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Southwest Rapid Rewards has long stood out as one of the most consumer-friendly airline loyalty programs in the U.S. With perks like no change or cancellation fees, two free checked bags, and the legendary Southwest Companion Pass, it built a reputation as a fan favorite — especially among families and casual travelers. But in 2025, the Southwest many travelers knew and loved is undergoing some of its most dramatic changes yet.
In recent months, the airline has quietly slashed earning rates on its most-popular fares, rolled out variable award pricing, and announced the end of its famous Bags Fly Free policy — all while introducing basic fares and shortened expiration windows for travel credits. These moves mark a stark pivot for a brand once built on transparency and value.
So what does that mean for Rapid Rewards? Is it still a worthwhile program? And how do you make the most of your points now that so much has changed? Let’s break down what’s still great about Rapid Rewards — and what’s no longer the same.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards Overview
Established in 1967, Southwest Airlines is a big name in the U.S. travel market. In 2024, the Dallas-based low cost carrier flew more than 140 million passengers to 117 destinations in 11 countries, making it one of the world's largest low-cost carriers.
Southwest is unique on several counts. For starters, it historically hasn't partnered or codeshared with any other carriers. But that's changing. In 2025, Southwest partnered with Icelandair, making it the first such partnership in Southwest's history.
The Southwest boarding process sets it apart as well. Rather than assigning passengers a seat, Southwest assigns a boarding position. Passengers then line up in order (at least they are supposed to) and take any available seat once onboard the Boeing 737. And it's always a Boeing 737; Southwest only operates one aircraft type.
However, Southwest's contentious boarding process is changing, with assigned seats and extra legroom options coming in 2026.
Historically you didn't have to worry about being nickel-and-dimed with Southwest. For bookings through May 28, 2025, the carrier offers every passenger two free checked bags and won't charge change fees. For now, you can cancel awards and have your Southwest Rapid Reward points redeposited, all the way up until 10 minutes before departure.
Even the Southwest frequent flyer program is unique. Long before other airlines moved to a revenue-based earning structure, Southwest used one where the number of points required for an award redemption was directly tied to the fare price. However, that's no longer the case with Southwest launching variable award pricing in late March 2025.
The best part of Southwest Rapid Rewards is arguably its fabled Southwest Companion Pass, something that can save you thousands of dollars per year if you regularly travel with a companion.
How To Sign Up for Southwest Rapid Rewards
Before you can earn or redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points, you'll need to sign up for Rapid Rewards. The easiest way to do so is to head to southwest.com/enroll. You'll need to provide personal information to create a Southwest account, including your first name, last name, date of birth, gender, address, phone number, and email address. You'll also create a username and set your password. If desired, you can opt in to receive Southwest news and promotions.
Signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards is completely free. Besides enrolling online, you can download the Southwest Airlines mobile app and use it to enroll in Rapid Rewards. You can use either to enroll your kids as well.
Track Southwest Rapid Rewards in AwardWallet
We encourage everyone to sign up for an AwardWallet account to track their miles and points balances all in one place. However, Southwest doesn't allow AwardWallet to track your points balance and travel reservations directly. It's unfortunate, but that doesn't mean you're totally out of luck. You still can use AwardWallet in conjunction with Southwest Rapid Rewards — it just involves forwarding some emails.
To use AwardWallet to track your Southwest Rapid Rewards account, follow these steps:
- Link your email address to AwardWallet. If you connect your email to AwardWallet, we will automatically parse the information from your Southwest emails and update your balance in AwardWallet.
- Forward all Southwest emails to your assigned AwardWallet email address (YourAwardWalletUsername@AwardWallet.com). You can do this either by configuring your mailbox to do it automatically or, more simply, by changing the email in your Rapid Rewards account to your AwardWallet email. Don't worry, AwardWallet will automatically forward everything received to the email address you have on file.
- Opt-in to receive Rapid Rewards statements. This ensures that you (and AwardWallet) receive regular updates on the status of your Rapid Rewards account.
Related: How to Track Delta, Southwest, United Accounts in AwardWallet
Best Ways To Earn Rapid Rewards Points
The most straightforward way to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points is to fly with Southwest Airlines. However, there are several other ways to earn points, including co-branded Southwest credit cards, transferring flexible points to Rapid Rewards, and spending with any of several partner programs. We cover each of these below.
Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
The easiest, and arguably best, way to earn Rapid Rewards points is with a Southwest credit card. Southwest offers three personal credit cards and two business credit cards. All five cards are issued by Chase and offer varying levels of perks and benefits. Their annual fees for the personal cards range from $69 to $149.
