Tag: Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Loyalty programs

Southwest Is Overhauling Rapid Rewards, Companion Pass, and More

Southwest Airlines is making some of its biggest changes yet to Rapid Rewards, introducing a new elite status tier, overhauling Companion Pass qualification, and allowing members to redeem points for international flights on partner carriers.

The airline announced the slew of changes during its Media Day event in Dallas on Thursday, October 15. It also shared new details about its upcoming airport lounges and plans to bring Starlink Wi-Fi to its entire fleet.

Most of the changes will take effect in 2027. Some will give members more ways to use their points, while others will make familiar benefits harder to earn, particularly for those who have relied on credit card bonuses to qualify for Companion Pass.

Here’s what’s changing.

Southwest Is Introducing Three Elite Status Tiers

Beginning January 1, 2027, Southwest will replace its familiar A-List and A-List Preferred status levels with a new three-tier structure: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

The names are generic by design. Executives said the familiar terminology should make Rapid Rewards easier to understand for customers coming from other airlines.

Existing A-List members will transition to Silver, while A-List Preferred members will become Gold. Platinum is an entirely new tier above Gold, offering Southwest’s most frequent flyers (or biggest spenders) additional benefits, including unlimited Companion Pass trips.

Here’s how members will qualify for each tier beginning in 2027 and how the benefits compare:

	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Current equivalent	A-List	A-List Preferred	New
Tier Qualifying Points	35,000	65,000	140,000
Qualifying one-way flights	25	50	100
Flight points bonus	40%	60%	120%
Free checked bags	1	2	3
Seat selection	Standard or Preferred at booking; Extra Legroom within 48 hours	Any seat at booking	Any seat at booking
Boarding	Group 1	Before Group 1	Before Gold
Companion Pass	—	—	Unlimited trips

Members who qualify for A-List or A-List Preferred status in 2026 will automatically transition to Silver or Gold, respectively, on January 1, 2027. Their status will remain valid through December 31, 2027.

There are a couple of differences worth pointing out.

Silver members will earn a 40% bonus on qualifying flights, up from the 25% currently offered to A-List members. Gold members, however, will earn a 60% bonus, down from the 100% currently offered to A-List Preferred members.

Southwest is grandfathering that benefit for existing A-List Preferred members who qualify for 2027 status through their 2026 activity. They’ll retain the 100% earning bonus through December 31, 2027.

New Southwest elite tiers starting 2027. — TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER

Platinum is (obviously) the biggest addition. Along with unlimited Companion Pass trips, members will receive three free checked bags, a 120% flight points bonus, priority boarding ahead of Gold members, and complimentary Extra Legroom seat selection at booking.

Southwest is also introducing Milestone Rewards, which will allow members to choose benefits as they work toward higher status levels. Rewards include bonus Rapid Rewards points, seat selection certificates, and, between Gold and Platinum, three Companion Pass round trips.

Beginning January 1, 2027, all Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards issued by Chase will earn one Tier Qualifying Point (TQP) for every dollar spent on eligible purchases, including the entry-level Plus card.

Members can also earn TQPs through qualifying Southwest flights, purchases on the Rapid Rewards debit card, Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings, and qualifying Southwest Groups bookings.

Companion Pass Is Changing, Too

Southwest is also overhauling Companion Pass.

Yep, finally. It’s a benefit the airline seemed reluctant to touch for somewhat obvious reasons, but the day has come.

Beginning January 1, 2027, Southwest will replace its separate Companion Pass qualification system with TQPs. These are the same points used to earn elite status.

Members will have two ways to unlock Companion Pass benefits:

95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying flights: Earn three Companion Pass round trips through a Milestone Reward.
140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying flights: Reach Platinum status and unlock unlimited Companion Pass trips.

Currently, members can earn unlimited Companion Pass trips after accumulating 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or completing 100 qualifying flights in a calendar year.

The flight requirement for unlimited Companion Pass isn’t changing. However, the switch to TQPs will change how members qualify through credit cards and other activities.

And here’s how.

Beginning in 2027, credit card welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, and bonus points earned from spending will no longer count toward Companion Pass qualification. Points earned through participating hotel and rental car partners will also be excluded.

Members will still earn redeemable Rapid Rewards points from those activities, but they won’t count toward Companion Pass.

Instead, Southwest credit cardholders will earn one TQP for every dollar spent on eligible purchases, regardless of which Southwest Chase card (or cards) they carry.

