Southwest Rapid Rewards- Crucial Aspects You Must Know

Southwest Airlines is known to offer budget-friendly travel to passengers and flies to almost 121 destinations across the USA and many different countries. It holds the position of the third largest airline in the world, measured by the volume of passengers carried. Its frequent flyer program, Southwest Rapid Rewards, further increases the experience of flying with the airline, providing various benefits to travelers. 

Here, you will learn the significant facts related to rapid reward points, such as ways to earn them and their various benefits. Therefore, ensure to read until the end to elevate your journey. 

Learn the Advantages of Rapid Rewards

By earning rapid reward points, passengers get a lot of benefits, making their journey comfortable. After knowing its various perks, you will surely want to join Southwest Rapid Rewards. 

• Passengers can utilize these points to travel to any destination Southwest flies to and make everyday purchases.
• The rapid reward points of Southwest Airlines never expire unless you decide to close your account permanently. 
• Seats are available for unlimited rewards.
• The members with rapid rewards can redeem their points to book flights or use them to access hotel stays, rental cars, and more. 
• The elimination of blackout dates allows for vast travel options and opportunities.

How to Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points?

There are various ways by which you can earn the Southwest Rapid Rewards. You can choose the one that fits your preference. 

1- By flying with Southwest Airlines

The number of points you can earn while flying depends on the fare type you choose, flight expenditure, status of your tier and the payment method you choose. Passengers can carry two free checked bags weighing 50 pounds. Moreover, if someone wants to cancel their tickets, they can benefit from Southwest Rapid Reward, as they can get full refunds or reusable travel credits. Here is an overview of how many points you can earn in each fare class during a flight.

• Business Select- This fare type allows you to accumulate 12 Southwest Rapid Rewards for every dollar spent.
• Anytime- With this fare type, you have the opportunity to earn ten rapid reward points per $1 spent. 
• Wanna Get Away- Accumulate 6 Rapid Reward points for every dollar you spend for this fare type.
• Wanna Get Away Plus- For every dollar you spend on Wanna Get Away Plus, you will receive eight rapid reward points. 

2- Engaging in transactions using a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card

Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards by Southwest credit card is by far one of the easiest ways to earn points. With a credit card, you will get a welcome bonus that gives you points to contribute toward qualifying for a Companion Pass, which requires earning 135,000 points within a year. Once these requirements are met, you will receive a complimentary Companion Pass, valid for the year and the following year.

3-  Earn points with Southwest partners

Get points by shopping, dining, driving, and more with the Southwest Airlines partners. 

• Hotels- Southwest Airlines partners with Hyatt, Choice Hotels, Marriott, and more. If you choose to stay in one of these hotels, you get a chance to earn rapid reward points.

• Car Rentals- The airlines provide rental cars for passengers. You can earn points for each trip with the partner rental car agency.

• Shop– By shopping through the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping portal, you can earn points at over 800 retailers.

• Dine– the Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining program offers the chance to earn up to 3 points for every dollar spent at participating restaurants and bonus points for submitting reviews.

Purchase, Share, and Donate points

Southwest Airlines allows passengers to manage their Rapid Reward points. If you want, you can purchase more points for your journey. Moreover, you get to share the points with your loved ones or donate them to those who need them. 

Buying Rapid Reward points

If you feel you have less rapid points, you can purchase it by logging into your account. In the manage section, you will find an option to buy the points. Additionally, points can also be purchased while making a flight reservation through the booking process.

You can make a minimum purchase of 1000 points, and the maximum limit is 60,000 points per day. During promotional periods, Rapid Rewards points can be purchased in increments of 1,000, while off promotion, they are available in increments of 500. 

Donating Points 

Passengers can participate in the airline’s Points for a Purpose program, which supports different communities. These sectors involve education, human trafficking awareness, disaster and crisis response, mental health, and more. Simply log into your rapid rewards account and donate points to the area of your preference. 

Transferring or sharing rapid reward points 

You can transfer your points to another member’s account by entering the recipient’s name and rapid reward account number. However, the airline charges a bit extra for this service, so ensure to connect with the officials and gain insights.

Discover additional advantages as a tier and companion pass member

Here, you will learn about the benefits that the members of A-List, A-List Preferred status, and Companion Pass enjoy during the journey. 

A-List Status 

Passengers with an A-list status will enjoy various benefits, which are listed below.

• The airline offers a dedicated A-list member phone line to A-list status passengers.
• Accelerate your journey to the next reward flight by earning more than 25% bonus points on every qualifying flight.
• Travelers will be able to speed up their check-in and security procedures as they will get dedicated lanes at the airport. 
• A- list customers are eligible for a same-day confirmed change at no additional base fare, provided a seat is available on the same calendar day. 
• Enjoy priority boarding with A-tier status. 

Steps to Attain A-List Recognition

You can attain the status of A-List tier by earning  35,000 tier qualifying points in a single calendar year or by flying 20 qualifying one-way flights booked with Southwest. Moreover, with a rapid reward credit card, you can earn 1500 tier points for every expenditure of $5000. 

A-List Preferred Status 

The passengers of A-List preferred status will enjoy the same benefits as that of A-List status. However, there are certain additional perks, which are discussed below.

• The members of A-List Preferred status will get free in-flight WiFi. 
• Indulge in the opportunity to enjoy up to two complimentary premium drinks, offered for each flight that is 176 miles or longer.
• Earn 100% more points with each flight.

Steps to Attain A-List Preferred Recognition

A member must either fly 40 qualifying one-way flights or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points during a year to get the status of A-List Preferred. With eligible Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, individuals can earn 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 in spending.

Companion Pass

With a companion pass, you can bring your loved ones along with you for your next journey. The capability to include a companion on an unlimited number of flights renders this benefit exceptionally valuable.

To qualify for a companion pass, you need to fly 100 one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a single year. When you successfully meet these requirements, the airline will grant you a companion pass that is valid for subsequent calendar years. Moreover, the members can alter their campaigns up to three times within a year. 

How to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards?

Passengers who are members of the Rapid Rewards program or have a Rapid Rewards credit card have various options to redeem their points. You can utilize the points for hotel reservations, flights, gifts, and more. Let us review the different options for which you can utilize the points. 

Book flights with Rapid reward points

Here is how you can book a flight using the points of the Rapid Rewards program. The airline allows passengers to reserve their flights using cash+points, enabling them to use their points with other forms of payment. 

1- Firstly, you will have to log in to your account for a rapid reward through the airline’s official website.

2- Now, fill in your flight details, following which you will be able to view the fare information in points.

3- Choose your flight and review the pricing and schedule information.

4- With the above steps, you can make the purchase for your flight. 

Gift Cards

Passengers can utilize the rapid reward points to purchase gift cards for their family or friends  from numerous popular brands like Kohl’s, Panera, Best Buy, and Lowe’s. 

Hotels

You can use the points to stay in more than 70,000 hotels worldwide, featuring renowned brands and delightful boutique hotels by the seaside. 

Rapid Rewards Access events 

This facility is exclusive for card members and allows for the redemption of points for selected events such as destination getaways, wine tastings, and more.

Experiences

Southwest Airlines offers wonderful experiences with the Rapid Rewards. You can enjoy spa, biking, hiking, rock climbing, cruises, rafting, and more activities, making your journey more memorable.

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