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
The two business cards have annual fees of $99 and $199. One excellent perk offered by the Southwest Performance Business Card is its Wi-Fi credits.
- 3X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and communting, including rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
With these signup bonuses, it's easy to build a substantial balance of Rapid Rewards points. Plus, points earned via Southwest credit cards count towards the beloved Companion Pass. Between a signup bonus and a regular amount of spending, you can unlock flying two for the price of one in no time at all.
Related: How to Choose the Right Southwest Airlines Credit Card
Transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy
In addition to co-branded cards, Southwest partners with two potentially worthwhile transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. That means you can earn points with Chase or Marriott and transfer them to Southwest when you're ready to redeem points for your next trip.
Given Marriott's less-than-stellar transfer ratio and processing time, your best bet is to transfer Ultimate Rewards to Southwest…maybe. Given the recent changes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, you may not get the same value out of your Chase points with Southwest as you could by simply booking through the Chase Travel portal.
Related: When Should You Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest?
Don't write off the partnership! Holding a combination of Chase cards is even better for earning Rapid Rewards points over the long term than holding Southwest cards. Cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees) typically earn points at a far superior rate on everyday spending. When paired with an Ultimate Rewards-earning card, you can transfer the points needed for your flight.
The downside when transferring points to Southwest is they don't count toward the Companion Pass. Keep that in mind if earning one is a priority for you.
Southwest also partners with a few other transfer partners with ratios not worth considering unless you're desperate to top off your account:
Earn points flying Southwest
When you fly a Southwest itinerary booked with cash (or via the Chase Travel℠ Portal), you can credit the flight to your Rapid Rewards account to earn redeemable and A-List qualifying points. The number of points earned depends on the price of the ticket, your elite status, and the type of fare booked.
The four fare classes in ascending order of expense are Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away+, Anytime, and Business Select. Here are the earning rates after a recent change:
| Southwest Point Earnings by Fare Class | Rapid Rewards Member | A-List | A-List Preferred |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanna Get Away | 2 points per dollar | 2.5 pts per dollar | 4 pts per dollar |
| Wanna Get Away Plus | 6 points per dollar | 7.5 pts per dollar | 12 pts per dollar |
| Anytime | 10 points per dollar | 12.5 pts per dollar | 20 pts per dollar |
| Business Select | 14 points per dollar | 17.5 pts per dollar | 28 pts per dollar |
Likewise, the higher your status, the more points you earn per dollar spent. That means that the highest earning rate goes to A-List Preferred members booking Business Select fares. For example, a $300 Business Select fare would net an A-List Preferred member 8,400 Rapid Rewards points!
Other than the point-earning rate, the differences between the fares include increased ticket flexibility, boarding priority, and free drink vouchers.
Southwest promos
Southwest does a great job of engaging Rapid Rewards members with regular promotional offerings. These make it even easier for frequent flyers to earn enough points for their next redemption. Historically, Southwest promotions have included a wide range of ways to earn points and status. Examples include:
- Bonus Southwest Points on credit card spending
- Bonus Southwest Points on in select categories
- Double Companion Pass Qualifying points in select categories
It's not uncommon for the airline to offer multiple promos at the same time. If you want to stay up to date with Southwest promos, check out our regularly updated post covering reward program promotions. We gather every promotion in one place, allowing you to filter by reward program. You also can use the AwardWallet promotion tracker to get notified of offers from programs you're interested in.
Southwest Hotels
Did you know that Southwest has its own hotel booking portal? Powered by Booking.com, Southwest Hotels allows Rapid Rewards members to earn bonus points for booking a room via the portal. You can book hotels all over the world, not just in destinations served by Southwest Airlines.
Some properties offer more points than others. Moreover, Southwest typically gives you the option to pay a small premium for more bonus points when selecting your room. You'll always earn at least one bonus point per dollar spent.
The best part? Points earned through Southwest Hotels count towards Companion Pass qualification.
