How to earn, redeem, and maximize Southwest points in 2022

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Ashlee D. Smith/Southwest Airlines

• The Southwest Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program makes it easy to earn and redeem Southwest points.
• You can earn points from flying, co-branded credit cards, travel and retail partners, or transferring from other programs.
• Redemption options include Southwest flights, hotels, car rentals, gift cards, and more.
• Read Insider’s guide to the best travel rewards credit cards.

With flights to over 100 destinations throughout the US, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Aruba, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic, it’s possible to use Southwest points for truly epic vacations without having to worry about spending more than the taxes and fees. 

With perks like the highly coveted Companion Pass, points that never expire, and unlimited award availability, Southwest Rapid Rewards is a solid airline loyalty program thanks to its strong co-branded credit cards and connections to other travel rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Here’s everything you need to know about earning, redeeming, and maximizing your Southwest points.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

How to earn Southwest points

If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need to sign up for a free Southwest Rapid Rewards account in order to earn and redeem points. The more points you earn, the more you’ll be able to save on flights, hotels, car rentals, dining, and other travel expenses.

According to Insider’s valuations, Southwest points are worth an average of 1.4 cents each, which is a good value when you consider how easy it is to redeem them without having to worry about blackout dates, expiration, or award availability.

Be aware that while there are many ways to earn Southwest points, like booking qualifying flights with the airline, spending with a co-branded credit card, or making purchases through Rapid Rewards partners, not all points can be counted toward earning A-List or A-List Preferred elite status or the Southwest Companion Pass. 

Non-qualifying points include:

• Purchased points
• Points transferred from other Rapid Rewards members, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Diners Club
• Points converted from other loyalty programs (hotels, car rental companies, online surveys)
• Tier, flight, or partner bonus points

Sign up for a co-branded Southwest Airlines credit card

The fastest way to accrue Southwest points is by signing up for one of the carrier’s co-branded personal or small-business credit cards. Each comes with a lucrative welcome bonus that will give you a great head start toward building your points balance. There are three personal cards and two business cards to choose from.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a great choice if you’re just starting out, with a welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It comes with perks like 3,000 bonus points on your account anniversary (worth about $42 based on Insider’s valuations), two EarlyBird check-ins per year, and 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.

With an annual fee of $69, you’ll also earn 2x points on Southwest flights, bookings with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and rideshares, and cable, phone, internet, and select streaming services, plus 1 point per dollar for all other purchases.

Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card review

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Offering the same welcome bonus, points-earning opportunities, and perks as the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has an annual fee of $99 and ups your earnings to 3x points on Southwest purchases.

You’ll also receive 6,000 bonus points on each card anniversary (worth around $84 in Southwest airfare) and be able to earn Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) to put toward earning A-List elite status.

Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card review

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card comes with many of the same features as the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, including the same welcome bonus, 25% back on inflight Wi-Fi and drinks purchases, and the chance to earn TQPs toward A-List elite status.

It throws in extras like 7,500 bonus points on each card anniversary (worth about $105 in Southwest flights), a $75 Southwest travel credit per year, and four upgraded boardings to use per year (based on availability). The annual fee is $149 and you’ll have the same earning opportunities as the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.

Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card review

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

With an annual fee of $99, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card offers 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. It also comes with 6,000 Southwest points on your card anniversary, (worth around $84 in Southwest airfare), two EarlyBird check-ins per year, up to $500 annually in fee credits (for points transfers), 25% back for inflight Wi-Fi and drinks purchases, and the ability to earn TQPs toward elite status.

Cardholders also earn 3x points on Southwest flights as well as 2x points for each dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, on local transit or rideshares, and 1 point per dollar spent elsewhere.

Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card review

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Ideal for frequent business travelers and with an annual fee of $199, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card comes with a welcome bonus of  80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Other perks include 9,000 anniversary points (worth about $126 in Southwest flights), up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits annually, a $100 credit every four years to use toward Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check, up to $500 annually in fee credits (for points transfers), four upgraded boardings per year (based on availability), and the ability to earn tier-qualifying points toward elite status.

