Southwest Rapid Rewards Guide: Navigating a Reshaped Program

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Southwest Rapid Rewards long stood out as one of the most consumer-friendly airline loyalty programs in the U.S. Policies like no change or cancellation fees, two free checked bags, and the legendary Southwest Companion Pass helped Southwest build a reputation as a fan favorite — especially among families and casual travelers.

The Southwest of today looks much different thanks to several key program changes. The airline has quietly slashed earning rates on its most-popular fares, rolled out variable award pricing, and most notably, started charging for checked bags — all while introducing basic fares and shortened expiration windows for travel credits. If that's not enough, in October 2026, Southwest announced its biggest elite status overhaul in years.

Each of these moves marks a stark pivot for a brand once built on transparency and value. So what does that mean for Rapid Rewards? How can you navigate a new Southwest? And how do you utilize Rapid Rewards points to their full potential? This guide explores every aspect of the Rapid Rewards program as it stands today.

Editor's note: Southwest Rapid Rewards is undergoing significant changes on January 1, 2027, including updates to earning rates, elite status, and Companion Pass qualification. This guide reflects the current program rules. We'll update it as the changes take effect.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Overview

Established in 1967, Southwest Airlines is a big name in the U.S. travel market. In 2025, the Dallas-based low-cost carrier flew more than 130 million passengers to 121 airports in 12 countries, making it one of the world's largest low-cost carriers.

However, many of the policies that differentiated Southwest from other carriers are gone. For one, Southwest historically hadn't partnered or codeshared with any other carriers. Now, Southwest has 11 partners and counting, allowing Southwest flyers to combine a domestic flight with an international partner on one ticket.

Screenshot of Southwest

The Southwest boarding and seating process is now more mainstream also. Passengers board in boarding groups like most airlines. Likewise, there are three seat classes — Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom — that passengers can either purchase separately, purchase as part of a higher fare class, or get for free as a perk of status or a credit card.

Under Southwest's bag policy, you'll pay $45 for your first bag, and $55 for your second, on all but the most expensive Southwest fares. Only passengers flying on a Choice Extra fare or with top-tier A-List Preferred status get two free checked bags. Those with A-List status or who hold a Southwest co-branded credit card get one.

Even the value of Rapid Rewards points has changed. Southwest used a fixed-but-fair redemption model where the number of points required for an award redemption was directly tied to the fare price. But with Southwest launching variable award pricing in 2025, that's no longer the case.

One thing does remain the same, though. The best part of Southwest Rapid Rewards is arguably its fabled Southwest Companion Pass. This perk can save you thousands of dollars per year if you regularly travel with a companion, and it is here to stay.

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 a Rapid Rewards account. The easiest way is to go 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. In addition to 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 you're not 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 and trips 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.

Screenshot of Southwest

• Opt in to receive Rapid Rewards statements. This ensures that you (and AwardWallet) receive regular updates on the status of your Rapid Rewards account.

Screenshot of Southwest

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 several partner programs. We'll cover all the ways below, but we also have a dedicated post on earning Southwest points that goes into much greater detail.

Earn points flying Southwest

This is the most logical way to earn Southwest points.  The number of points earned depends on the price of the ticket, your elite status, and the type of fare booked, as you can see in the table below:

Like many other aspects of the Rapid Rewards program, these earning rates will change in 2027.

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. Chase issues all five cards and offers different perks and benefits. The annual fees for the cards range from $99 to $299.

With the sign-up bonus, bonus points on Southwest purchases, and everyday spending, you can build a substantial Rapid Rewards balance in no time. Plus, points earned via Southwest credit cards (and sign-up bonuses) count toward the beloved Companion Pass through the end of 2026.

