Southwest Airlines Community

  Over the next few months, we will be making some updates to our award-winning loyalty program. Rapid Rewards ® remains the program our Customers know and love … with a little refresh.    Companion Pass-Now Sequential Boarding    Get onboard together! Companion Pass ® holders can now board together with their Companions (unless the Companion Pass holder purchased a Business Select ®  fare, purchased Upgraded Boarding , or added the Companion after they had been assigned a boarding position).* 1   * Does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way. Visit Southwest.com/rrterms for a complete list of Companion Pass rules.   Companion Pass-Qualification Increase    Starting January 1, 2023, we're increasing the points required to earn Companion Pass benefits from 125,000 to 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. As a new benefit, Southwest ® Rapid Rewards ® Credit Cardmembers will receive a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year. 2   Wanna Get Away ® and Wanna Get Away™ Fares Booked with Points & No-Show Policy    Gotta cancel reward travel? Don’t lose your points! Starting summer 2023, we will be updating our no-show policy for Rapid Rewards points bookings. When you book Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus travel with your Rapid Rewards points, if your plans change and you want a points refund, you must cancel the reservation at least 10 minutes before the flight’s original scheduled departure time. Failure to cancel the trip 10 minutes before takeoff will result in forfeited points. 3        Thank You Thank you from the bottom of our Hearts for being a Rapid Rewards Member. We love serving you and can’t wait to see you onboard.   Terms & Conditions   1 For A-List and A-List Preferred Members who have also qualified for Companion pass, A-List and A-List Preferred benefits are not available to the Companion unless the Companion is also an A-List or A-List Preferred member.     Except for Business Select fares, upon check-in, you and your Companion will receive sequential boarding positions unless you purchased Upgraded Boarding, or added the Companion after you had been assigned a boarding position. If you purchased a Business Select fare, purchased Upgraded Boarding, or added the Companion after you had been assigned a boarding position, you and your Companions will not receive sequential boarding positions. You and your companion will not receive sequential boarding positions for any same-day change or same-day standby. For Business Select fares, only the purchaser will receive an A1-A15 boarding position and the Companion will receive a boarding position based on whichever is applicable—time of check-in, A-List or A-List Preferred status, or EarlyBird Check-In ® .   2 Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, a Member who earns 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or who flies 100 qualifying one-way flights booked through Southwest per calendar year will qualify for Companion Pass. Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from qualifying flights booked through Southwest, points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. Points earned during a billing cycle on a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card from Chase are not available for redemption or qualification for Companion Pass status until they are posted on your billing statement and posted to your Rapid Rewards account. Only points posted on your billing statements and posted to your Rapid Rewards account during the same calendar year are available for qualification for Companion Pass status. The following do not count as Companion Pass qualifying points: purchased points; points transferred between Members; points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards ® , Valued Opinions, and Diners Club ® ; Rapid Rewards reward flights or any travel with any portion of the purchase price paid for with Rapid Rewards points; points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment; tier bonus points; flight bonus points; and partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase). No points or Companion Pass qualifying points will be awarded for flights taken by the Companion using the Companion Pass. Effective January 2023, Members with an open Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card on the first business day of each calendar year will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. The boost will be deposited into eligible Member’s account by January 31 of the calendar year. When a Member opens a Rapid Rewards Credit Card after the first business day of the calendar year, they will receive one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points up to 30 days after opening the Rapid Rewards Credit Card. Only one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points can be earned each calendar year by each Rapid Rewards account no matter how many Rapid Rewards Credit Cards are open for the Rapid Rewards account. Eligible Members will see the boost added to their Rapid Rewards account by logging in to their account on Southwest.com ® . The Companion Pass Qualifying Points boost cannot be used for redemption.   3 Starting summer 2023, for Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus reward travel reservations: if you do not cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes before the flight’s original scheduled departure time, any points used for booking will be forfeited, along with any taxes and fees associated with your reward travel reservation. For Anytime or Business Select reward travel reservation: the points used for booking will continue to be redeposited to the purchaser's Rapid Rewards account, and any taxes and fees associated with the reward travel reservation will be converted into a flight credit for future use.   4 All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms.  ... View more

