Southwest Rapid Rewards: Guide To Earning, Redeeming and Elite Status
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Written by
Meghan Hunter
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Edited by
Emily Gadd, CCC™
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
Southwest Airlines has built a loyal following by doing things differently in an industry where most carriers love to nickel-and-dime you. While the airline has evolved over the years, including recently ending its well-known “Bags Fly Free” policy for most travelers, Southwest still stands out for its no-change-fee policy, straightforward pricing and friendly service.
A key aspect of Southwest’s appeal is its Rapid Rewards program. It has no blackout dates. points that never expire, and a Companion Pass that’s actually attainable. The program is refreshingly simple compared to other airlines’ confusing award charts, and it’s a big reason why millions of people choose to fly Southwest and open Southwest’s airline credit cards.
Here’s everything you need to know about earning and maximizing Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
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What Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Program?
Southwest Rapid Rewards is the airline’s free loyalty program where members earn points on flights and everyday purchases, then use those points for award travel. The program is uncomplicated: If there’s a seat for sale, you can book it with points, without worrying about blackout dates or award charts.
Key features that make Southwest Rapid Rewards stand out:
- Revenue-based earnings: The number of points you earn is determined by the ticket price and fare type, rather than the distance flown.
- Points never expire: Your points will remain available as long as your account is open.
- Flexible cancellations: You can cancel award flights at any time and receive your points back immediately, with no fees.
- Dynamic pricing: The value of points fluctuates based on the cash price of tickets.
- Companion Pass: Earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, and you can bring a companion along for just the cost of taxes and fees on paid and award tickets for as long as your pass is valid.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is particularly valuable for travelers who want to maximize their rewards without navigating complex rules.
How To Earn Southwest Points
There are several ways to rack up Rapid Rewards points, and the savviest travelers use a combination of them all. I’ve tried every earning method out there, and some are more lucrative than others. Let’s break down the main ways to accumulate points:
Flying Southwest
The most straightforward way to earn points is by flying with Southwest Airlines. The number of points you earn is based on several factors, including the ticket price, fare class and your elite status level. Southwest offers various fare types: Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra. Higher-tier fares, such as Choice Extra, earn significantly more points per dollar spent than Basic fares. For instance, Choice Extra fares can earn you 7x the points that Basic fares do.
If you have elite status, you’ll earn bonus points on top of the base earning rate. A-List members get a 25% bonus, while A-List Preferred members enjoy a 100% bonus on every qualifying flight. These bonuses add up quickly if you’re a frequent flyer.
Southwest Co-Branded Credit Cards
This is where things get interesting, and where I’ve earned the bulk of my Southwest points over the years. Chase offers several Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards, and they’re phenomenal for point accumulation. Their welcome bonuses alone can be worth thousands of points and hundreds in flight value.
The best Southwest credit cards include:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
For a comprehensive comparison of all options, check out our guide to the best Southwest credit cards.
Depending on the card you choose, you’ll earn 2 to 4x points on Southwest purchases and 1 to 2x points on everything else, with the more premium versions offering better earning rates. These cards also offer a free first checked bag and complimentary seat selection on Southwest flights.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card cardholders can also earn tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent, which is a great way to work toward elite status even if you’re not flying constantly. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card also comes with benefits that include anniversary bonus points and other perks, while the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card offers solid benefits for a lower annual fee.
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Here’s a pro tip: If you have an eligible Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer those points to Southwest (and other Chase transfer partners) at a 1:1 ratio.
This flexibility is incredibly valuable because it means the rewards you’re earning aren’t locked into Southwest. You can decide where to transfer based on your travel needs. For example, I earned a massive stash of Ultimate Rewards points with my Sapphire Reserve and moved them to Southwest for flights from Portland to Hawaii.
Shopping Portals and Partner Earnings
Southwest has partnerships with over a thousand online retailers through its Rapid Rewards Shopping portal. I wouldn’t advise going out of your way to use this, but when you’re already planning a purchase, it can pay off to click through the portal to earn bonus points. It’s free rewards for shopping you were going to do anyway.
The Rapid Rewards Dining program is similar. After registration, you can earn points for dining at participating restaurants. Southwest also partners with hotel chains and car rental companies, allowing you to earn additional Rapid Rewards points when booking through these partners.
How To Redeem Southwest Points
Here’s where Southwest truly shines. Unlike programs with convoluted award charts, Southwest uses dynamic pricing based on the ticket’s cash cost.
To book an award flight, simply go to Southwest’s website or app, enter your travel details just like you would for a cash booking, and toggle the search to “points” instead of dollars. You’ll see the exact point cost for each available flight displayed right there.
Southwest has fully dynamic pricing for award tickets, meaning the number of points required fluctuates with the ticket’s cash price. I always do a quick calculation: divide the cash price (minus taxes) by the number of points needed to see if I’m getting around 1.3 cents per point.
Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program also makes it easy to cancel or change award bookings. If you need to cancel, your points are returned to your account immediately, and you’ll get a refund of any taxes and fees to your original payment method. With this kind of flexibility, you can book trips without worrying about losing your points if your plans change. This feature has saved me several times when meetings were rescheduled or family emergencies popped up.
When you book with points, you still need to pay taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 one-way for domestic flights. International flights will have higher taxes depending on the destination, but these are clearly displayed during the booking process, so there are no surprises. The taxes are minimal compared to the full cash fare.