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

Limited-time offer Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Apply Now

Annual Fee

$99Rates & Fees

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

• 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest^® purchases
• 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
• 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

Welcome Bonus Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

How to Apply

Annual Fee

$149

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

• 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest^® purchases
• 2X points per $1 spent at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
• 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

Limited-time offer Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Apply Now

Annual Fee

$229Rates & Fees

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

• 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

Transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards, or hotel partners

In addition to co-branded cards, Southwest partners with two potentially worthwhile transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. That means you can earn points with Chase or Bilt and transfer them to Southwest when you're ready to redeem points for your next trip.

Marriott has a less-than-stellar transfer ratio and processing time, so your best bet is to transfer Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards to Southwest. Earning points with Chase or Bilt will usually earn you more on everyday spend than Southwest cards, so this strategy can be a great way to build a stash of points and then transfer them to Southwest when you need them.

Note that transferred points don't count toward the Companion Pass.

Related: When Should You Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest?

Southwest Hotels

Southwest has its own hotel booking portal, Southwest Hotels, that 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.

This can be another way to earn points while booking the rest of your trip. Plus, points earned through Southwest Hotels count towards Companion Pass qualification.

Southwest also maintains working partnerships with five other hotel loyalty programs: Best Western, Choice, World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and MGM Rewards.

. Each hotel partner has unique points-earning and transfer rates, but unfortunately, none are particularly lucrative.

Screenshot of Southwest

Rapid Rewards rental car partners

Southwest's car rental partners function much like its hotel partners. At the time of writing, Southwest members can earn 600 Rapid Rewards points per qualifying rental with any of these partners, but make sure you consult the specific terms and conditions with each car rental company.

Screenshot of Southwest

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, click through the shopping portal link, and make a qualifying purchase to earn bonus points.

Most stores offer base rates of 1 to 3 points per $1 spent, but you can take advantage of special offers to earn 16+ points per $1 spent. Plus, certain stores offer special bonuses for meeting specific criteria, including bonuses as high as 10,000+ points. These points are in addition to what you earn through your credit card.

Rapid Rewards Dining

Southwest's Rapid Rewards Dining program is very simple yet effective. Once you register your Rapid Rewards account, you can earn up to three points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. If you don't opt in to emails, you'll earn 1 point for every $2 spent. Occasionally, Rapid Rewards Dining will offer bonus points to new members.

This is another great way to stack your point earnings. You could use a Southwest card like the Southwest Priority Card to earn 5X total points on your dining purchases.

Related: Beginner's Guide to Using Dining Programs for Easy Points and Miles

Credit: Nick Morales/Unsplash

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 terrible rate of 3¢ each. Sometimes you can buy them on sale for up to 50% off, bringing them down to 1.5¢ each. AwardWallet did an analysis in May 2026 and found that Rapid Rewards points are worth roughly 1.1–1.3 cents per point, so it rarely makes sense to buy points unless it's a last resort.

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. During booking, simply enter the name and Rapid Rewards number of the person you're booking for.

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

As other airlines have done in recent years, Southwest adopted variable award pricing. As ticket prices fluctuate, so do award prices.

Although Southwest redemptions are no longer tied to the base fare, the variance isn't as strong as Delta and United's. After numerous devaluations, AwardWallet users redeem Rapid Rewards points for 1.18¢ to 1.56¢ apiece, which is a slightly larger range than our analysis. Because this is the average, you may see outlying valuations both higher and lower.

The previous inclusion of two free checked bags made Rapid Rewards even more valuable, but now that bags aren't included, you can't factor those savings into comparisons with competitors.

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. On Southwest.com, I've entered Burbank (BUR) as my origin and Indianapolis (IND) as my destination. I've selected points as my currency.

Screenshot of Southwest

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. The bookable flight schedule typically extends six to seven months in advance.

You may also notice a “Cash + Points” option at the top. This is generally ill-advised, as the points you use in this booking option are only valued at 1¢ per point.

Screenshot of Southwest

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 for any of these 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, I found an average value of 0.7¢ per point.
• Experiential Rewards: Use Southwest points for cruises, spa packages, rafting, hiking, and more.
• Access events: The value is highly subjective and depends 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

Southwest has historically provided the best change and cancellation rules of any domestic airline here in the U.S. The terms and conditions were straightforward, and the policies were more generous than other carriers. However, some negative changes have occurred lately.