As travelers continue returning to the sky, we know that flexibility and ease have become even more important to their travel journey. We announced our commitment in May to enhance our entire Customer Experience, from shopping and booking flights, to check-in, traveling onboard, and to the arrival at the destination. As part of this transformation, we are excited to announce that Customers will now be able to skip the line and go online to secure an Upgraded Boarding position!   What’s Changing? On Aug. 22, we launched Upgraded Boarding Self-Service. Customers now have the option to secure Upgraded Boarding through the Southwest Mobile App, and Southwest.com for all Customers traveling on our Anytime, Wanna Get Away ® , or Wanna Get Away Plus™ fares. Moreover, Customers still have the option to purchase Upgraded Boarding from a Customer Service Agent at the gate prior to their flight departure, pending availability.     Top Three Ways to Get a Better Boarding Position Have you ever had that moment where you forget to check in and end up with a “C” boarding position? Well, fret no more, as we have a few secrets to share that will allow you to be one of the first to secure your desired seat! Upgraded Boarding: Upgraded Boarding gives Customers the ability to upgrade their boarding position (now online and at the gate) to A1-A15 up to 24 hours before the flight depending on availability. This allows Customers the opportunity to be among the first to board the aircraft, pick their preferred available seat, and access the overhead bin space.   When available, Upgraded Boarding can easily be added to a reservation when checking in for a flight via the Southwest® app or Southwest.com.   Open the Southwest app and select the “Check-In” icon at the bottom of the screen. Enter the confirmation number and verify the flight information displayed is correct. When available, the Upgraded Boarding position option is located below “View Boarding Pass.” Once selected and as available, Upgraded Boarding can be added to one or more flight segments in the itinerary.   On Southwest.com, navigate to the “Check-In” window and enter the confirmation number. The Upgraded Boarding option is displayed below the flight’s itinerary.   Customers can also purchase Upgraded Boarding from a Customer Service Agent at the departure gate or ticket counter prior to their flight.   NOTE: Upgraded Boarding can only be purchased within 24 hours of the flight’s departure time, depending on availability. Upgraded Boarding sales will end 30 minutes before departure.   EarlyBird ® Check-In: EarlyBird Check-In offers automatic check-in before our traditional 24-hour check-in. Customers can add EarlyBird Check-In to their reservation up to 36 hours prior to a flight’s scheduled departure.   Got bags? We've got room. By boarding earlier, you'll get your pick of available overhead bin space.   NOTE: EarlyBird Check-In pricing starts at $15. Pricing may vary based on the popularity and length of each (one-way) flight.   Business Select ® : Business Select fares include automatic check-in and priority boarding (A1-A15), as well as many more benefits. Visit Southwest.com to purchase Business Select.     ... View more