Southwest also offers a Cash + Points option for those who don’t have enough points for a full award ticket. You can combine your points with a cash payment to book your flight, providing more flexibility in how you use your rewards. Bookings made with Cash + Points will also earn Rapid Rewards points on the cash portion, helping you rebuild your balance.
Southwest Elite Status
Southwest offers two tiers of elite status: A-List and A-List Preferred. While I’ve never quite hit A-List Preferred, I’ve enjoyed A-List status in the past, and the perks are genuinely helpful, especially priority boarding.
Southwest A-List Elite Status
To qualify for A-List, you need to either fly 20 qualifying one-way flights or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year. Here’s what you get with A-List status:
- 25% earning bonus on every qualifying flight, which accelerates your point accumulation significantly
- Priority boarding for flights through Jan. 26, 2026 (boarding group 5 or better after Jan. 27, 2026, when assigned seating begins)
- Priority check-in and security lane access at participating airports
- Dedicated A-List customer service phone line with shorter wait times
- Same-day standby privileges for earlier flights
- Free same-day confirmed flight changes (subject to availability and fare type)
- One free checked bag (as of May 2025, when Southwest began charging most passengers for checked bags)
The priority boarding alone is worth its weight in gold on Southwest, especially since it’s moving to assigned seating in 2026. Getting to board earlier means you have better seat selection options and guaranteed overhead bin space for your carry-on. No more gate-checking bags or sitting in middle seats.
Southwest A-List Preferred Elite Status
A-List Preferred is the holy grail of Southwest status. You’ll need 40 qualifying one-way flights or 70,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year to achieve this level. It’s a significant commitment, but the benefits are impressive:
- 100% earning bonus on every qualifying flight — essentially double points on all your Southwest spend
- Better priority boarding (group 2 or better after Jan. 27, 2026)
- Two free checked bags instead of one
- All the benefits of A-List status included
- Free same-day confirmed changes for qualifying fare types with better availability
- Priority security and check-in access
That 100% earning bonus is incredible if you’re a frequent Southwest flyer. You’re essentially doubling your return on every dollar you spend on flights. For business travelers or frequent Southwest flyers, this can translate into tens of thousands of extra points per year.
How To Maximize Points With Southwest Companion Pass
The Companion Pass is legitimately one of the best perks in the travel rewards game. My sister earned hers a few years ago. She and her boyfriend took multiple round-trip flights together that year, and he flew for (almost) free on every single one. The value was astronomical.
The Companion Pass allows you to designate one person to fly with you for free, just paying taxes and fees starting at $5.60 per flight, on every Southwest flight you take. This works whether you book with cash or points, and there’s no limit to how many times you can use it while the pass is valid.
To earn the Companion Pass, you need to accumulate 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a single calendar year. The pass is valid for the remainder of the year you earn it in, plus the entire following calendar year. Timing your Companion Pass is key. If you earn it earlier in the year, you can get almost two full years of benefits. If you earn it in December, however, you only get about 13 months.
For example, you can apply for two Southwest credit cards (one personal and one business) toward the end of the year, say in October or November. Then, plan to meet the minimum spending requirements to earn both welcome bonuses at the start of the following calendar year.
Those welcome bonuses alone could earn you upward of 120,000 points, and you could use your everyday purchases to reach the 135,000 threshold. The key is to plan to earn enough points for the Companion Pass at the beginning of the year, so you have nearly two full years of companion benefits.
If you’re taking around six or more round-trip flights per year with a companion, it’s easy to get over $1,000 in value. For families or couples who travel together regularly, this perk alone justifies the effort of earning Southwest points. It’s why Southwest loyalists will go out of their way to fly Southwest, even when other airlines might have slightly better schedules or prices.
It’s also worth noting that you can change your designated travel companion up to three times per calendar year, which is great if you travel with different people throughout the year. Additionally, if you have free checked baggage benefits through your credit card or elite status, those benefits also apply to your companion.
The information related to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About Southwest Rapid Rewards
Do Southwest points expire?
No, Southwest Rapid Rewards points never expire as long as your account remains active. This is one of the program’s best features. You can accumulate points over years without worrying about losing them. Just make sure to keep your account active by earning or redeeming points at least once every few years.
How much are 50,000 Southwest points worth?
Based on current valuations of approximately 1.3 cents per point, 50,000 Southwest points are worth around $650 in flight value. However, the actual value can vary depending on which flights you book and current pricing. Some redemptions might give you slightly more or less value per point.
Can you use Southwest points for hotels?
Yes, you can redeem Southwest points for hotel stays through the Southwest Hotels program. However, you’ll almost always get better value by using points for Southwest flights. Hotel redemptions typically offer significantly lower value per point — sometimes as low as 0.5 to 0.7 cents each, compared to 1.3 cents or more for flights.
How do I get a Southwest Companion Pass?
You can earn the Companion Pass by either flying 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. The fastest way is to earn welcome bonuses with Southwest credit cards, as they count toward the qualifying threshold. The pass is valid for the remainder of the year it’s earned, plus the entire following calendar year.
Can I transfer Southwest points to another person?
Yes, Southwest allows point transfers. You can transfer up to 60,000 points per transaction, but there’s a $10 fee per 1,000 points transferred. These fees add up quickly, but transferring points can be useful if you’re trying to top off someone else’s account for a specific redemption.
