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Southwest Rapid Rewards is unique among U.S. airline frequent flyer programs. More than that, the airline itself is one-of-a-kind, using a unique boarding process that is either loved or despised, depending on who you ask. Polarizing issues aside, Southwest does have some exciting features. The airline is famous for comparatively generous customer policies like zero change/cancellation fees, two free checked bags per passenger, zero award blackout dates, and points that never expire.
Perhaps the most unique (and valuable) attribute of the Rapid Rewards program is its famous Companion Pass. This industry-leading “buy one, get one free” perk allows members to bring a companion on every trip, paying only the taxes and fees!
Unfortunately, Southwest Rapid Rewards doesn't come without trade-offs. Southwest is mainly a domestic carrier, offering only a limited number of international routes in/around North America. Additionally, it isn't a member of an airline alliance and doesn't even interline with other carriers. You can't use your points for travel on any other airlines if you don't hold a Southwest Airlines credit card. Combine this with Southwest's aforementioned controversial boarding process, and it's safe to say that the airline has its fair share of critics.
That said, with realistic expectations and an inclination toward domestic travel, Southwest Rapid Rewards can be an excellent frequent flyer program. In fact, in our opinion, it's one of the easiest loyalty programs to maximize. We'll show you why in this complete guide to Southwest's Rapid Rewards Program.
Page Contents
- Overview of Southwest Rapid Rewards
- How To Sign Up for Rapid Rewards
- Best Ways To Earn Rapid Rewards Points
- Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
- Transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy
- Earn points flying Southwest
- Southwest promos
- Southwest Hotels
- Southwest hotel partners
- Rapid Rewards rental car partners
- Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal
- Rapid Rewards Dining
- Shopping, dining & lifestyle partners
- Purchase Southwest Rapid Rewards points
- Can you transfer points between members?
- How To Use Southwest Points
- Southwest Fees, Rules & Restrictions
- The Fabled Southwest Companion Pass
- Southwest Elite Status
- Bottom Line
- Southwest Rapid Rewards FAQ
Overview of Southwest Rapid Rewards
Established in 1967, Southwest Airlines is a big name in the U.S. travel market. In 2022, it flew 126.6 million passengers to over 120 destinations, making it the world's largest low-cost carrier and the largest airline in the U.S. by the number of passengers flown. The airline flies nearly 18% of the U.S. domestic passenger market.
Southwest is unique on several counts. For starters, it doesn't partner or codeshare with any other carriers — at all. Never mind not being part of an alliance. 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.
At least you don't have to worry about being nickel-and-dimed with Southwest. The carrier offers every passenger two free checked bags and doesn't charge change fees — ever. You also 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 was using one. The number of points required for an award redemption is also revenue-based — meaning it's dependent on the fare price. If you're unfamiliar, check out our guide to the types of points for more on this concept. 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 Rapid Rewards
In order to earn 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.
Manually track Southwest Rapid Rewards in AwardWallet
We encourage everyone to sign up for AwardWallet 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.
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.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2X 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.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Member FDIC
- 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
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 6,000 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.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- 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
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 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
- 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.
- Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
- Earn 2X points on rideshare.
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Member FDIC
- 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
- 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
- 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 one (or two) 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 could fly two for the price of one in no time at all.
Related: Current Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card Offers
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.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Points: 1:1 transfer ratio (transfers instantly)
- Marriott Bonvoy Points: 3:1 transfer ratio with a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 Bonvoy points transferred (transfers take 1–2 days)
Given Marriott's less-than-stellar transfer ratio and processing time, your best bet is to transfer Ultimate Rewards to Southwest…maybe. That being said, since Southwest Rapid Rewards uses a revenue-based redemption system, you won't get the same value out of your Chase points with Southwest as you could with other partners. The value you get when redeeming your Rapid Rewards points is relatively narrow.
Related: When Should You Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest?