That means someone who previously earned Companion Pass through a combination of credit card welcome bonuses and spending won’t be able to follow the same strategy in the future.

Members will still be able to designate one companion at a time and change that person up to three times annually.

Already have Companion Pass? Members who earn it under the existing rules in 2026 will keep their unlimited Companion Pass trips through December 31, 2027.

Southwest will also honor existing Companion Pass promotions. Members who meet the requirements of their current offer will receive the benefits promised for that promotion’s specified period.

Southwest Points Will Soon Be Redeemable for International Partner Tickets

One of the more interesting announcements from Thursday’s event is that Rapid Rewards points will soon be useful for flights well beyond Southwest’s own network.

Beginning in spring 2027, members will be able to earn and redeem Rapid Rewards points through partnerships with Icelandair, China Airlines, and Etihad Airways.

Etihad is the newest addition to Southwest’s growing list of international airline partners.

Southwest confirmed that members will be able to redeem points for economy and premium cabin flights on these airlines. Reservations will be available through Southwest’s website, though pricing has yet to be announced.

We also heard from multiple members of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards team that more airline partners will become available for redemptions (and potentially fairly quickly).

Until now, Rapid Rewards redemptions have largely been limited to Southwest’s own flights, aside from international flights available through the More Rewards portal.

But there are still some big unknowns.

Southwest hasn’t announced how it will price partner redemptions or whether members will be able to combine Southwest flights and partner-operated flights on a single reservation.

Southwest Is Adding More Ways to Spend Points

International flights aren’t the only new redemption option coming to Rapid Rewards.

Beginning in November 2026, members will be able to redeem points for rental cars through participating partners at cars.southwest.com.

Later in 2027, Southwest will also allow members to use Rapid Rewards points to pay for seat selection, including Preferred and Extra Legroom seats.

That option will be available after booking and before check-in. Pricing will vary by flight and seat type.

Southwest Shares More About Its New Airport Lounges

Southwest also shared more details about its plans to enter the airport lounge business.

The new network will be called Southwest Icon Lounges, and the first location expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2027.

Chatter at the event suggested Nashville (BNA) is a leading candidate for the first location, although Southwest hasn’t officially confirmed which lounge will open first.

Each Southwest Icon Lounge will incorporate design elements inspired by its location. Southwest says the spaces will emphasize comfort, hospitality, and local character while retaining elements of the airline’s identity.

Rendering of Southwest's BNA lounge on a TV screen. — TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER

The lounge network is being developed in partnership with Chase, which already operates its own Sapphire Lounge network.

Southwest also confirmed plans to introduce a new premium Rapid Rewards credit card issued by Chase in 2027. The card will provide access to Southwest Icon Lounges.

However, the airline hasn’t announced the card’s annual fee, additional benefits, or launch date.

Another unanswered question is whether existing Chase Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business cardholders will receive lounge access when flying Southwest.

It seems plausible, but when Points Insider asked representatives from both Southwest and Chase about that possibility during Media Day, neither company offered any details that would indicate which direction it’ll go.

For now, the new Southwest premium card is the only confirmed credit card access option.

Starlink Is Coming to Southwest’s Entire Fleet

Southwest is also moving ahead with plans to install Starlink, the fast (and popular) satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, across its entire fleet.

The airline expects to complete the rollout by fall 2027, which executives touted would make Southwest the first major U.S. airline to offer complimentary Starlink on every aircraft.

During Thursday’s presentation, Tony Roach, Southwest’s chief customer and brand officer, said 47 aircraft were already equipped with Starlink.

Installation is expected to accelerate in the first quarter of 2027. Southwest’s forthcoming Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft will also enter service with Starlink already installed.

The rollout is part of Southwest’s broader cabin modernization effort, which includes new seats, larger overhead bins, and in-seat power. Southwest expects essentially its entire fleet to have in-seat power by around October 2027.

October 15, 2026

Southwest Is Planning Its Biggest Summer Schedule Ever

Southwest Airlines is planning its busiest summer yet.

The airline opened its summer 2027 schedule for booking on October 3, with as many as 4,498 flights scheduled on peak days between June 3 and August 2. That’s a lot of flying.

It’s also the most Southwest has ever scheduled for a summer. And most of that growth is centered around Austin, Nashville, and San Diego.

