Southwest Rapid Rewards
Estimated value: 1.4¢ per points
Southwest Rapid Rewards is Southwest Airlines' loyalty program. Unlike traditional airline programs, Southwest uses a revenue-based system where points are worth a fixed value tied to the fare price. Key strengths: - No change fees, no cancellation fees (points redeposited instantly) - No blackout dates for award flights - Companion Pass: Bring someone free on every flight for up to 2 years - Two free checked bags on every ticket (even award flights) - Points don't expire with account activity - Revenue-based redemptions mean simple, predictable value - Wanna Get Away fares offer best value per point
Credit card programs that can transfer points to Southwest Rapid Rewards
Co-Branded Credit Cards
Southwest Plus
Chase
85,000 points bonus · ~$1190 value
Southwest Premier
Chase
85,000 points bonus · ~$1190 value
Southwest Premier Business
Chase
60,000 points bonus · ~$840 value
Southwest Priority
Chase
85,000 points bonus · ~$1190 value
Southwest Performance Business
Chase
80,000 points bonus · ~$1120 value
1.4¢
per points (baseline)
Inbound transfers: - Chase Ultimate Rewards: 1:1 - Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 (60K → 25K with bonus) Outbound transfers: - Rapid Rewards points cannot transfer to other programs Strategy tips: - Chase UR to Southwest is useful for topping off for Companion Pass qualification - Companion Pass is the ultimate Southwest goal (earned at 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year) - Credit card signup bonuses count toward Companion Pass qualification - Transfer from Chase when you need points for a specific booking
Redemption strategy: Revenue-based pricing: - Points are worth ~1.3-1.7 cpp on Wanna Get Away fares - Wanna Get Away Plus: Slightly higher price but transferable - Anytime fares: Worst value per point (avoid redeeming at this level) - Business Select: Poor points value but nice for upgrades Best value: - Book Wanna Get Away fares with points (best cpp) - Off-peak travel and midweek flights = lower point prices - Southwest sales apply to point redemptions too - Points + cash: Not offered; it's all points or all cash Companion Pass stacking: - Once you have Companion Pass, your companion flies free - This effectively doubles the value of every point spent - With CP, even mediocre cpp becomes great because 2 people fly for the price of 1 Cancellation flexibility: - Points return instantly if you cancel - Book speculatively and cancel if prices drop - No penalty for rebooking at a lower price Avoid: - Anytime or Business Select fares with points (terrible value) - Transferring to Southwest from Marriott (3:1 ratio is poor) - Holding large balances without using them (earn and burn)
Card stacking strategy: Premium cards: - Southwest Priority: 3x Southwest, 2x local transit/internet/phone, 1x everything else; 4 upgraded boardings/yr, $75 SW credit - Southwest Premier: 3x Southwest, 2x dining/streaming, 1x everything else; 2 EarlyBird check-in credits - Southwest Plus: 2x Southwest, 1x everything else; anniversary 3,000 pts Business: - Southwest Performance Business: 4x Southwest, 3x Southwest purchases, 2x Rapid Rewards hotel/car; upgrade boardings - Southwest Premier Business: 3x Southwest, 2x dining/hotels/car rentals, 1x everything else Key tips: - Companion Pass strategy: Get 2 Southwest personal cards in late Q4 for large signup bonuses counting toward next year's CP - All card spending earns toward Companion Pass qualifying points - Priority card's $75 credit + 7,500 anniversary pts make the $149 AF worth it - Stack Southwest card for SW purchases + Chase Sapphire for other spending