Flights

Southwest Rapid Rewards, explained

Southwest now assigns seats and charges for bags, but its two best features survived: points tied to fares and the Companion Pass. How Rapid Rewards works in 2026, the Chase cards, and what changes on January 1, 2027.

Points Atelier October 10, 2026 6 min read

Southwest has changed more since 2025 than in the decades before. Seats have been assigned since January 27, 2026, checked bags cost money, and fares come in four bundles. Rapid Rewards kept its core: award prices follow cash fares, there are no blackout dates, points never expire, and the Companion Pass still lets someone fly with the holder for taxes only, on paid and award tickets alike.

Southwest Airlines

At a glance

Southwest Rapid Rewards

The Companion Pass, and simple fare-based awards with no fees for canceling.

Typical value per point: 1.25¢
Points prices follow cash fares: Fare-based
Companion Pass in 2026 (140,000 tier points from 2027): 135,000
Bank transfer partners: Chase · Bilt

What changed in 2025 and 2026 How award prices work The Companion Pass How to earn Southwest points The credit cards Status, briefly

What changed in 2025 and 2026

How award prices work

Southwest has no chart. The points price of a seat tracks its cash price and "may vary based on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare class" and other factors, according to Southwest’s terms. Taxes start at $5.60 one-way. There are no blackout dates, and no fee to cancel on any fare, though Basic fares return a credit rather than cash.

When Southwest points go furthest

Because points track fares, the best use is simply a cheap fare: a sale or a quiet day. Points bookings can be repriced when the fare drops, so it pays to check again after booking.

The Companion Pass

The Companion Pass lets a named companion fly with the holder for taxes and fees only, on both paid and award flights. Southwest’s terms set the rules:

Earn 135,000 qualifying points in 2026
Or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights. Through 2026, points from Southwest flights, from Southwest credit cards (including their welcome bonuses) and base points from partners count. From 2027, welcome bonuses, anniversary points, bonus points from spend and partner spend no longer count, according to Southwest. Companion Pass qualifying points are retired after December 31, 2026; from January 1, 2027, unlimited Companion Pass trips come with Platinum status (140,000 tier qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights), and three Companion Pass trips unlock at 95,000 or 75 flights, according to Southwest.
What does not count
Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt, purchased points and points from award flights.
A Southwest card adds a 10,000-point boost
Southwest cardmembers receive one 10,000-point Companion Pass boost each calendar year (one per member), according to Southwest. In 2027 it is replaced by a one-time 10,000 tier qualifying point boost for cardmembers who reach 130,000 tier qualifying points.
Earned in 2026, it runs through 2027
The pass lasts for the rest of the year it is earned and all of the next; a pass earned in 2026 gives unlimited Companion Pass trips through December 31, 2027, according to Southwest.

135,000

Qualifying points, or 100 flights, in 2026In 2026, a personal card’s welcome bonus, a business card’s welcome bonus and the 10,000-point boost can cover most of it, with the spending those bonuses require; only points posted to the account within the calendar year count. From 2027, welcome bonuses no longer count: what changes, and what to do before December 31.

How to earn Southwest points

Transfer from Chase or Bilt
Chase and Bilt both transfer to Southwest at 1:1; Bilt transfers can take up to 72 hours. Transferred points do not count toward the Companion Pass.
Use a Southwest card
Through 2026, points from the card count toward the Companion Pass; transfers do not. From 2027, each card earns 1 tier qualifying point per dollar, which counts toward status and Companion Pass benefits.
Fly
2x to 14x per dollar depending on the fare bundle, or 2x to 10x from January 1, 2027.
Marriott
60,000 Marriott points become 25,000 Southwest points, according to Marriott.

The credit cards

All Southwest cards are issued by Chase. On the personal cards, the new-cardmember bonus is only for applicants who do not have a current Southwest card and have not received a new-cardmember bonus in the last 24 months, according to Chase; Chase says this does not apply to business cards.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

Annual fee $99Welcome offer 50,000 points

The entry card: a free first checked bag for up to nine, a 10% fare discount each anniversary and, through 2026, the 10,000-point Companion Pass boost.

Full review →

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority

Annual fee $229Welcome offer 60,000 points

A preferred seat at booking, Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours, and 7,500 anniversary points.

Full review →

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier

Annual fee $149Welcome offer 55,000 points

6,000 anniversary points, 3x on Southwest and progress toward status (A-List becomes Silver in 2027).

Current offer at the issuer →

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business

Annual fee $299Welcome offer 80,000 points

9,000 anniversary points, a Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours; its bonus counts toward the Companion Pass only through 2026.

Full review →

The Premier Business card ($149) is also available, according to Chase.

Status, briefly

In 2026, A-List needs 20 one-way flights or 35,000 tier qualifying points; A-List Preferred needs 40 flights or 70,000, according to Southwest. From January 1, 2027, the tiers become Silver (25 flights or 35,000), Gold (50 or 65,000) and a new Platinum (100 or 140,000), which includes unlimited Companion Pass trips. Today, Premier, Priority and the business cards add tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent; from January 1, 2027, every Southwest card, Plus included, earns 1 tier qualifying point per dollar.

Where it shines

The Companion Pass: one of the most valuable perks in U.S. travel
No fee to cancel any fare, and points never expire
No blackout dates
Card bonuses count toward the Companion Pass through 2026

Where it falls short

Award prices follow fares, so peak dates are expensive
New bag fees for travelers without a card or status
Basic fares board last and earn 2 points per dollar
Mostly a domestic U.S. network, with a limited set of international routes

The Atelier Take

Southwest points are only as good as the fare they buy, but a Companion Pass earned in 2026 can nearly halve the cost of flying for two through December 31, 2027.

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