Changes/cancellations

Southwest doesn't charge change or cancellation fees on any ticket. If you're changing your flight, you'll simply pay the fare difference (if there is one) in points or cash.

You can't change Southwest's new Basic fares unless you upgrade to a higher fare class. However, you can still cancel all Southwest tickets for free, including Basic tickets, for a full points refund or flight credit. These flight credits now expire in as little as six months for Basic tickets and 12 months for Choice fares. Flight credits expire from the booking date, so be careful if you are canceling a flight you booked several months ago.

All changes and cancellations must happen at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure. If you no-show, you'll forfeit your points on all tickets except Choice Extra, which will give you a future flight credit.

Other booking fees & rules

Here's what else you should know when booking Southwest award tickets:

• 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.
• 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, international travel can be much more expensive due to government- and airport-imposed taxes and fees.
• Booking for other people: Booking travel for others is fine with Southwest. Whether it's a cash fare or an award booking, simply enter the correct information for the passenger who is flying.

Routing rules

Routing rules for Southwest award bookings are about as straightforward as they come. Namely, they're the same as the rules governing cash bookings.

Screenshot of Southwest

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. It also doesn't permit some flights with very short or very long layovers. If the itinerary you're considering requires a short layover, it's likely not possible.

Award sweet spots

The definition of “sweet spot” has changed with Southwest, given its variable award pricing and historically “fixed rate” redemptions. 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. Keep in mind you'll have bag fees unless you have status or a credit card.
• 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 can use your Rapid Rewards points for flights to Hawaii or several Caribbean destinations. As these routes have launched, Southwest has continually challenged other major airlines' dominance by undercutting fares. This means some incredibly good deals for folks booking travel to these spots, especially inter-island flights in Hawaii.
• Two-for-one flights with the Companion Pass: No other airline offers this benefit. 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. We wouldn't suggest booking a backup flight with cash because, if you cancel, the resulting flight credit will expire.

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 lets eligible Rapid Rewards members 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 calendar year or fly 100 segments. Earning that many points might sound like a tall order, but you'd be surprised how easy it is with the right strategy. Remember, some points you earn through partners will qualify toward the Companion Pass. Also, Rapid Rewards credit cardholders get a 10,000-point boost toward Companion Pass-qualifying points every year.

Depending on the Southwest card signup bonuses available when you apply, you can sometimes earn this coveted status with just one credit card signup bonus! If you want to earn the Companion Pass primarily through credit cards, this is your last year to do so.

Southwest Elite Status

With all the program changes, Southwest elite status has become more relevant. There are only two tiers of elite status that loyalty members can earn:

• A-List: Earned after 20 one-way qualifying flights OR 35,000 tier qualifying points
• A-List Preferred: Earned after 40 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.

The sweet spot is A-List, as it offers significantly improved benefits over zero status and only minimally less than A-List Preferred. Sadly, same-day confirmed changes on Basic fares are no longer a benefit. You'll need to purchase a Choice, Choice Preferred, or Choice Extra fare to enjoy the confirmed flight change benefit now. Free same-day standby is still available in all fare classes for Southwest elites.

One huge perk of Southwest status, though: free checked bags. A-List Preferred members get two free checked bags on every flight for themselves and up to eight other passengers flying on the same reservation, while A-List status holders get one.

It's also worth mentioning that certain co-branded credit cardholders can spend their way toward Southwest A-List elite status as follows:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card: Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent annually.
• Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 2,000 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent annually
• Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card and Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card: Earn 2,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent annually.

Starting in 2027, all Southwest cards will be eligible to earn 1 tier qualifying point per $1 spent.

Bottom Line

Southwest Rapid Rewards certainly looks different than it did a couple of years ago  — 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. And these changes aren't the finish line — we have an entirely new elite program to learn in 2027.

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 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.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees)