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Southwest Airlines was long known for policies such as no change fees and complimentary checked bags.
But the airline has changed significantly over the past couple of years, introducing assigned seating, checked bag fees and new fare types while expanding its international reach through a growing network of interline partners.
Southwest Rapid Rewards points remain straightforward to earn and redeem, though, and the program still offers one of the most valuable airline loyalty perks around: the awesome Southwest Companion Pass.
Here’s what you need to know about earning, redeeming and maximizing Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
Southwest Rapid Rewards program overview
Like Southwest Airlines itself, the Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program has amassed a loyal following. Despite not having a standard award chart or being part of an airline alliance, Rapid Rewards’ promise of no blackout dates and the ability to earn Southwest’s famous Companion Pass make it an excellent choice for couples, families and those with not-so-flexible schedules.
Last year, Southwest adjusted award prices to make them more “variable,” as opposed to tying the award price to the cash value. In our testing, we’ve found that depending on the date of and demand for your flight, you can get as little as 1.1 cents or as much as 1.7 cents per point in value.
TPG values Rapid Rewards points at 1.25 cents per point in our October 2026 valuations, meaning 10,000 points should give you around $125 in value.
Southwest Rapid Rewards points don’t expire, so you don’t need to maintain regular account activity to keep them. However, if you close your Rapid Rewards account, you’ll lose any remaining points.
Southwest elite status
Southwest offers two elite status tiers: A-List and A-List Preferred.
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Southwest A-List elite status
To qualify for A-List status, you must fly 20 qualifying one-way Southwest flights or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year.
For the 2026 qualification, tier qualifying points are earned primarily from qualifying revenue flights, eligible spending on select Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards and eligible Getaways by Southwest bookings. Rapid Rewards partner points (other than tier qualifying points earned on eligible Southwest credit cards), transferred points, purchased points, enrollment points, reward flights, Companion Pass travel and most bonus points, including tier bonus points, flight bonus points and credit card welcome bonuses, don’t count toward A-List or A-List Preferred qualification.
Members now earn tier qualifying points on the cash portion of flights booked using Southwest’s Cash + Points option.
You can also earn:
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Purchased points, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, partner points, and points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment and credit card bonuses do not count toward A-List or A-List Preferred status.
With Southwest A-List status, you’ll get the following:
- Complimentary preferred or standard seat at the time of booking; choose an extra-legroom seat within 48 hours of departure for no additional cost (if available)
- One free checked bag
- Group 1 boarding
- A 25% bonus on points earned from paid flights
- Free same-day standby, even on Basic fares (taxes and fees may apply)
- Priority check-in and security lane access
- Access to a dedicated A-List member phone line
Southwest A-List Preferred elite status
A-List Preferred status requires you to fly 40 qualifying one-way Southwest flights or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year. You’ll receive all the benefits of A-List status, as well as:
- Complimentary seat selection at the time of booking, including extra-legroom seats
- Two free checked bags
- Dedicated boarding before Group 1
- A 100% bonus on points earned from paid flights
- Two free premium drinks on select flights over 250 miles
Related: Southwest A-List status: What it is and how to earn it
How to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points
There are a few ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points — and some don’t even require flying.
Earn points by flying
You can earn Rapid Rewards points every time you fly on a paid Southwest Airlines flight. The number of points you’ll earn depends on the cost of your flight, your elite status, the type of ticket and your payment method.
Under Southwest’s current fare structure, Basic fares earn 2 points per dollar spent on the base fare; Choice fares earn 6 points per dollar; Choice Preferred fares earn 10 points per dollar; and Choice Extra fares earn 14 points per dollar. A-List members receive a 25% bonus on qualifying flight earnings, while A-List Preferred members receive a 100% bonus.
You can also earn Rapid Rewards points on Southwest-operated flights booked through Icelandair, Southwest’s first international airline partner, as long as you add your Rapid Rewards number to the booking. These points count toward A-List and Companion Pass qualification. Southwest’s other interline partnerships, including EVA Air, don’t currently let you earn or redeem Rapid Rewards points.
Earn points with Southwest credit cards
Southwest Airlines has several cobranded credit cards issued by Chase.
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Southwest also offers the following business cards:
Additionally, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.
Other ways to earn Rapid Rewards points include via Rapid Rewards Dining and Rapid Rewards Shopping purchases, booking stays through Southwest Hotels and making purchases with other partners.
Check out our overall guide on the different ways you can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points to learn more.
Related: How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards
Buy Rapid Rewards points
You can also purchase Rapid Rewards points directly from Southwest if you need to top off your account for an award. The minimum purchase is 2,000 points, and Southwest currently allows you to buy up to 60,000 points per day for yourself or as a gift. Points usually cost 3 cents each, though the program runs promotions from time to time to reduce this price.
Purchased points don’t count toward A-List, A-List Preferred or Companion Pass qualification.
How to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points
There are several ways to redeem your points, but you’ll almost always get the most value if you use them for travel on Southwest flights. Other redemption options, like gift cards and merchandise, yield much less value.
The process for redeeming Rapid Rewards points for flights is largely the same as booking a paid flight. Head to the Southwest homepage, enter your search criteria and select the “Points” option. Click the yellow search button to see your flight options.
