Although the third largest carrier by passenger volume (ahead of legacy United Airlines), Southwest Airlines not really a carrier most would associate with elite status. There’s no first class, no assigned seating, not even a whole lot of fees that could be waived if they wanted to.
One of the longstanding benefits of Rapid Rewards was that you could purchase any ticket with points; there were no blackout dates, which wasn’t always true of traditional loyalty programs from legacy carriers. With increasing monetization of those competing programs this is no longer much of a benefit of Rapid Rewards. I’ll refer you to my earlier article about the difference between loyalty and rewards programs.
United, American, Delta, and even Alaska Airlines will let you book pretty much any flight with miles. It may not be available at their cheapest award level, but then again Southwest won’t give you a discount either. More expensive flights booked closer to departure tend to cost more no matter which program you use. In this regard Southwest is no longer unique.
Where Rapid Rewards does excel is in its transparency. It is a very explicit revenue-based program. You earn points based on how much you spend and redeem them at a specific dollar value for the flights you want. There are no upgrades available or partner airlines to game your strategy.
How to Earn Qualifying Points and Segments
You can achieve Rapid Rewards elite status using either tier qualifying points or segments. Points can be accrued either by purchasing paid flights or using your Southwest co-branded credit card. Tier qualifying points from travel depend on which type of fare you purchase.
The cheapest “Wanna Get Away” fares will earn 6 points per dollar, while the most expensive “Business Select” fares will earn 12 points per dollar, with “Anytime” fares in between at 10 points per dollar. You’ll see the exact amount of tier qualifying points displayed online when you book your flight to avoid any confusion. Points are earned on base fares only, excluding government-mandated fees. (There’s also a new Wanna Get Away Plus fare, but it’s not for sale yet.)
In addition, you can earn tier qualifying points from spend on a certain Southwest credit cards (the Rapid Rewards Plus version does not earn tier qualifying points). Every $10,000 you spend earns 1,500 tier qualifying points with no cap. You could potentially make good progress toward elite status with credit cards alone, just like in the new American AAdvantage program.
Note that any bonus points you earn from every day spend, elite status, or most partners won’t count as tier qualifying points but will help you book an award flight that much sooner.
Qualification Criteria for Elite Status
Southwest’s two elite tiers require either 35,000 or 70,000 tier qualifying points. You can also qualify with flight segments instead, completing either 25 or 50 paid flights. Points reset each year on January 1, following a standard calendar schedule. When you earn status or a Companion Pass you’ll enjoy the benefits fro the rest of that year plus all of the next year.
| A-List | A-List Preferred | Companion Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier Qualifying Points | 35,000 | 70,000 | n/a |
| Companion Pass Qualifying Points | n/a | n/a | 125,000 |
| Qualifying Segments | 25 | 50 | 100 |
The Southwest Companion Pass is sort of separate from elite status, as it doesn’t confer any actual benefits aside from a free companion when you book a trip. It also has a separate category of points that are separate from Tier Qualifying Points. You’ll need 125,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points or 100 segments to earn the Companion Pass. More details at the end about how these qualifying points are separate from tier qualifying points.
Benefits of Southwest Rapid Rewards Elite Status
Southwest doesn’t offer first class, and it doesn’t charge for checked baggage, so there isn’t a whole lot that it can offer to members who earn elite status. However, priority boarding does make it a whole lot easier to get your preferred aisle or window seat on the plane without worrying about being first to check in. You can also benefit from free same-day standby on an earlier flight without having to pay the difference in fare.
Often when people seek status in Rapid Rewards, what they’re really after is the Companion Pass. You and a designated companion can travel for the whole year while paying for only one person (the companion still pays taxes and fees). This is potentially thousands of dollars in savings depending on your travel habits.
A-List Benefits
- Automatic priority boarding, providing better access to your preferred seat
- 25% bonus on redeemable points
- Free same-day standby (excluding flights booked with points)
A-List Preferred Benefits
- Automatic priority boarding, providing better access to your preferred seat
- 100% bonus on redeemable points
- Free same-day standby (excluding flights booked with points)
- Free inflight WiFi
Companion Pass Benefits
- Designate one person who may book a free flight (excluding taxes and fees) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight
- Your Companion Pass benefits last for the rest of this year plus all of next year
What Counts toward the Companion Pass?
Since it’s an important benefit, it bears further discussion which points count toward earning the Companion Pass and which do not. You can earn tier qualifying points toward the Companion Pass with nearly any activity such as booking flights, booking hotel and car rental reservations through Southwest’s travel portal, purchases through Southwest’s shopping portal, or using a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card (including bonus points).
Note that this list of qualifying points is somewhat more expansive than the ways you can earn tier qualifying points for A-List and A-List Preferred status. You can actually earn most of the miles needed for a companion pass just from credit cards if you include the sign up bonuses, which count as Companion Pass qualifying points but not tier qualifying points.
Southwest is very clear about what doesn’t count toward earning the Companion Pass:
The following do not count as Companion Pass qualifying points: purchased points; points transferred between Members; points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards®, Valued Opinions, and Diners Club®; points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment; tier bonus points; flight bonus points; and partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase). No points nor tier or Companion Pass qualifying points will be awarded for flights taken by the Companion when flying on a Companion Pass reservation.
