting 48 hours before departure. They will also board in the earlier boarding groups, which means earlier access to coveted overhead bin space.
If you plan to fly Southwest, what's not to like about a free bag, free seat selection, and early boarding? A free status match can help you unlock those benefits.
Other ways to get status benefits
There is one other caveat to consider before entertaining this status match. Many of these perks and benefits can be achieved through either buying a higher fare class or having a Southwest credit card. Because buying a higher fare costs more money or points, let's focus on the latter alternative.
Being a cardholder of either the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees) or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees) comes with a bunch of benefits. This is because these two cards come with the heftiest annual fees.
Both cards come with one free checked bag and no later than group five boarding. Plus they both allow free Standard or Preferred seat selection at booking and Extra Legroom at 48 hours from departure.
$229Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$299Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
However, A-list Preferred really does outdo the benefits of these cards, adding a second free bag, earlier boarding group, Extra Legroom seats at time of booking, and bonus points earning on paid flights. All of these make matching to A-List Preferred quite attractive, even if you do have a Southwest credit card.
Related: Southwest Credit Cards: Get Bonus Miles, Travel Perks & a Fast-Track to the Companion Pass
Bottom Line
Southwest offers a straightforward status match that you can take advantage of more than once over the life of your account. It’s simple to match and get A-List or A-list Preferred benefits, which you can extend by booking a few qualifying one-way or round-trip flights. These benefits can help you save plenty of cash on future travel, especially now that Southwest charges for extras like checked bags and seat selection.
A-List elite status may not be the most valuable status out there, especially if you have a Southwest credit card. But now that A-list Preferred and its more robust benefits are attainable through this match, it may be worth taking a closer look. Either way, if you plan to fly the airline, having status can make your experience much better than flying without it.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