You’ll see award pricing to the right of each available flight. You can filter flights by the number of layovers and departure times using the buttons at the top of the page. Then, click the ticket price for your desired flight and follow the onscreen prompts to book.
Which fare type should I choose?
You can redeem points for flights in any of the four Southwest fare types. The least-expensive option, Basic, is a good value for many travelers, though it’s restrictive, and standard seats are generally assigned at check-in unless your elite status or an eligible Southwest credit card provides earlier seat selection. Cash Basic fares are nonrefundable outside Southwest’s 24-hour cancellation policy, so canceling one gets you a flight credit rather than a refund. Flight changes require you to upgrade to Choice, Choice Preferred or Choice Extra first.
Choice fares are slightly more flexible, with free same-day confirmed changes and standby. Additionally, if you need to cancel your flight, flight credits can be transferred to another person. But the real benefit is that you’ll be able to pick a standard seat when booking your flight.
Choice Preferred fares have the same benefits as Choice fares but with the added bonus of preferred seats, early boarding and expedited security at select airports. And, if an extra-legroom seat is available 48 hours prior to departure, you’re able to pick that seat without paying a premium. Additionally, these fares are fully refundable.
Extra-legroom seats are not complimentary with Choice Preferred fares. They can be purchased, if available, unless you have a separate benefit, such as an eligible elite status or Southwest credit card, that provides complimentary access.
Choice Extra fares are the most expensive, offering two main added benefits: complimentary extra-legroom seats at the time of booking and two free checked bags. You’ll also receive a free alcoholic drink on board (on select flights over 250 miles).
Flight credits now expire based on your fare class. Basic fare credits will expire within six months (and are nontransferable and nonextendable), while Choice fare credits will expire within 12 months.
Southwest cardholders get their first checked bag free on each of the airline’s cards. This benefit applies to the primary cardholder and up to eight travelers flying on the same reservation, though it doesn’t apply to flights booked with a partner airline. All cardholders can also select a seat in some capacity, even if they’re flying on a Basic fare.
Can I change Southwest award tickets for free?
You can cancel Southwest award tickets for free.
Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares can also be changed without a change fee. If your new award costs more, you’ll pay the difference in points. If it costs less, Southwest will return the points difference to your account.
Basic fares are an exception: To change a Basic booking, you must first upgrade the fare to Choice, Choice Preferred or Choice Extra. Alternatively, you can cancel the Basic award and rebook, subject to Southwest’s cancellation and no-show rules.
Do I have to pay taxes and fees on award tickets?
You must pay certain taxes and fees when booking Southwest award tickets, starting at $5.60 one-way. If you cancel your award flight, the fee will be refunded to your payment method.
For more details, check out our guide on how to redeem your Southwest points.
How can I get the most value from my Rapid Rewards points?
Because Southwest’s award prices vary, flexibility can help you reduce the number of points needed for a flight. One useful starting point is Southwest’s Low Fare Calendar, which displays the lowest available fare for each day across a month. If your dates are flexible, compare nearby travel days before booking.
After booking, keep checking the award price. For Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares, if the price falls, you can change to the lower-priced fare and have the difference in points returned to your Rapid Rewards account. Basic award fares can’t simply be changed, but you can cancel and rebook if the fare rules allow.
Finally, the Companion Pass (described below) can be the biggest way to stretch your Rapid Rewards points.
Maximize your points with the Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass is undoubtedly one of the most valuable perks of the Rapid Rewards program. After earning the pass, you can choose a companion to travel with you for just the cost of taxes and fees on any Southwest flight you book. You can use the Companion Pass on as many flights as you’d like, effectively doubling the value of your Rapid Rewards points.
You can earn a Companion Pass by flying 100 one-way flight segments with Southwest or earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Qualifying points include Rapid Rewards points earned from flying, credit card welcome bonuses, spending on Southwest credit cards and the Southwest debit card, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners, including hotel and car rental partners, and purchases made via Rapid Rewards Dining and/or Rapid Rewards Shopping. Bonus points from partners don’t count.
Related: I’ve earned the Southwest Companion Pass for over a decade — here’s how I maximize its value
Unfortunately, point transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt do not count toward the Companion Pass.
Before adding your companion to a reservation, you must book your own Southwest flight. The Companion Pass can’t be used with Getaways by Southwest vacation packages.
You can only designate one companion at a time, but you can change your companion three times per year. You can change your companion through your Southwest account, but you’ll need to cancel any existing reservations that include your current companion first. According to the airline, allow up to 48 hours for the change to take effect, but in our experience, it happens immediately. Remember that your companion will not earn Rapid Rewards points on their flight, but you will still earn points if you fly on a paid ticket.
Your Companion Pass will be valid for the remainder of the year in which it’s earned and the entirety of the following year (unless you earn the pass through a special promotion).
Related: How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass
Bottom line
Southwest Rapid Rewards points are easy to earn and redeem, and the incredibly valuable Companion Pass sets Southwest apart from other airlines. Don’t miss your fast track to a Companion Pass with the right cobranded credit card.
However, with checked bag fees, assigned seating, four fare bundles and more variable award pricing, understanding the rules of your fare is more important than it once was. Flexible travelers can still stretch their points by using the Low Fare Calendar, comparing departure times and checking prices again after booking.