Offering Legendary Customer Service and warm Hospitality is at the core of Southwest Airlines. As travelers continue returning to the sky, we’re thrilled to offer our Customers a new product that provides what they want—more choice and more flexibility.     Our new fourth fare, Wanna Get Away Plus, is a modest buy-up from Wanna Get Away and introduces transferable flight credit(s), a new benefit that enables Customers to transfer an eligible unused flight credit to another Rapid Rewards Member for future use. 1 Wanna Get Away Plus also provides more flexibility through same-day confirmed change and same-day standby 2 , allowing Customers to make same-day changes to a flight between the same cities with no price difference in the base fare. Customers have more earning power than Wanna Get Away fares with 8X Rapid Rewards® points. Additionally, we’re also enhancing benefits to our Anytime and Business Select® fares. These fares now have the same transferable flight credit benefit as Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares now gain EarlyBird Check-In 3 , Priority Lane 4 , and Express Lane 5  benefits. Additionally, Tier Members (A-List /A-List Preferred Customers) now receive same-day confirmed change in addition to existing perks like same-day standby 6 .   We continue to maintain existing benefits offered on all Southwest fares, including two free checked bags 7 , no change fees 8 , and free TV/movies/messaging 9 .   Check out our full-fare lineup and benefits at  Southwest.com/WannaGetAwayPlus  .     Both must be Rapid Rewards Members and expiration dates apply.  Only one transfer is permitted. For bookings made through a Southwest™ Business channel, there is a limitation to transfer only between employees within the organization. Same-day change/Same-day standby: For same-day changes, a confirmed seat, if there’s an open seat on a different flight on the same day as your original flight and it’s between the same cities, you can book a confirmed seat on the new flight free of airline charges. If there isn’t an open seat, ask a Southwest Gate Agent to add you to the same-day standby list. If there are any government taxes and fees associated with these itinerary changes, you will be required to pay those. Your original boarding position is not guaranteed. For both the same-day change and same-day standby benefits, you must change your flight or request to be added to the same-day standby list at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your original flight or the no-show policy will apply.   For Anytime fares purchased between 36 and 24 hours, the boarding position assignment process has begun so this may impact the boarding position assigned to you. Benefit not available if flight departure is within 24 hours of your flight's scheduled departure. .  In an irregular operation situation, the boarding position is not guaranteed. Where available. Where available. If there’s an open seat on a different flight that departs on the same calendar day as your original flight and it’s between the same cities, you can get a seat on the new flight free of airline charges. If there isn’t an open seat on this different flight, you can ask a Southwest Gate Agent to add you to the same-day standby list for a flight between the same city pairs that departs on the same calendar day prior to your originally scheduled flight, and you will receive a message if you are cleared on the flight. For both the same-day change and same-day standby benefits, you must change your flight or request to be added to the same-day standby list at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your original flight or the no show policy will apply. Based on the flight status contact preference selected during booking, the message regarding your standby status will be an email or text message with a link to access the boarding pass via the Southwest App, mobile web, or you can visit a Southwest Gate Agent to print off the boarding pass. If there are any government taxes and fees associated with these itinerary changes, you will be required to pay those. Your original boarding position is not guaranteed. Important: These benefits are available only by seeing a Southwest Gate Agent or calling 1-800-FLY-SWA.  If you change your flight through any other channel or to a flight that does not meet the requirements outlined above, you will be responsible for the difference in price. If an A-List or A-List Preferred Member is traveling on a multiple-Passenger reservation, same-day standby and same-day change will not be provided for non-A-List or non-A-List Preferred Members in the same reservation. For A-List and A-List Preferred Members who have also qualified for a Companion Pass®, A-List and A-List Preferred benefits are not available to the Companion unless the Companion is also an A-List or A-List Preferred Member. Weight and size limits apply Fare difference may apply. (Available only on WiFi-enabled aircraft. Limited-time offer. Where available. Only allows access to iMessage and WhatsApp (must be downloaded before the flight.  Due to licensing restrictions, on WiFi-enabled flights, Free Live TV and iHeartRadio may not be available for the full duration of the flight.) ... View more

  Are you looking for a career with Heart? Southwest Airlines is hiring, and we want to meet you! Whether you’re actively searching for a job or passively keeping tabs on opportunities available to you, we want you to know us too. We asked Jonathan Clarkson, Vice President Marketing Loyalty & Products, to share why he loves his job, the People he works with, and Southwest! We hope his words inspire you and share insight into our Company’s Culture, Values, and goals.   It’s an exciting year at Southwest Airlines and I’m grateful for the work our Marketing Teams accomplish each day. I look forward to welcoming new Employees to our Marketing Department and the Southwest Family this year. In my 14 years at Southwest, we’ve grown our products, improved our programs, and fostered incredible relationships within the Marketing Loyalty & Products space. Adding new talent and preparing for future growth makes me reflect on my first career steps and the important lessons I learned along the way.   Long before I joined the Southwest Family, I started out as a grocery bagger. Whether grabbing the last ingredient to complete a recipe or shopping to stock your pantry, I greeted customers as the smiling face at the end of the register, ready to ask the age-old question— “Paper or plastic”? It’s there that I started to learn some of the lessons that I still use today:   Similar to an onion in the produce department, every career has layers. There’s a reason milk goes on the bottom of the grocery bag—it all starts with a sturdy foundation. At Southwest, our People supporting and rooting for each other is the foundation to our success. Efficiency and innovation are always on the “shopping list.” Without efficiency and innovation, there’s no growth, no forward momentum. My Team and I always try to stay a step ahead of our Customers and our competitors so we can continue providing the best Southwest Experience and the best industry experience. The voice of our People matters. Whether that’s someone giving feedback that their produce, in fact, shouldn’t go at the bottom of the bag, or someone on my Team sharing a new idea to improve one of our products, their opinions matter. Southwest is a maverick in the airline industry, and we’re proud of that difference and the voices that allow us to strive to be better than yesterday.   I’m thankful for my days bagging groceries and getting my start. I’m even more grateful that I can take those experiences and impact Southwest. We each bring a unique perspective and experience everywhere we go. The People of Southwest are some of the most innovative, driven, and brightest in the world. We’re searching for the best talent out there to join our Marketing Department, and we’d love to hear how your experiences can influence our Team. Visit our Marketing page to learn more and register to receive notifications as new opportunities to our join our Teams become available. I’m excited about our future and the new experiences to come for Southwest!   Sincerely, Jonathan Clarkson Vice President Marketing Loyalty & Products   P.S. Check out other Career Discussions featuring our Marketing Department: Why does this Southwest Leader love his Marketing job? by Bill Tierney, Vice President of Marketing & Digital Experience Join an award-winning Team and a Company that loves you back. by Megan Self, Senior Manager Digital Solutions Linked ... View more