Cardholders also earn 4x points on Southwest flights, 3x points per dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners, 2x points on local transit and ridesharing services, advertising via social media and search engines, and cable, phone, and internet services, plus 1 point per dollar spent elsewhere.

Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card review

Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest

Those who prefer flexible rewards can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio since the airline is one of Chase’s transfer partners. You can earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points by opening one of these Chase travel credit cards:

You can also transfer points to any of the Chase cards mentioned above from no-annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, or Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, then move them to Southwest Rapid Rewards at the same 1:1 ratio.

Transfer points from Diners Club or hotel loyalty programs

Diners Club members can also transfer Club Rewards points to Southwest — 1,500 Club Rewards points, for instance, would convert to 1,200 Southwest points. It’s also possible to redeem points earned through participating hotel loyalty programs if you’d rather put them toward flights than hotel stays, though redemption rates are pretty low:

• 5,000 Best Western Rewards points = 1,200 Southwest points
• 6,000 Choice Privileges points = 1,800 Southwest points
• 2,000 Radisson Rewards America points = 200 Southwest points
• 50,000 Radisson Rewards America points = 5,000 Southwest points
• 100,000 Radisson Rewards America points = 10,000 Southwest points
• 9,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 3,000 Southwest points
• 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 10,000 Southwest points
• 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 20,000 Southwest points
• 90,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 30,000 Southwest points
• 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 40,000 Southwest points
• 5,000 World of Hyatt points = 2,400 Southwest points
• 50,000 World of Hyatt points = 24,000 Southwest points

Note that World of Hyatt throws in an additional 6,000 Southwest points as long as you’re a member, while Marriott Bonvoy adds 5,000 Southwest points for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred to an airline.

Fly with Southwest to earn more points and elite status

The more you fly with Southwest, the more points you’ll earn, especially since each of the carrier’s three ticket categories lets you earn different amounts of points. You’ll reach A-List status by flying 25 one-way qualifying flights or earning 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points in a calendar year, providing access to priority boarding, check-in, and security lanes, same-day standby seats, and 25% earning bonuses.

A-List Preferred status can be reached by flying 50 one-way qualifying flights or earning 70,000 TQPs in a calendar year, giving you access to the same benefits as A-List status, plus complimentary inflight Wi-Fi and 100% earning bonuses.

Speaking of earning bonuses, those without any status can earn 12x points by booking Business Select fares, 10x points for Anytime fares, 8x points for Wanna Get Away Plus fares, and 6x points for Wanna Get Away fares. For instance, a $220 Business Select fare would yield 2,640 Southwest points, while a $200 Anytime ticket would yield 2,000 Southwest points, and a $100 Wanna Get Away ticket would yield 600 Southwest points.

Rapid Rewards members with A-List status, meanwhile, have higher points-earning potential with 15x points on Business Select fares, 12.5x points on Anytime fares, 10x points on Wanna Get Away Plus fares, and 7.5x points per dollar on Wanna Get Away fares. You could potentially earn 3,300 points on a $220 Business Select fare, 2,500 points on a $200 Anytime fare, or 750 points on a $100 Wanna Get Away fare.

Those with A-List Preferred status can earn even more points — 24x points for Business Select fares, 20x points for Anytime fares, 16x points for Wanna Get Away Plus fares, and 12x points for Wanna Get Away fares — meaning you could earn 5,280 points for a $220 Business Select ticket, 4,000 points for a $200 Anytime ticket, or 1,200 points for a $100 Wanna Get Away ticket.

Book hotels and rental cars with Southwest’s travel partners

You can earn from 1 point per dollar (up to 10,000 points) by booking overnight stays through Southwest Hotels, or up to 10,000 Southwest points per night by booking your trip through Rocketmiles. Southwest also partners with Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels, Radisson Rewards America — which lets you earn a whopping 20 Radisson points per dollar — World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and MGM Resorts International, providing plenty of options to redeem Southwest points for free hotel stays all over the world.

