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Changes to Rapid Rewards Program

jclarkson
Employee
Employee

Rapid Rewards (1).jpg

 

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.  

 

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 

1For 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®.

 

2Beginning 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.

 

3Starting 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.

 

4All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms

4 Comments
bec102896
Aviator A

So for points bookings if you no show will it cancel the remaining segments on that reservation and you lose that as well just like revenue flights are right now? 

Corbitt_Burns
Employee
Employee

Great question! After the WGA of WGA+ flight is no showed or not cancelled within 10 minutes of the scheduled departure time:

  • Any remaining WGA and/or WGA+ flights in the itinerary will be cancelled and points will be forfeited
  • Any remaining Business Select or Anytime fare flights will be canceled and points for those flights (only) will be refunded/redeposited into Member's account

Hope that helps! 

boiler1207
Explorer C

I currently have Companion pass and will next year as well.  I anticipate becoming A list this year.  Currently my companion has received a sequential boarding pass to mine. What kind of boarding pass will my companion receive if I become A list?

Corbitt_Burns
Employee
Employee

Congratulations and thank you for your loyalty! Great to hear that you are enjoying sequential boarding. Once you become A-List, your companion will be assigned a boarding position sequential to yours. The only things that would cause that to not happen would be 1) you add your companion after your boarding position being was already assigned, 2) you purchase a Business Select fare, or 3) you purchase Upgraded Boarding