Southwest Airlines is excited to announce that our Southwest ® Rapid Rewards ® Credit Cards, just got even better. The same great cards now come with more to love: more points, more benefits, and more possibilities. Starting today, new and existing Cardmembers can get even more out of their day-to-day purchases, on our Plus, Premier, Priority, and Business Credit Cards. Cardmembers now have even more rewards categories to earn Rapid Rewards points, new and enhanced benefits that provide an elevated travel experience, and inflight savings – all with no increase to your annual fees!     With these exclusive benefits , Customers can now earn on everyday spend categories such as select streaming services, local transit and commuting including rideshare. Southwest Plus and Premier Cardmembers now have the ability to enjoy two EarlyBird Check-In ® credits per year, and Premier and Priority Cardmembers have the ability to spend their way to A-List status. Cardmembers can enjoy these new perks in addition to their existing benefits , such as Anniversary Points, accelerated earn on Southwest purchases, and points on every purchase made with their card.   To celebrate the addition of the new benefits, new consumer Cardmembers can earn up to 100,000 Rapid Rewards points now through Dec. 7, 2021, for most channels – the best points offer ever for personal Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards:   New Cardmembers can earn 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $2,000 in the first three months of account opening, and an additional 50,000 points after spending $12,000 in the first twelve months from account opening   In addition, new business Cardmembers have the ability to earn up to 80,000 Rapid Rewards points:   New Performance Business Cardmembers can earn 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first three months New Premier Business Cardmembers can earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards® points after spending $3,000 in the first three months         Additionally, Cardmembers are always able to take advantage of our amazing existing benefits that come when flying Southwest, including:   Points that don’t expire No blackout dates or seat restrictions when you redeem with points Bags fly free ® (first and second checked bags, weight and size limits apply) No change fees (fare differences may apply) No cancellation fees (failure to cancel a reservation at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure may result in forfeited travel funds) All points earned with a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card count toward the coveted Companion Pass ® , which allows a traveler to select one person to fly with them for free (not including taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) every time they purchase or redeem points for a flight**   We’re thrilled to enhance our 25-year partnership with Chase by bringing more benefits than ever before to our award-winning Rapid Rewards Credit Card program, and continuing to offer the best travel products to our Cardmembers. With perks like EarlyBird Check-in, Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List status, 25% back on inflight purchases, as well as expanded benefits to categories like local transit and commuting purchases, we’re giving Cardmembers more out of their everyday travel and spending for future adventures. To learn more about the new benefits or apply for a card, visit Chase.com/Southwest.   *Freddie Awards – Best Loyalty Credit Card for four consecutive years (2017-2020), 2020 USA Today 10Best List, among others.   **Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest ® , points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. Points earned during a billing cycle on a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card from Chase are not available for redemption or qualification for Companion Pass status until they are posted on the billing statement and posted to the Member’s Rapid Rewards account. Only points posted on the billing statements and posted to the Member’s Rapid Rewards account during the same calendar year are available for qualification for Companion Pass status. The following does not count as Companion Pass qualifying points: purchased points; points transferred between Members; points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards ® , Valued Opinions, and Diners Club®; points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment; Tier bonus points; flight bonus points; and partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase). No points nor Tier or Companion Pass qualifying points will be awarded for flights taken by the Companion when flying on a Companion Pass reservation.   ... View more