If you’re a member of Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, or MGM Resorts International’s M Life Rewards, remember to add your Rapid Rewards number to your account if you want to earn Southwest points instead of hotel points on paid stays (you’ll have to choose one or the other).

There’s also a chance to earn 600 Southwest points by booking car rentals through Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty, which also lets you earn 600 points if you’ve parked three times at a Thrifty airport parking location within a 12-month period. Use Southwest Rapid Rewards discount number CDP205418 when booking with Hertz to score access to extra perks like discounts of up to 30%.

Those fond of road trips can earn Southwest points by signing up for Marathon’s MakeItCount Rewards, which saves you 5 cents per gallon of fuel purchased through its gas stations nationwide. You’ll also earn 1 point for every gallon and bonus points on select items purchased in the store.

Book packages through Southwest Vacations

You can rack up Southwest points by booking flight and hotel, flight and car rental packages, or other travel activities through Southwest Vacations. There are often limited-time promotions, deep discounts, perks like complimentary breakfast, and resort credits to use during your stay.

Earn Southwest points through Rapid Rewards Dining

Join Rapid Rewards Dining and you can earn 3 points per dollar spent at participating restaurants and bars near you — you’ll only earn 1 point for every 2 dollars spent if you don’t sign up to receive emails. New members who spend at least $25 dining out and complete a restaurant review within the first 30 days can snag a 1,000-point bonus.

Reviewing restaurants earns you 10 points a pop, while you’ll score 500 bonus points once you reach 1,500 points, plus 300 additional points each time you hit the 1,000-point mark.

Utilize Rapid Rewards Shopping and other retail partnerships

When you indulge in some much-needed retail therapy through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal, you’ll get access to coupons, deals, and bonus points at more than 850 online retail stores like Apple, Macy’s, and Old Navy.

For example, you can earn 1,000 Southwest points by purchasing gourmet flower arrangements and gifts over $29.99 (before shipping and taxes) from 1-800-Flowers before December 31, 2022. Enter promo code RR22 and provide your Southwest Rapid Rewards account number at check-out to receive the bonus — the same goes for purchases made from Harry & David when you use promo code SW44.

Other retail partnerships we’ve seen have included:

• Wine delivery service Laithwaites: Earn 2,000 Southwest points when you join the wine club, plus two extra bottles, two Dartington Crystal stemless wine glasses, and 1,000 bonus points on future shipments. You’ll also earn 3x points on any non-club purchases made through the website.
• Home Chef: Save 10% and get healthy ready-to-cook meals sent straight to your front door. Earn up to 6,000 Southwest points — 1,200 bonus points for each of your first five shipments.
• Emergency Assistance Plus: Earn 1,200 Southwest points each year you’re a member. This service provides medical evacuation and assistance, as well as transportation home, companion assistance, and other emergency services should you ever need them while traveling.
• Rapid Rewards members living in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Illinois can earn 10,000 points by switching to NRG, as well as 2x points per dollar on their energy bill.
• Texas residents who sign up for the Reliant 24 Secure plan receive 15,000 Southwest points on top of the 500 points per month they’ll earn over 24 months, for a total of 27,000 points.

Keep an eye out for bonus points promotions

Check the Southwest Airlines website often to see which partners are offering special points bonus promotions throughout the year. You may end up scoring extra points for booking car rentals, hotel stays, and Southwest Vacations packages, among other current bonus offerings.

Earn Southwest points by taking online surveys

You can earn points by taking online surveys through E-Rewards — $15 worth of E-Rewards yields 300 Southwest points, $25 worth of E-Rewards yields 600 Southwest points, $50 worth of E-Rewards yields 1,200 Southwest points, and $100 worth of E-Rewards yields 2,400 Southwest points.

