Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest doesn't publish a traditional zone-based award chart — Rapid Rewards points are pegged directly to cash fares ("revenue-based pricing"), so the price you see in points correlates with the cash fare on any given day.

Pricing model (since March 2025)

• Dynamic pricing replaced static fare-class multipliers in early 2025. The historical 70-points-per-dollar baseline (Wanna Get Away) and 100-points-per-dollar baseline (Anytime) no longer apply uniformly.
• Expect 1.3 cents per point on average per third-party May 2026 valuations, with sweet spots up to 1.7 cpp on Choice fare-equivalent short-haul bookings.

Fare bundles (post-Jan 27, 2026 overhaul)

Co-brand card earning stacks on top: Plus +2x, Premier +3x, Priority +4x on Southwest purchases.

Bag fees (current, two-tier rollout in 2026)

Free bag exemptions: Choice Extra fare (2 bags), A-List Preferred (2), A-List (1), Rapid Rewards Cardmembers (1, extends to up to 8 passengers on same reservation).

Companion Pass

Once earned, your companion flies free on any fare, paid or award. Pay only ~$5.60 per segment in taxes.

Icelandair codeshare and Southwest-operated transatlantic (2026 launches)

Pricing model TBD as service launches. Southwest's first transatlantic flying (BWI-KEF first, then BNA-KEF) is the first new redemption frontier for the program in decades.

Other fees

• Change fees: $0 across all fare types
• Cancel fees: $0 across all fare types
• Paid seat upgrades: $4-$250 per segment per customer
• Priority Boarding (paid): $10-$75 per segment per customer
• In-flight Wi-Fi: $8/device, FREE for Rapid Rewards Members (any tier)

Source of truth: southwest.com — fare types and benefits page, optional travel charges page. Pricing subject to change without notice.

• Companion Pass + cash flights — the highest-value play in the program. Earn CP via two Chase Southwest cards' SUBs timed across consecutive calendar years; the second person on every booking flies free for the next ~24 months. Companion pays only ~$5.60 per segment in taxes.
• Companion Pass + award flights — same companion-free benefit applies on points redemptions; you only spend points for one passenger.
• Choice fare-equivalent on short-haul routes — typically 1.5-1.7 cpp, the program's highest yield. Dynamic pricing since March 2025 means the floor moved up; check carefully before booking.
• Choice Extra fare — best fare bundle for elite-level perks without the elite status: 2 free checked bags, Group 1 boarding, free same-day change/standby, free premium drinks on flights 251+ miles, Priority/Express Lane access, 14x base points earning.
• Free in-flight Wi-Fi for all Rapid Rewards Members — sign up free, log into your Rapid Rewards account on the device, get free Wi-Fi every flight. One of the more generous Wi-Fi offerings in US aviation.
• Choice Extra fare to Iceland (when it launches in 2026) — Southwest's own transatlantic is uncharted redemption territory.
• Cash + points for fees and add-ons — Southwest lets you offset bag fees, Priority Boarding, and other charges with points; not a sweet spot per se but a reasonable burn for small balances.

Southwest does not operate any branded lounges. Rapid Rewards offers no general lounge access at any tier — A-List, A-List Preferred, and Companion Pass holders all use airport facilities like everyone else.

Workarounds for Southwest flyers who want lounge access:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve — Priority Pass membership covers third-party lounges in Southwest hubs (BWI, MDW, DEN, MCO, etc.)
• Capital One Venture X — Priority Pass + Capital One Lounges (DEN, DFW, IAD, LAS)
• Amex Platinum — Centurion Lounges + Priority Pass
• Independent day passes — Plaza Premium Lounge, Escape Lounges, The Club locations sell same-day passes ($30-50 typical) that don't require a Southwest fare class

This is a real gap if you fly Southwest internationally on the Iceland routes — no lounge access via the program itself.

• Southwest-operated flights at revenue-based pricing (points pegged to cash fare). 1.3 cents per point average per TPG May 2026 valuation; up to 1.7 cpp on Choice fare-equivalent short-haul routes. Dynamic since March 2025. No award chart, no blackout dates.
• Cash + points bookings available on most fares.
• Companion Pass redemptions — once earned, your companion flies free (taxes only, from $5.60 one-way) on any Southwest flight, paid OR award, for the rest of the year of qualification plus the entire following year. The single best use of Rapid Rewards.
• Icelandair codeshare connections via BWI, DEN, BNA, MCO, PIT, RDU. First international partnership; Southwest's first booking integration with a foreign carrier.
• Southwest's own transatlantic flying to Iceland launches 2026 (BWI-KEF first, then BNA-KEF) — among the first US Southwest-metal redemptions to Europe.
• No partner award redemptions otherwise — Rapid Rewards has no traditional alliance partners.

• Points don't expire as long as your Rapid Rewards account stays active and in good standing. Account closure forfeits points; the old 24-month inactivity rule was eliminated years ago.
• Companion Pass is the de-facto family pooling mechanism. Southwest's official T&C says individual member accounts cannot pool points. Companion Pass is the workaround — earn it once, your companion flies free with you for the next ~24 months.
• Account-to-account point transfers cost $10 per 1,000 points — punitively expensive. Use Companion Pass instead.
• Chase UR and Bilt transfers do NOT count toward Companion Pass or A-List qualification — they earn for redemption only. Only Southwest Rapid Rewards co-brand card spend and revenue flights earn Companion Pass qualifying points (CPQP)/tier-qualifying points (TQPs).
• Card tier-qualifying points (TQP) earning is restricted to higher-AF Chase Southwest cards. Premier and Priority earn 1,500 TQPs per $5K spend; Premier Business earns 2,000 TQPs per $5K. Plus, Plus Business, and Employee cards earn no TQPs from spend (though all Southwest co-brand cards do earn Companion Pass Qualifying Points).
• All actively-issued Southwest co-brand cards' spend earns Companion Pass Qualifying Points — and Cardmembers receive one 10,000-CPQP boost per calendar year, making the effective Companion Pass threshold 125,000 for cardholders.
• No change fees on any fare. Choice / Choice Preferred / Choice Extra: fare difference may apply. Basic: must upgrade fare to make a change. No cancel fees on any fare.
• Basic fare is non-refundable but converts to non-transferable Flight Credit (6-month expiry). Choice / Choice Preferred / Choice Extra: Transferable Flight Credit (12-month expiry, can be transferred to another Rapid Rewards Member).
• Bag fees returned May 28, 2025 and increased April 9, 2026. Current fees: $45 first / $55 second on standard fares. Choice Extra includes 2 free bags. A-List Preferred = 2 free; A-List = 1 free; Rapid Rewards Cardmembers = 1 free (extends to up to 8 passengers on the same reservation).
• Open seating ended January 27, 2026, replaced by assigned seating with Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom seat tiers. EarlyBird Check-In retired same week. New boarding structure: Preboard → Priority Boarding (purchasable) → A-List Preferred → Group 1 (A-List + Choice Extra) → Group 2 (Extra Legroom in Choice/Choice Preferred) → Groups 3-4 (Choice Preferred) → Group 5 (Cardmembers fallback) → Groups 3-7 (Choice in Standard/Preferred) → Group 8 (Basic in Standard/Preferred).
• Free in-flight Wi-Fi for all Rapid Rewards Members. $8/device for non-members. Sign up for Rapid Rewards free.
• Free same-day standby and same-day change are restricted to Choice / Choice Preferred / Choice Extra fares. Basic fare and A-List/A-List Preferred status alone do NOT unlock these benefits — you must purchase a qualifying fare.
• Dynamic award pricing arrived March 2025. The old "book and cancel free" hack is less reliable; fare swings can mean the refund-and-rebook trick costs more points than your original booking.
• Chase is the sole co-brand issuer. Personal cards: Plus, Premier, Priority. Business cards: Premier Business, Performance Business.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve $75,000 annual spend benefit (refreshed 2025) — hit $75K in calendar-year spend on the new Sapphire Reserve and unlock: $500 Southwest Airlines Chase Travel statement credits, complimentary Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List status, World of Hyatt Explorist status, IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status, and $250 The Shops at Chase statement credits. Benefits valid for the remainder of the year earned plus the entire following year. Among the highest-value spend benefits for Southwest flyers who don't already have a Southwest co-brand card.
• Icelandair is Southwest's first international partner (Feb 2025). Interline connections via BWI, DEN, BNA, MCO, PIT, RDU.
• Southwest's own transatlantic flying launches 2026 — first route BWI-KEF, then BNA-KEF. The carrier's first transatlantic operation in its 50+ year history.
• Assigned seating launched January 27, 2026 (verified at southwest.com), replacing 53 years of open seating. New 8-group boarding system. Most fares allow seat selection at booking; Basic fares get assignment at check-in (unless Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmember or Tier status).
• Extra Legroom seats introduced at the front of the cabin and near exit rows, with up to 5 additional inches of legroom. Boarding Groups 1-2 prioritize Extra Legroom seat customers.
• Wanna Get Away earning cut from 6 pts/$ to 2 pts/$ on March 4, 2025 (per southwest.com program updates and broad industry coverage). Wanna Get Away Plus dropped from 10 pts/$ to 6 pts/$. Effective for tickets booked on or after March 4, 2025.
• Wanna Get Away fare class renamed to "Basic" on May 28, 2025. Continues to earn 2 pts/$.
• April 9, 2026: First and second checked bag fees raised by $10 as part of the broader industry response to fuel cost surge. $45 prepaid / $55 second bag for Basic / Choice / Choice Preferred fares. FREE for: A-List Preferred, Business Select, Southwest credit cardholders (cardholder + up to 8 on same reservation).
• Companion Pass (verified at southwest.com): earn 135,000 qualifying points OR fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. Designated companion flies for taxes/fees ($5.60 each way domestic) on any flight (paid or award), unlimited, until end of the following calendar year.
• Each Southwest Chase co-brand card earns a one-time 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points boost per calendar year.
• Optimal Companion Pass timing: apply for cards after October 1; time spending so the bonus posts after January 1 - earns the Pass for nearly two full years.
• Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers 1:1 to Southwest Rapid Rewards (instant). Southwest IS a Chase UR transfer partner - this is the only flexible-currency on-ramp to Rapid Rewards points. Transferred points do NOT count toward Companion Pass-qualifying points or A-List Tier-Qualifying Points - those require Southwest co-brand card spend or revenue flights.
• Amex MR, Citi TYP, and Capital One Miles do NOT transfer to Southwest. Chase UR and Bilt are the flexible-currency on-ramps.
• Chase Travel Portal: Southwest flights are bookable through the Chase Travel Portal at fixed cents-per-point rates (1.0-1.5 cpp depending on card). This is a separate path from the UR -> Rapid Rewards transfer; the booking acts like a paid Southwest fare and earns Rapid Rewards points + Tier-Qualifying Points.
• No change fees, ever, on any fare - foundational policy. Points refunded instantly on cancellation.