Updated   We introduced our EarlyBird product in 2009, and we’ve seen the popularity of the product increase with our Customers every year. With EarlyBird, we’ll automatically check you in and assign your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight’s departure—12 hours before general boarding positions become available. With our open seating policy, EarlyBird improves your seat selection options to help you choose your favorite seat, and it’s one less thing to think about prior to travel.   Until now, the price for EarlyBird has been a flat rate for all routes—starting at $10 in 2009, and is currently $15. Beginning August 29, we are moving to a variable pricing structure.   The price Customers will pay for their flight will depend on a combination of two factors: the length of the flight and the popularity of EarlyBird on that particular route. The price will be the same each way on any given route and will not change by day of week or time of day. Therefore, the price of the EarlyBird product on a particular route will be set at one of the three price points. Southwest may update pricing in the future based on route popularity and as the product continues to evolve.   We’re making this change so we can continue offering a product our Customers love. Of course, an increase in the price of a product is rarely welcome news, but as EarlyBird increases in popularity, we want to protect the value it offers our Customers. Unlike our competitors, at Southwest we provide our Customers the ability to choose products they are willing to pay for—like EarlyBird—instead of punitively charging a fee to check your first or second bag or change your reservation. Those fees don’t fly on Southwest Airlines, and we have no plans to change that.   EarlyBird continues to be a popular product for our Customers, and it’s a valuable source of revenue that helps us keep our everyday fares low while not nickel-and-diming our Customers. We give our Customers the ability to choose the products they value most, and we do our best to make sure those products deliver on the Customer Experience they’ve come to know, expect, and love from Southwest Airlines.   ... View more

Beginning today, there will be some changes in the cost of using Rapid Rewards® Points to purchase tickets at Southwest. On average, it will cost slightly more, about 6 percent more, to travel using a Wanna Get Away® fare and quite a bit less, 35 percent less, in the Business Select® fare, and 22 percent less for an Anytime fare.     It’s our hope that the updates to our Rapid Rewards® program will make it more attractive for you to redeem the fare type that fits your travel needs. It will also make redemptions more affordable when you are booking close to your departure date and Wanna Get Away® fares are sold out.   We’re making it even more affordable to use your points to fly on Business Select or Anytime fares. If you choose to redeem your Rapid Rewards® points for a Business Select ticket, you’ll be among the first to board your flight and receive a complimentary premium drink. Not to mention the option to use Fly By® Priority Lane access.   The more things change, the more they stay the same. The key tenets of our program—no blackout dates, every seat is an award seat, and points that don’t expire—are completely unaffected by these changes. So take advantage of the opportunities this opens up.   We appreciate you and look forward to seeing you onboard very soon! Visit Southwest.com to book your next trip. ... View more

For the second time since it’s relaunch in 2011, Rapid Rewards was named Airline Program of the Year at InsideFlyer magazine's 29th   annual Freddie Awards ceremony last night in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Southwest Team also took home the awards for Best Customer Service, Best Loyalty Credit Card and Best Airline Redemption Ability.   For those who aren’t familiar, the Freddie Awards is one of the most prestigious member-generated awards in the travel loyalty industry. The Freddie Awards give a voice to the frequent flyer and nearly three million votes are cast annually.  It is truly an honor receive for these highly coveted awards.   It is with such gratitude to all of you that we accept these industry honors. These accolades reflect the heart and hospitality that our dedicated Employees share day in and day out. And thank you to our Customers who voted for Rapid Rewards. We are thrilled to be recognized your program of the year!   ... View more