Rewards for Opinions also gives you 500 bonus points for signing up and doing your first survey within 90 days. Keep in mind the points earned from these won’t go toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass or achieving A-List or A-List Preferred status.

Score bonus points by buying them through Southwest

If you’re a few points shy of your goal, you can always purchase more at the going rate is $60 for 2,000 points. Be on the lookout for specials or bonus promotions that offer an even bigger bang for your buck, Note that points must be purchased in increments of 1,000 and there is a daily purchase limit of 60,000 points.

Southwest also offers a points subscription program that lets you pay a certain amount each month for points and provides quarterly bonuses. The 30K plan, which yields 1,875 points per month and 7,500 bonus points per year, costs $51.56 per month. The 40K plan, which yields 2,333 points per month and 12,000 bonus points per year, costs $64.16 per month. The 80K plan, which yields 4,333 points per month and 28,000 bonus points per year, costs $119.16 per month. 

How to redeem Southwest points

Use Southwest points for flights in the US and abroad

Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway, family vacation, dream honeymoon, or an epic solo trip, Southwest points can be used to book flights around the US as well as 10 other countries throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Here’s a look at some sample redemption options for non-stop, roundtrip Wanna Get Away fares in March 2022:

• New York (LGA) to Los Angeles (LAX), from 11,332 points
• San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL), from 15,598 points
• Baltimore (BWI) to Aruba (AUA), from 24,734 points
• Chicago (MDW) to Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD), from 19,422 points
• Denver (DEN) to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR), from 24,734 points 
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS), from 5,644 points

Note that Southwest does not have any airline partnerships and does not belong to any airline alliance, though the carrier does offer excellent perks like points that never expire, no blackout dates, two free checked bags, and unlimited award availability, making it a valuable choice for your next flight.

Qualify for a Southwest Companion Pass

To get the Southwest Companion Pass, you must earn 125,000 qualifying Southwest points or fly 100 eligible one-way flights, each of which must happen within a calendar year. After that point, a friend or family member can tag along with you for free (less the price of taxes and fees) whenever you book a paid or award flight.

Best of all, if you plan the timing of it just right, by earning it in January, for instance, you’ll have the rest of the year as well as the following year to use it, effectively giving you two years to take advantage of this amazing perk.

Redeem Southwest points for hotels, car rentals, gift cards, and more

Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card members have exclusive access to the More Rewards portal, which lets you use Southwest points to shop for hotels and resort stays, rental cars, tours, shows, concerts, and other events and experiences, as well as gift cards, beauty products, fashion jewelry, and merchandise you may not want to pay cash for.

Transfer Southwest points to a friend or donate them to charity

If you have more than 2,000 Southwest points in your account, you can transfer them to other Rapid Rewards members, though they must be transferred in increments of 1,000 points and there’s a 60,000-point daily limit. Note that there’s a transfer fee of $5 for every 500 points transferred, so this is not a good deal.

You can also donate Southwest points to worthy causes like Team Rubicon, the Student Conservation Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Polaris, the Honor Flight Network, the United Negro College Fund, or the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

Kaeli Conforti

Freelance Writer

Kaeli Conforti is a travel and credit cards expert who writes about the many ways you can maximize loyalty points and airline miles to enhance your travel experience.
Before her nearly 2.5-year stint as a digital nomad in Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Kaeli was the senior editor at The Points Guy, where she covered all things related to traveling with points and miles and discovered a deep appreciation for credit cards and loyalty programs, especially the many ways cardholders can use their benefits to travel the world for less. Before that, she was the digital editor at Budget Travel. 
Kaeli’s writing has been featured by Forbes, Thrillist, CNN Travel, NBC News Travel, Fox News Travel, Yahoo Travel, and Huffington Post Travel. She also updated the Outback chapter of the Fodor’s Essential Australia guidebook, a feat that resulted in an epic two-month solo road trip through the Northern Territory and remote parts of Western Australia. Follow along with all her travel adventures on Instagram, Twitter, and KaeliTravels.com.

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