There are plenty of new routes mixed in, too, including more international flights from Austin and Nashville.

Southwest Is Adding 7 Seasonal Routes From Austin

Austin is getting one of the biggest expansions.

Southwest plans to operate as many as 143 departures from AUS, including seven seasonal routes. Five of those haven’t previously been offered by the airline.

The biggest additions take Austin outside the U.S. Southwest will add weekend flights to Liberia, Costa Rica; Nassau, Bahamas; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, during June and July.

Those join existing Southwest flights from Austin to Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and San José, Costa Rica.

Domestically, Southwest is bringing back daily summer service to Portland, Oregon, and Saturday flights to Sarasota. Savannah gets weekend service, while Bozeman is also getting Saturday-only flights.

It’s a fairly substantial summer expansion for an airport where Southwest already has a big presence. And there’s more investment coming.

Austin is one of the first four airports where Southwest plans to open its own airport lounges.

Nashville Keeps Growing

Southwest is going even bigger in Nashville, where it plans to operate as many as 220 flights during summer 2027.

That’s up to 20 more daily departures than summer 2026 and the airline’s largest summer schedule yet in Nashville.

Three new seasonal routes are coming with it. Southwest will add flights from Nashville to Boise, Nassau, and Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Seasonal service to Bozeman and Portland will return as well.

Worth noting: Nashville is also getting one of the airline’s first lounges, which is already under construction.

More on This: Southwest Airlines Shares Updates on Lounges, Premium Card, and Long-Haul Flying

More Flights Are Coming Elsewhere, Too

San Diego will have as many as 150 Southwest flights during the summer.

That includes up to six daily flights to Austin on peak days and three weekday flights to Seattle. Southwest is also adding Sunday-only seasonal service between San Diego and Oklahoma City, alongside returning summer routes to Bozeman, Columbus, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh.

Las Vegas and Orlando are growing, too.

Southwest plans as many as 278 flights from Las Vegas, 12 more than the previous summer, while Orlando will reach as many as 173, an increase of 17.

Seasonal daily service between Las Vegas and Anchorage will also return in June. Bozeman gets returning seasonal flights to Chicago Midway and Dallas.

Altogether, Southwest says its summer schedule will reach 4,498 flights on peak days. That amounts to its largest ever.

The new schedule covers travel from June 3 through August 2, 2027, and flights are already available to book.

October 3, 2026
2 Chase Southwest Business Cards Are Offering 80,000 Points Each

Southwest Airlines has two business credit cards, and both currently come with welcome offers of 80,000 Rapid Rewards points, though the minimum spending requirements differ.

Beyond the bonus, each card has different annual fees and benefits, but either can provide a sizable boost toward a Rapid Rewards balance.

There’s another reason these offers can be interesting: points earned from Southwest credit card welcome offers count toward earning a Companion Pass.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

The Premier Business card is the less expensive of Southwest’s two business cards and currently comes with an 80,000-point welcome offer after meeting the minimum spending requirement.

This offer ends on Monday, October 26.

{{ credit-card-widget uri=”swapremierbusiness” }}

The card includes a free first checked bag for the cardmember and up to eight others on the same reservation, Preferred or Standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure when available, and boarding no later than Group 5.

It also comes with 6,000 anniversary points, a 15% flight discount each cardmember year, and a 10,000-point Companion Pass qualifying boost each year.

Click “Learn More” above for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

The Performance Business card also currently offers 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after meeting the minimum spending requirement, along with several additional Southwest benefits.

{{ credit-card-widget uri=”swaperformancebusiness” }}

Preferred or Standard seats can be selected at booking when available, rather than waiting until 48 hours before departure. The card also provides complimentary upgrades to Extra Legroom seats within 48 hours of departure when available.

Other benefits include a free first checked bag, 9,000 anniversary points, a 10,000-point Companion Pass qualifying boost, and up to a $120 credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.

Click “Learn More” above for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

Both Offers Can Help Toward a Companion Pass

Southwest’s Companion Pass lets a member designate one person to fly with them for only the taxes and fees whenever they fly Southwest.

That includes when the original ticket was booked with points.

Earning one requires 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, and points from Southwest credit card welcome offers count toward that requirement. Both cards also provide a 10,000-point Companion Pass qualifying boost each year.

That makes an 80,000-point welcome offer a substantial chunk of the requirement. Timing matters, though, since qualifying points reset at the beginning of each calendar year.