As we began the New Year on January 1, we took the opportunity to close a loophole in our Rapid Rewards Companion Pass terms and conditions related to transferred points from our Partners. This was an effort intended to clarify qualification requirements for Companion Pass, one of the best benefits in travel, as well as to protect the integrity and value of the Rapid Rewards program.    In doing so, we updated our terms and conditions which now clearly state that points transferred from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions and Diners Club will no longer count toward qualification for a Companion Pass.  Members will continue to earn toward Companion Pass benefits through paid flights flown on Southwest, Points earned through spend with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit cards, and base points earned through transactions with Rapid Rewards partners.   Many of you have reached out to us since then, and we greatly appreciate your honest and candid feedback. Because we are a Company that values our Customers and believes in doing the right thing, we are offering a limited window for Customers to earn toward Companion Pass by transferring their loyalty points from these Partners.   To that end, points converted from the above mentioned programs will count towards a Companion Pass until March 31, 2017. This is a hard deadline and we will not be able to make any exceptions beyond March 31. If you have points with these Partners that you wanted to transfer, please do not wait. Make the transfer before the deadline.    We appreciate all of our Customers and look forward to seeing you onboard very soon! ... View more

We did it, together! This year, our loyalty program, Rapid Rewards®, conquered the Freddie Awards and won Program of the Year and Best Customer Service. We could not have done it without your votes, and we cannot thank you, our Members, enough. The Freddie Awards has grown to be one of the most respected industry awards because the votes come directly from you, the Members. We’ve known for years that we have the best Customers—in any industry—and others are starting to notice. Our Rapid Rewards Program is designed around a simple concept—make earning reward flights faster and easier. With Rapid Rewards, there are no blackout dates and every seat is a reward seat.  If we have an available seat, it’s yours. It’s that simple. Thank you, from each one of us at Southwest, for trusting us with your travel and voting for Rapid Rewards. ... View more

Your next trip just got easier AND more rewarding thanks to Rapid Rewards and Lyft. Who doesn’t love more Rapids Rewards points? Now, first-time Lyft Customers who are also Rapid Rewards Members will receive a total of 1,100 Rapid Rewards points on their first ride in the select Southwest markets. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport Dallas Love Field Los Angeles International Airport Louisville International Airport McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas) Nashville International Airport Oakland International Airport Reagan National Airport (Washington, DC) San Antonio International Airport San Diego International Airport Southwest is looking to give Customers a seamless connection to their destinations by encouraging travelers to take advantage of easy, hassle-free transportation to any destination in select cities. Like Southwest, Lyft, a phone application-based ridesharing program, is Customer-focused and seeks to offer excellent travel experiences. Not a Rapid Rewards member?  No worries! A separate offer is currently available to all Southwest Customers, offering $15 off a first-time ride with Lyft in the same Southwest markets. The offer took effect on Mar. 22 and runs through the end of 2016. The two offers cannot be combined. For more information about Lyft visit Lyft.com. ... View more

Let’s reminisce on 2011. What comes to mind? The Royal Wedding? Adele becoming a household name? Saying farewell to Harry, Ron, Hermione and everyone from Hogwarts? For us at Southwest, 2011 was a memorable year, but not because Rebecca Black forcefully reminded us how awesome “Friday” was. It was five years ago that Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards loyalty program was relaunched to what it is today;  the program was redesigned to offer newer, better, more competitive benefits. Our Rapid Rewards program has been pretty impressive the last few years, but if you’re a Rapid Rewards Member you know that. We’ve flown 14 million zero-fare passengers; that is more award passengers than American Airlines/US Airways, Alaska, and JetBlue combined! With such great benefits, naturally, our program is being recognized. No other airline has won more Freddie Awards since 2013. Moreover, The Wall Street Journal called our Companion Pass “The Best Perk in Travel” (WSJ, February 2016). In case those facts weren’t impressive enough, the number of Rapid Rewards Members has more than doubled since launching the new Program. In order words, it took us almost 25 years (1987-2011) to enroll the same number of Members that we have added in the last 5 years (2011-2015). Despite the great success, we are continuously looking to enhance the program to satisfy YOU--our loyal Customer. In December 2015, we launched the capability for our Rapid Rewards Members to donate their points to a select group of charities.  Since the launch, our charities have received more than five million Rapid Rewards Points directly from our Members. Thanks to our Rapid Rewards Members for five great years. We can’t wait to see what the future holds! For more information about the Rapid Rewards Program visit: www.southwest.com/rapidrewards and to vote for Rapid Rewards in the Freddie Awards visit www.vote.freddieawards.com. ... View more