Southwest hotel partners
In addition to its own hotel portal, Southwest also maintains working partnerships with six other hotel loyalty programs. Each hotel partner has a unique point-earning and transfer rate:
| Hotel Partner | Earn Points | Transfer Points |
|---|---|---|
| Hyatt | 600 RR points per stay | 5,000 Hyatt points -> 2,400 RR points or 50,000 Hyatt points -> 30,000 RR points |
| Best Western | Varies | 5,000 Best Western Rewards -> 1,200 RR points |
| Radisson | N/A | 10:1 ratio (100,000 Radisson points = 10,000 RR points) |
| Choice Hotels | N/A | 6,000 Choice points -> 1,800 RR points |
| Marriott | 600 RR points per stay | 3:1 ratio, plus a 5,000 point bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred |
| MGM Resorts | 600 RR points per stay | N/A |
Unfortunately, none of these earning or transfer rates are incredibly lucrative. Unlike points earned from the Southwest Hotels portal, points transferred or earned from hotel partners do not count toward Companion Pass qualification. Therefore, unless you have zero interest in points with certain hotel brands, you're better off earning hotel points and transferring to Southwest only as a last resort.
Rapid Rewards rental car partners
Southwest's car rental partners function much like its hotel partners. As of this writing, Southwest members can earn 600 Rapid Rewards points per qualifying rental with any of these partners. With that said, each partner has unique terms and conditions, including frequent-flyer surcharges and consecutive rental policies. Make sure you check these out before you make a reservation.
Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal
If you're building up your Rapid Rewards point balance, you need to know about the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal. It operates like most major online shopping portals. You can search for online retailers (there are over 1,100 on the portal), click through the shopping portal link, and make a qualifying purchase to earn bonus points.
Depending on the store, you can earn anywhere between 1 and 20 points per dollar spent. Plus, certain stores offer special bonuses for meeting specific criteria, including bonuses as high as 20,800 points!
If you have used other shopping portals, the layout and functionality will feel familiar. In fact, many of the airlines offer similar (or identical) bonuses, leaving you to choose which currency you want to collect. Not sure which rewards program offers the best deal? Double-check shopping portal rates with an aggregator like cashbackmonitor.com.
Points earned via the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal count toward Companion Pass qualification. It's also worth noting that the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal regularly offers bonuses for certain spending activities.
Rapid Rewards Dining
Southwest's Rapid Rewards Dining program is very simple yet effective. First, register your Rapid Rewards account and choose to opt-in to receive email offers (it's not mandatory but is a good idea). If you do opt-in, you can earn three points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. If you don't opt-in, you'll earn one point for every two dollars spent. Occasionally, Rapid Rewards Dining will offer bonus points to new members.
To find a participating restaurant, you can filter by location or search by name. You never know — your family's favorite spot might participate! Plus, points earned via Rapid Rewards dining count toward Companion Pass qualification.
The best part of a dining program is that it's another means of stacking your point earnings. For example, if you earn three points per dollar with Rapid Rewards Dining, you can stack that with points earned using a great credit card for restaurant purchases. Conversely, you could use a Southwest card like the Southwest Priority Card to double up your Southwest earnings.
Related: Beginners Guide to Using Dining Programs for Easy Points and Miles
Shopping, dining & lifestyle partners
If you need some flowers, wine, or a new energy service provider, you may be able to earn bonus points with Southwest's shopping, dining, and lifestyle partners. Essentially, these are the partnerships that don't fit neatly into another category. They include:
- 1-800Flowers.com: Flower delivery
- Laithwaites: Wine delivery specialists
- Harry & David: Hand-crafted delights and gourmet gifts
These are niche ways to earn points, yet they are still worth considering if you happen to be in the market. Just make sure to read the terms carefully to decide if the value proposition is adequate.
Once again, points earned with any of these partners do count towards Companion Pass qualification.
Purchase Southwest Rapid Rewards points
If all else fails and you need points now, you can always buy Southwest points.
Without a promotion, Southwest sells Rapid Rewards points at the mediocre-to-terrible rate of 3¢ each. That's nearly double the 1.52¢ per point that AwardWallet users get during an average redemption. without a promotion, buying Southwest points should be your very last resort.
With a promotion, though, the value proposition can improve drastically. Southwest buy points promotions can occasionally bring the price down to the neighborhood of 1.5¢ per point. While that's not a terrible purchase rate, it's still certainly not ideal. You'll occasionally find a redemption where you can get more value for your points than the cost of buying them. However, make sure you consider the fact that you're giving up earning Rapid Rewards points when flying if you purchase points to redeem for award travel.
Ultimately, the only time it might make sense to buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points is if you're in a pinch and need a few more points to make a valuable redemption.
Can you transfer points between members?
The short answer is: yes, you can transfer points, though it'll cost you. Southwest charges a transfer fee of 1¢ per point — which all but wipes out the value. Additionally, you have to transfer points in increments of 1,000. Due to the cost, it's rarely worth transferring points between members.