Who Is Eligible for the Offers?

A business credit card does require a business. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a company with employees, an office, or a huge amount of revenue.

Traditional businesses can qualify, but so can many sole proprietors, freelancers, independent contractors, and people earning money from a side business.

The welcome offer has another set of eligibility rules. They’re the same for both cards but apply separately to each product.

“The offer isn’t available to current cardmembers of that specific business card or previous cardmembers who received a welcome bonus on that same card within the past 24 months.”

That means having or previously having one Southwest business card doesn’t, by itself, trigger the restriction on the other card.

September 30, 2026
Southwest Airlines Shares Updates on Lounges, Premium Card, and Long-Haul Flying

Southwest Airlines has changed considerably over the past year and a half, from assigned seating and extra-legroom seats to bag fees. But the airline isn’t finished reshaping the guest experience.

Southwest CFO Tom Doxey spoke this week at Morgan Stanley’s annual Laguna Conference and offered a handful of updates on what passengers can expect next.

Some could start showing up fairly soon.

Starlink Is Coming to Hundreds of Southwest Planes

Southwest recently began installing Starlink, and the rollout is moving quickly.

Doxey said the airline expects around 300 aircraft to have Starlink installed by the end of this year, with installations continuing into 2027.

That means the faster Wi-Fi should become much easier to find on Southwest flights over the next few months. There will still be some luck involved, though, as plenty of planes will continue offering Southwest’s existing Wi-Fi until they get Starlink.

Southwest’s Lounge Plans Are Already Taking Shape

Southwest recently confirmed plans to open its first airport lounges in partnership with Chase. This is an amenity the airline has never offered before.

The airline has already said it plans to start with 11 lounges, and Doxey indicated there could eventually be more. But perhaps more interesting is how far along some of those first locations already are.

Construction has started at some locations, Doxey said, while designs and mock-ups are already taking shape. He suggested that early construction work contributed to the lounge plans becoming something of a “worst-kept secret” before Southwest announced them.

He also hinted that the finished product may not look quite like what some people expect from Southwest.

“I think some people are going to be a little surprised, actually, when they say, ‘Oh, this is the Southwest lounge,’” he said.

Southwest still hasn’t revealed all 11 locations. Doxey didn’t name any additional airports, but said the choices should look “very logical” when looking at a map of Southwest’s network.

A More Premium Southwest Credit Card Is Coming

The lounges also give Southwest something new to offer current and future credit card holders.

Southwest has already confirmed plans for a more premium credit card that will offer lounge access, but there’s still no word on when it will arrive or exactly what it will include.

Doxey was unusually direct about why Southwest wants one. He called the absence of a top-tier premium card a “hole” in the airline’s current credit card lineup.

For now, details such as the annual fee, other benefits, and launch date are still up in the air. But with lounge construction already underway, both pieces are getting closer.

The Boeing 737 MAX 7 Could Finally Arrive Next Year

Southwest also expects another long-awaited change to its fleet.

The FAA certified the Boeing 737 MAX 7 in August after years of delays. This finally cleared the smaller MAX variant for commercial service.

Southwest already has 27 MAX 7s that were built before certification and have been sitting in storage. Doxey said Boeing is now working to bring those aircraft up to the final approved specifications.

Southwest expects some of those planes to begin arriving around the end of this year before entering passenger service in early 2027.

International Long-Haul Flying Is Still on the Table

One much bigger potential change is less certain.

Southwest executives have repeatedly floated the possibility of eventually flying farther internationally. Doxey confirmed that the airline is still considering it, although no decision has been made.

“We haven’t decided what we’re doing with that particular item,” Doxey said. “But what we have said is that we’re absolutely considering whether that should be part of the offering that we have.”

There are still some big questions to answer, including where Southwest might fly and what aircraft it would use. For now, long-haul flying is something Southwest is considering rather than a firm plan.

But it’s another example of just how different Southwest could look a few years from now. Assigned seating and bag fees are already changing the airline people know today. Add lounges, a higher-end credit card, better Wi-Fi, and perhaps longer international flights, and Southwest starts to look different in ways that go well beyond how boarding works.

September 18, 2026
Southwest Is Offering Up to 40% Off Flights, Including Points Bookings
Southwest has a new sale that could cut the cost of a fall or winter trip, whether paying with cash or points.

Through October 8, Southwest is offering up to 40% off select flights for travel from October 26, 2026, through March 3, 2027. That covers more than four months of travel, although Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and several other busy dates are excluded.

The discount also applies when booking with Rapid Rewards points. So if a discounted flight normally costs 15,000 points, for example, the sale could bring that price down along with the cash fare.

Southwest’s 40% Off Sale

There’s no promo code to enter. Southwest automatically applies the discount to eligible flights. It’ll show the discounted base fare alongside the original price.
- Book by: October 8, 2026
- Travel from: October 26, 2026, through March 3, 2027
- Discount: Up to 40% off select base fares
- Cash and points bookings: Eligible
- Interisland Hawaii flights: Excluded
There are some restrictions, particularly around busy holiday periods.

For travel within the continental U.S., blackout dates include November 20–23, November 28–30, December 18–22, December 24–29, December 31–January 4, January 18, February 12, and February 15.

Flights from the continental U.S. to international destinations, Hawaii, Anchorage, St. Thomas, and San Juan have additional blackout dates around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The same applies in the other direction.

Not every route or flight will be discounted, either. Southwest says seats, days, and markets are limited, and the discount applies to the base fare before government taxes and fees.

This Could Make a Fall or Winter Trip Cheaper

The useful part of this sale is that it isn’t limited to cash tickets. Southwest prices flights in both dollars and Rapid Rewards points, and eligible points bookings get the promotional discount too.

That makes it worth checking any fall or winter trip already in the works. Search the dates on Southwest, switch between dollars and points, and compare the options.

SOUTHWEST.COM

Trips already booked are worth checking, too. Southwest says the promotion applies to new reservations rather than changes to existing ones, but eligible flights can be canceled and rebooked at the lower price. If the new points price is lower, the difference goes back into the Rapid Rewards account.

The booking window is short. The sale ends October 8, leaving just a few days to see whether the discount lines up with a trip.
September 14, 2026
Southwest Is Going Premium With Airport Lounges and a New Credit Card
Southwest Airlines is getting into the airport lounge business for the first time, and a new premium credit card is coming with it.

The airline announced Wednesday that it plans to build a network of Southwest-branded lounges in partnership with Chase. The first four locations are expected to open in late 2027.

And Southwest isn’t stopping there.

The airline says at least seven additional lounges are planned over the following several years. This will put its initial network at 11 or more locations.

It goes without saying that these developments are another massive shift for Southwest, which has changed a lot about its experience in recent years. The airline has introduced assigned seating and extra-legroom seats, ended its long-standing two-free-checked-bags policy for most customers, and increasingly added products aimed at customers willing to pay more for their trip.

Now, that experience will extend into the airport.

Southwest’s First Lounges Are Coming to 4 Airports

Construction is already underway on Southwest’s first four lounges at:
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Southwest expects to begin welcoming guests in late 2027, though it hasn’t provided opening dates for the individual locations.

JOHN CHASE / ISTOCK

The airline is working with Chase on the lounges and plans to draw on the bank’s existing Chase Sapphire Lounge network. Southwest says the spaces will combine its own approach to hospitality with locally inspired dining, more sophisticated design, and amenities and travel benefits already found in Chase’s lounges.

For now, that’s about as specific as Southwest is getting.

The airline hasn’t revealed the size or exact location of the first lounges, what amenities each will offer, or where the next seven or more locations will be. We don’t have renderings yet, either.

The initial airport choices do offer a sense of where Southwest is starting. Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville are all significant Southwest markets.

And with at least 11 lounges now in the pipeline, this is intended to become a network rather than a handful of experiments.

A New Premium Southwest Credit Card Is Coming, Too

Southwest will also introduce a new premium Rapid Rewards credit card from Chase in 2027. The card is slated to provide access to the new lounges.

That’s just about all we know about the card for now.

Southwest hasn’t announced its annual fee, welcome offer, other benefits, or exactly how lounge access will work. We also don’t yet know whether there will be other ways to enter the lounges, including for customers with certain Southwest tickets or elite status.

There are also some interesting questions about how the Southwest and Chase lounge networks will overlap.

Southwest hasn’t said whether Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders will receive access to Southwest lounges or whether holders of the new Southwest card will have any access to Chase Sapphire Lounges.

Those details will come later. But the new card and lounge network indicate that Southwest is continuing its push to offer more to customers willing to pay for a premium experience.
September 2, 2026