A beautiful beach and an even more renowned golf link: Southwest Airlines hosted its Rapid Rewards Visa Signature by Chase Cardmembers for a golf getaway at The Lodge at Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, California.  Our Cardmembers received the opportunity to tee off with Professional Golfer Peter Jacobsen at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy.   ... View more

Southwest is proud to announce our newest Rapid Rewards partner, ScoreBig™. As a Rapid Rewards Member, you can now earn points on ticket purchases for the hottest games and shows nationwide. ScoreBig allows Rapid Rewards Members to buy great tickets to their favorite sports, concerts, or Broadway shows, and earn points that can be used to book their next vacation. Members earn between 3-22 points per dollar spent on purchases made through scorebig.com/southwest. And to celebrate the launch of our partnership, a 1,000 point bonus will be awarded to Members after their first purchase with ScoreBig through June 30, 2015. Following the launch, Members will receive a 500 point bonus with their first purchase. This is the latest partnership announcement for a program that continues to grow. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards frequent flier program offers a unique combination of Every Seat is an Award Seat, No Blackout Dates, points that don’t expire, and a route map that reaches more than 90 different destinations in the U.S. and beyond, making us the largest domestic carrier in the U.S. We offer unique differentiators that other airlines don’t so not only is it easy to redeem points, but we hope that will leave you encouraged to come back for more of what you can’t get anywhere else, including no change fees and bags fly free. For more information on our partnership with ScoreBig, or to become a Rapid Rewards member, visit Southwest.com. ... View more

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards took home Freddie Awards for Best Redemption Ability, Best Airline Customer Service and Best Loyalty Credit Card at InsideFlyer magazine’s 27 th annual Freddie Awards ceremony in Atlanta on April 30. The Freddie Awards, which began as a small recognition program in 1988, has now evolved into the most prestigious member-generated awards program in the travel loyalty industry. Each year, nearly three million frequent travelers cast their vote for the loyalty program they feel offered the best combination of benefits, awards, and returns on loyalty. Our Customers choose Rapid Rewards year after year as their favorite program and prove they are just as loyal to us as we are to them. Check out our past wins: 2014 – Best Customer Service, Best Affinity Card 2013 – Best Customer Service, Best Affinity Card 2009 – Best Award Redemption 2008 – Best Award, Best Award Redemption 2007 – Best Award Redemption 2006 – Best Award, Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Website, Program of the Year 2005 – Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Customer Service 2004 – Best Award, Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Customer Service, Best Website 2003 – Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Customer Service 2002 – Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Customer Service, Program of the Year 2001 – Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion 2000 – Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Customer Service 1999 – Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion If you voted for Rapid Rewards this year, thank you! And if you haven’t flown Southwest yet but are thinking about it, please join us!  Head to our homepage for all of your traveling needs and while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out Rapid Rewards for more information on how you can become a Member. We’re an airline that knows how to have fun and we strive to keep our Customers coming back for more. To read the news release, visit www.swamedia.com. ... View more

Imagine a frequent flier program where blackout dates are nonexistent, where every seat is an award seat, and you can use your points to fly to any of 93 destinations in the U.S. and Caribbean on the largest domestic airline in America. Sound too good to be true?  Welcome to Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, one of the most decorated frequent flier programs in the industry—but you don’t have to take just our word for it.  Today, U.S. News & World Report's 2014 rankings of the Best Airline Rewards Programs recognized Rapid Rewards as one of the best programs in the country. This recognition is not given lightly.  The Airline Rewards Programs ranking methodology considers several components, such as airline quality ratings, geographic coverage, free flight options, added benefits, and ease of earning a free round-trip flight.  Ten of the strongest airline rewards programs were considered, and in the end, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards emerged near the top as one of the very best. While this is an honor for our Company and Employees, we also think it’s a special victory for you, our Customers.  We are dedicated to taking our Legendary Customer Service to new heights and new destinations, and we can’t—and wouldn’t want to—grow without you! Not a member of our Rapid Rewards Family yet? Sign up today! ... View more