If you're looking to book travel for someone else, there's an easy solution: Just book their ticket using your Rapid Rewards balance. Southwest allows you to book travel for anyone using your points. In the booking process, simply put the name and Rapid Rewards number of the person for whom you're booking.
Related: Which Rewards Programs Let You Pool Points and Miles With Others for Free?
How To Use Southwest Points
Value of Southwest Rapid Rewards points
Similar to what Delta and United have rolled out over the past several years, Southwest recently adopted variable award pricing. As the cash price of tickets fluctuates up and down, so do award prices.
Note that Southwest redemption are no longer tied to the base fare. In the past, Southwest used to peg the value of Southwest points directly to the base fare of a flight. After a 2024 devaluation, members generally needed to redeem 86 points per $1 of base fare.
However, that's gone. Now, Southwest prices awards however it wants to. In initial testing, we found redemption rates varying between 1.15¢ and 1.72¢ per point. But this is just a snapshot of what was available at the time. Without the redemption peg, Southwest redemptions no longer offer predictable value.
Redeem points for Southwest flights.
The best way to use Rapid Rewards points is for Southwest flights. Head to southwest.com or use the Southwest mobile app to search for award flight prices.
Let's walk through an example award search. At Southwest.com, I've keyed in Burbank (BUR) as my origin and Indianapolis (IND) as my destination. I've selected points as my currency.
Now, you'll see prices displayed in points only. You can easily compare award costs against cash prices using the toggle at the top. Since Southwest makes all seats bookable with points, if you find a flight available with cash, you can book it with Rapid Rewards points.
Generally speaking, more expensive cash fares correlate to more expensive award fares. But the redemption rate you'll now get can vary. On this example day, redemption rates vary between 1.13¢ and 1.20¢ per point — which are awful redemption rates compared to the prior value of Southwest points.
The bookable flight schedule typically extends six to seven months in advance.
Once you find a flight you want to book, select the fare type, then click “Continue.” Next, you'll enter all required passenger information and pay the taxes and fees to complete the booking.
Southwest More Rewards
The final way to redeem points is through Southwest's “More Rewards” program. This functions as both an online mall and a booking portal. Exclusive events and deals are only available to those with Rapid Rewards credit cards. You'll get less than 1¢ per point in value for any of the options.
- Gift Cards: Through Southwest More Rewards, you can redeem points for a variety of gift cards. This is a poor use of points, as you get just over 0.5¢ each. Rapid Rewards cardholders get 0.67¢ per point in value.
- Merchandise: Another option for Rapid Rewards members without credit cards, you can redeem points for a variety of merchandise. Merchandise generally nets you around 0.5¢ per point for non-credit cardholders, increasing slightly for cardholders.
- Hotels: Use Southwest points to book a large variety of hotels. This is not the same as the Southwest Hotels portal. In a few sample searches, the average value I found was 0.7¢ per point.
- Experiential Rewards: Use Southwest points for cruises, spa packages, rafting, hiking, and more.
- Access events: The value is extremely subjective, depending on how interested you are in the event. These are open only to Southwest credit cardholders.
I'd only consider these redemption options if you have so many Southwest points you literally don't know what else to use them for, as you're losing 50%–70% of their value.
Southwest Fees, Rules & Restrictions
Booking fees & rules
Southwest has historically provided the best change and cancellation rules of any domestic airline here in the U.S. The terms and conditions are straightforward to understand, and the policies are generous compared to other carriers.
- Booking fees: Southwest doesn't charge a fee to book directly with the airline. More specifically, this means that Southwest won't charge a fee for making a reservation over the phone or for booking close-in.
- Award changes/cancellation: For now, Southwest doesn't charge any change or cancellation fees on any ticket. However, all changes and cancellations must happen at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure. If you no-show, you'll forfeit your points on Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus. With Business Select or Anytime fares, you'll get a future flight credit — not a refund. As of May 28, 2025, this future flight credit will expire in as little as six months.
- Booking for other people: Booking travel for others is totally fine with Southwest. Whether it's a cash fare or an award booking, simply enter the correct information for whomever the passenger is.
- Out-of-pocket costs on award tickets: For the vast majority of domestic award tickets, the only out-of-pocket cost is the $5.60 domestic tax required by law. However, if traveling internationally, the out-of-pocket cost can be much higher, thanks to government- and airport-imposed taxes and fees.
Routing rules
Routing rules for Southwest award bookings are about as straightforward as they come. Namely, they're exactly the same as the rules governing cash bookings.
To search for possible routings, the best place to go is Southwest's dedicated Route Map tool. If a route shows up, you know it's bookable with cash or points. Just keep in mind that Southwest just started offering overnight itineraries. It also doesn't permit some flights with very short or very long layovers. If the itinerary you're contemplating would require a short layover, there's a good chance it's not possible.
Award sweet spots
Given the fixed-range value of Rapid Rewards points, the definition of “sweet spot” inherently changes. That is, there aren't any specific routes or zones where Rapid Rewards bookings deliver decisively better value than other award programs. However, there are several different areas where Southwest outperforms the competition:
- Positioning flights: The outstanding reliability of award availability makes Southwest the perfect airline for positioning for another, longer award booking from another program if you can't find availability from your home airport.
- Cheap domestic fares: Depending on your departure airport, Southwest routinely offers competitive fares. This is especially true during fare promotions.
- Flights to Hawaii / Caribbean: Over the last few years, Southwest has continued to expand its route network. Now, you have the option to use your Rapid Rewards points for flights to Hawaii or several Caribbean destinations. As these routes have launched, Southwest continually challenged other major airlines' dominance by undercutting fares. This translates into some incredibly good deals for folks booking travel to these spots, especially for inter-island flights in Hawaii.
- Two-for-one flights with the Companion Pass: No other airline offers a benefit like this. A couple that regularly travels together could save thousands of dollars per year by maximizing this benefit.
- Back-up flights: In a world of ever-changing plans, Southwest's free cancellations make it a powerful tool for covering your back. If you're unsure when you need to travel, you can simply book a flight with points and cancel for free if you don't need it. Just note that Southwest will soon implement expirations on travel credits.
Related: How a Last-Second Southwest Award Saved the Day
The Fabled Southwest Companion Pass
For many award travel enthusiasts, Southwest offers the best deal out there: the Companion Pass. It is the holy grail of domestic air travel. You essentially get 2-for-1 travel as much as you want! It can save you thousands of dollars per year. We have a full guide to the Southwest Companion Pass, so we'll cover only the essentials here.
In a nutshell, the Southwest Companion Pass allows Rapid Rewards members who earn it to add a designated companion to any booked itinerary for just the taxes and fees. This applies to all itineraries — whether you're paying with cash or points. You can bring a companion along for just the taxes and fees.
To earn a Companion Pass, you need to accumulate 135,000 qualifying points in a single year or fly 100 segments. Earning that many points might sound like a tall order, but you'd be surprised at how easy it is with a proper strategy to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. Remember, some points you earn through partners will qualify toward the Companion Pass. Also, Rapid Rewards credit cardholders receive a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points every year.
Depending on the Southwest card signup bonuses available when you apply, at times it's even possible to earn this coveted status with just one credit card signup bonus!
- Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
- Earn 4X pts on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
- Earn 2X points on rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Southwest Elite Status
Compared to other airline frequent flyer programs, Southwest elite status is rather weak. There are only two tiers of elite status that loyalty members can earn:
- A-List: Earned after 25 one-way qualifying flights OR 35,000 tier qualifying points
- A-List Preferred: Earned after 50 one-way qualifying flights OR 70,000 tier qualifying points
We list out the benefits for each tier of Southwest elite status in the table below.
| A-List | A-List Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Benefits |
The sweet spot is A-List, as it offers significantly improved benefits over zero status and only minimally less than A-List Preferred. The same-day confirmed change is a relatively new benefit, which can potentially provide great flexibility on the day of travel. If you're unable to confirm a change, you can go standby at no charge.
It's also worth mentioning that certain co-branded credit cardholders can spend their way toward Southwest A-List elite status. Loyalty members who hold the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent annually.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Bottom Line
Southwest Rapid Rewards used to be the gold standard for simplicity and traveler-friendly policies. But 2025 has brought a wave of changes — from lower earning rates and unpredictable award pricing to the introduction of bag fees and basic fares. These significantly reduce the transparency and value that once defined the program.
Still, Rapid Rewards isn’t without bright spots. The Companion Pass remains one of the most valuable perks in the airline industry, and features like free cancellations (for now) and no blackout dates still hold appeal — especially for travelers who prioritize flexibility.
But moving forward, members will need to be far more strategic. If you’re loyal to Southwest, it’s more important than ever to track program changes, compare redemptions carefully, and think twice before assuming you’re getting a good deal. Because unfortunately, that’s no longer guaranteed.
Southwest Rapid Rewards FAQ
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees)
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