But 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® 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:
- FromToTransfer RatioMin.TransferAverage TimeBest Western Rewards➔➔Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards)5,000:1,200-UnknownChoice Hotels (Choice Privileges)➔➔Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards)6,000:1,800-UnknownDiners Club (Club Rewards)➔➔Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards)1,500:1,200-UnknownHyatt (World of Hyatt)➔➔Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards)1,250:600Bonus for transferring 50,000+ points5,000UnknownRadisson Hotel Group (Radisson Rewards)➔➔Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards)2,000:200-Unknown
Earn points flying Southwest
When you fly a Southwest itinerary booked with cash (or via the Ultimate Rewards 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.
| Southwest Point Earnings by Fare Class | Rapid Rewards Member | A-List | A-List Preferred |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanna Get Away | 6 points per dollar | 7.5 pts per dollar | 12 pts per dollar |
| Wanna Get Away Plus | 8 points per dollar | 10 pts per dollar | 16 pts per dollar |
| Anytime | 10 points per dollar | 12.5 pts per dollar | 20 pts per dollar |
| Business Select | 12 points per dollar | 15 pts per dollar | 24 pts per dollar |
Likewise, the higher your status, the more points you earn per dollar spent. That means that the highest earn 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 7,200 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 on Southwest Airlines
- Bonus Southwest Points on Card Spending on Gas and Other Expenses
- Transfer Bonuses from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards
It's not uncommon for the airline to offer multiple promos at the same time. That's why the ease of earning points is one of our favorite things about the Rapid Rewards program.
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
Besides its own hotel portal, Southwest also maintains working partnerships with five other hotel loyalty programs and an affiliate booking platform with Rocketmiles.com. 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 |
For those hotel partners where you can earn Rapid Rewards directly from stays, you'll need to set your earning preference to Southwest Rapid Rewards. Depending on the program, this can be done in your online hotel account or at check-in.
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 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 5,400 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
- Home Chef: Meal kit company
- NRG: Energy service provider serving IL, MA, MD, NJ, or PA
- Reliant: Energy service provider serving TX
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 2.75–3¢ each. That's up to double the 1.52¢ per point that AwardWallet users get during an average redemption. Consequently, without a promotion, buying Southwest points should be your very last resort.
With a promotion, though, the value proposition improves drastically — although it's still rarely, if ever, worth it. Southwest buy points promotions can occasionally bring the price down to the neighborhood of 1.5¢ per point. While that's not a terrible value, 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 nearly always better to simply buy points for a specific redemption, rather than transfer them.
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 uses dynamic award pricing. As the cash price of tickets fluctuates up and down, so do award prices. However, unlike United and Delta, Southwest also fixes the value of Rapid Rewards points within a narrow range. Depending on the circumstances, this value is anywhere from 1.3¢–1.6¢ per point.
To demonstrate, let's compare the cash and award rates for a short itinerary from San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX). Here are the cash prices:
And this is what those flights cost in points:
For the four different ticket types available, Southwest Rapid Rewards members would receive three different point valuations. If you include the mandatory $5.60 security fee for award tickets in the calculation, the point values come out to these averages:
- Business Select: 1.32¢ per point
- Anytime: 1.39¢ per point
- Wanna Get Away+: 1.49¢ per point
- Wanna Get Away: 1.56¢ per point
Notice that you generally get better value for cheaper fare types. You actually get a better per-point value for cheaper tickets in general. This isn't universally true, but it's a consistent principle I've found to be true in my years of flying Southwest.
This redemption system has pros and cons. The upside: If there's a seat available, you can book it with points. You also never have to worry about whether you're getting a good deal since points are worth roughly the same. The downside: You can't get outsized value for your points — something that is impossible with a fixed-value points currency.
Redeem points for Southwest flights
The best way to use Rapid Rewards points is for Southwest flights. Since Southwest doesn't share flight information with any online travel agency (OTA) or third party, the only place you can look for flight availability is with Southwest directly. 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.
As award prices are tied directly to the cash price, there are no peak or off-peak periods to concern yourself with. Just be aware that when cash prices are high, award prices are as well. 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.
- Rental cars: Use Southwest points to rent a vehicle. Sample rentals I looked at would have gotten less than 0.5¢ per point.
- Exclusive 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 and easy to understand, and the policies are generous compared to other carriers.
- Booking fees: Since the airline limits you to booking through only one of three channels (phone, online/app, or ticket counter), there are no fees associated with making a reservation. 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: 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.
- 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.
Related: Airline Award Ticket Change and Cancellation Policies
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 doesn't offer overnight itineraries, nor does it permit some flights with very short or very long layovers. If the itinerary you're contemplating would require any of these, there's a good chance it's not possible (e.g., Sacramento, California (SMF) to Aruba (AUA) isn't possible using the Route Map tool).