We are excited to announce today that Members of both Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards and AirTran A+ Rewards frequent flyer programs are now able to transfer their loyalty rewards between the two programs to redeem for reward travel to 97 destinations*, including Mexico and the Caribbean.   While our two loyalty programs will remain separate for now, the ability to redeem rewards for more destinations represents an enhancement to both programs. “We are thrilled to share this news today with Members of both Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards,” said Kevin Krone, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Distribution. “Members of both programs have been asking for this ability, and we know they will enjoy using their loyalty rewards to travel to even more destinations.” The ability to convert loyalty rewards requires an active account in each program. Members then use their Rapid Rewards Member account number to access the loyalty rewards conversion capability on southwest.com®. Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Members can convert their Rapid Rewards Points, active credits, and active Awards/Certificates into A+ Rewards Credits for flights on AirTran. AirTran’s A+ Rewards Members can convert their active A+ Rewards Credits into Rapid Rewards Credits for flights on Southwest Airlines. Members can make the following conversions: Transferring Southwest’s Rapid Rewards* to AirTran’s A+ Rewards 1,200 Rapid Rewards Points → 1 A+ Rewards Credit. 1 1 Rapid Rewards Credit → 1 A+ Rewards Credit. 2 1 Rapid Rewards Standard Award → 16 A+ Rewards Credits. 3 1 Rapid Rewards Freedom Award = 32 A+ Rewards Credits. 4 Note: 16 A+ Credits = one roundtrip Coach ticket on AirTran Transferring AirTran’s A+ Rewards to Southwest’s Rapid Rewards 1 A+ Rewards Credit → Rapid Rewards Credit. 5 Note: 16 Rapid Rewards Credits = 1 Standard Award  To learn more about Rewards Conversion, and view step-by-step instructions and videos, visit www.rewardsfarther.com.  For more information about Rapid Rewards, visit www.southwest.com/rapidrewards.  For more information about A+ Rewards, visit www.aplusrewards.com. * Reflects 2012 schedule changes announced through November 2, 2012. 1 Rapid Rewards Points can be converted in increments of 300. Expiration date of newly created A+ Rewards Credits will be one year from the date of creation. Please note that Rapid Rewards Points that are transferred into A+ Rewards Credits cannot be transferred back into Rapid Rewards as Points. 2 Rapid Rewards Credits can be converted in increments of .25 Credits. Expiration date of newly created A+ Rewards Credits will be the same as the original expiration date of the Rapid Rewards Credits transferred. 3 Active one-way Certificates can be transferred for 8 A+ Rewards Credits. Expiration date of newly created A+ Rewards Credits will remain the same as the original expiration date on the Award/Certificate. 4 Active one-way Certificates can be transferred for 16 A+ Rewards Credits. Expiration date of newly created A+ Rewards Credits will remain the same as the original expiration date on the Award/Certificate. 5 Credits can be converted in increments of .25 Credits. Expiration date of newly created Rapid Rewards Credits will be the same as the original expiration date of the A+ Rewards Credits converted. Once you reach 16 total combined Credits in your Rapid Rewards account, a Standard Award will automatically generate, carrying an expiration date of one year from the date the Award was created.  ... View more

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you who tuned in on Thursday to ask questions about our Rapid Rewards program during the live milepoint chat.  In the event you weren’t able to join (I mean, there was a little baseball game called the World Series on), please feel free to click here for the replay.  I’ve very much enjoyed hearing from our Members, and I look forward to more dialogue in the near future! As you all know by now, we launched our All-New Rapid Rewards program in March of this year.  No black-out dates, rewards that can be used for any available seat, and points that don’t expire are just a few of the benefits that the new program offers.  But I know some of you may have questions about the program that you’d like to ask us. The good folks over at MilePoint have offered me the opportunity to engage in a live web chat with you this Thursday, Oct. 20, from 8 - 9pm CST.  I will be happy to answer questions that cover a range of topics about Rapid Rewards.  I’ll answer as many questions as possible in that hour. For those I don’t get to, MilePoint will give us a chance to follow up with responses post-chat.  In addition, we’ll be sure to post the chat transcript here on our Nuts About Southwest blog. To register and submit questions, please click here. I look forward to hearing from you on the 20 th ! ... View more