Lastly, there are a few route options that won't display on Southwest.com. If an itinerary you've searched for doesn't populate, try giving the airline a call (800-435-9792). A customer service rep may be able to make it work.
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.
- Wanna Get Away: Southwest's cheapest fare type is ironically the best deal. Here, you'll usually find the best cent-per-point values. The upside is that you also receive benefits other airlines charge a premium for, like free cancellations and checked luggage.
- 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.
- 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.
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. 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
- 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
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Earning a Southwest Companion Pass
Southwest Elite Status
Compared to other airline frequent flyer programs, Southwest's 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 $10,000 spent annually.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 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
- 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
The Southwest Rapid Rewards program works well for many, judging by how popular Southwest Airlines is. Earning and redeeming points is simple, and Southwest offers one of the best deals in domestic travel. You also know what your points are worth and roughly how many you need for a given award. It's also nice to be able to book any available seat as an award. To top things off, Southwest always gives you two free checked bags and lets you make free changes and cancellations up to 10 minutes before departure.
But there are downsides to the program. For one, there is no way to receive outsized value for your points via premium-cabin awards or redeeming a pre-established number of points from the award chart even when ticket costs are high during holidays. Southwest doesn't offer first class and doesn't partner with any other airlines. So you can't redeem your points for long-haul intercontinental travel, either. An affinity for Southwest's unique boarding process is also necessary. Many people can't stand it.
But for the critical things Southwest lacks, there's plenty to love about Southwest Rapid Rewards.
Southwest Rapid Rewards FAQ
Is it free to join Southwest Rapid Rewards?
Yes! Southwest Rapid Rewards is free to join for anyone and everyone.
How do I find my Rapid Rewards member number?
Log into your Rapid Rewards account with your username and password and select "My Account." Your Rapid Rewards member number will be displayed directly under your name.
Can I buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points?
Rapid Rewards members are allowed to buy up to 60,000 Rapid Rewards points per day. However, just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should. See this post for details.
Do Rapid Rewards points expire?
No! Rapid Rewards points never expire as long as your account remains open. You can, however, choose to close it.
How do I earn a Southwest Companion Pass?
To earn a Southwest Companion Pass, you must accumulate 135,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points in a single calendar year. Keep in mind that many other types of points (including credit card sign-up bonuses) count towards qualification. Check out our full guide to using the Southwest Companion Pass here.
Can you transfer points to another Rapid Rewards member?
Yes, you can transfer points — at a cost. Southwest charges a transfer fee of 1¢ per point, which wipes out most of their value.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I used to dismiss Southwest in the past as they were usually much more expensive for a given route than DL/AA, but realize now that they are an excellent airline for positioning flights. I’ll be sure to get in on the LUV for an upcoming pos flight home from an international award redemption.
I’ve been debating whether Southwest is more valuable than Alaska…
Thanks! This was really helpful in planning points accumulation for travel next year. Will likely get a Chase Sapphire card now and then SW cards at the end of the year to go for a companion pass.
When will we ever be able to use points for gift card redemptions again?
Southwest is the plain vanilla of the airline loyalty programs. They give you what they say they would. It is just that the boarding process is indeed an oddity. I wish they could just assign a seat number to each person.
With the addition of the Hawaii flights and several new US destinations, this is a program that continues to add value despite the recent devaluation. It is a useful piece of your points/miles portfolio that enables you to save your AA/DL miles for international trips and not “waste” them on domestic flights where possible.
The points have been way devalued. It used to be that you got a free flight every 8 roundtrips – and when I was in college, they gave me a student account that got me a free flight after 4 roundtrips. Now it seems like I can’t ever afford a free trip anywhere.
I’ve always had a question about Southwest’s Companion Pass:
Being that you need 100,000 points to qualify for it, does it cost you that amount of points to redeem the pass, or is it given to you automatically when you reach that amount of points without spending money or points?
Once you qualify, you can use the Companion Pass on an unlimited basis without spending any points on the pass itself. The only situation where you spend points in conjunction with the companion pass is if you redeem Rapid Rewards to book the flight on which you’ll add a companion. The pass also works for adding a companion to airfare bought with money.
Redeem for More Rewards still Paused. Will it ever return?!
Yes, still paused. I think yes, but time will tell.