Southwest Rapid Rewards A- List. The Points Guy. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers.
We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Update: This offer is no longer available. View the current offer for the. We’ve also run through American’s AAdvantage program. Today, TPG contributor Nick Ewen guides us through the ins and outs of Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program and their two levels of elite status.
Southwest offers the Rapid Rewards Program. There. However, some of the other carriers here in the US can still offer terrific earning and redemption opportunities, and just about all now offer some type of elite status for their most frequent travelers. In this post, I will take you through the ins and outs of Southwest Rapid Rewards, including their two levels of elite status, the Companion Pass, co- branded credit cards, and other aspects of their program to help you maximize your redemption power. The two levels of Southwest Airlines Elite Status: A- List and A- List Preferred. Elite Status. For starters, Southwest Rapid Rewards offers two different levels of elite status: A- List and A- List Preferred. Like many other carriers, you have two different ways to earn these levels: one- way flights or tier- qualifying points (Southwest.
Here are the required thresholds for each one: A- List: 2. A- List Preferred: 5. Once you have earned the status, it is valid for the rest of that year plus the entire following year. Segments work slightly differently on Southwest than some other airlines. Essentially any paid flight on Southwest will count as a one- way flight towards one of these levels of elite status. However, keep in mind that these are different than segments on legacy airlines.
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According to the Rapid Rewards conditions, “A flight segment is defined as a one- way trip booked through. For example, if you purchase a one- way flight from Philadelphia to St.
Louis, any of the options pictured above will count as a single one- way flight towards the 2. Chicago- Midway. Tier- qualifying points are also earned on any paid flight; the earning ratio depends on the type of ticket purchased.
Southwest offers three . Each one offers different earning rates: Southwest fare earnings. Wanna Get Away: 6. X points per $1. Anytime: 1. X points per $1. Business Select: 1. X points per $1. This earning structure is essentially rewarding those high- value customers that purchase Business Select tickets, and (not surprisingly) ruffled quite a few feathers of the low- fare flyers when it was first introduced back in 2. On all three ticket types, however, you will earn tier- qualifying points that will move you down the road towards preferred status.
Louis one- way ticket: Southwest fare options. As you can see, purchasing a Business Select ticket on this route costs twice as much as the Wanna Get Away option, but it offers more than four times the Rapid Rewards Points and gets you more than 1. A- List status in one flight. If you are purchasing a last- minute flight (or if Wanna Get Away options are already gone for your desired date/flight), grabbing an Anytime or Business Select seat can get you to A- List or A- List Preferred much faster.
Unfortunately, any points earned from hotels, car rentals, retail purchases, or transfers (such as Ultimate Rewards) do not count as tier- qualifying points. However, there is one other way to earn these points without flying: through the Rapid Rewards Premier Personal and Business Visa cards. For every $1. 0,0.
A- List and/or A- List Preferred status. This maxes out at 1.
I will cover all of Southwest. However, in my experience, the free in- flight Wi. Fi doesn. Back in April, after a business meeting in Chicago, one of my A- List Preferred colleagues was flying back to San Antonio at the same time that I was flying to Albuquerque. He was gracious enough to give me his login information (Rapid Rewards number and password), and we were both able to access the internet at the same time on different flights. Southwest Companion Pass. Companion Pass. While not officially an . TPG covered this perk in great depth back in August, but it essentially allows you to designate a companion who can then accompany you on any Southwest flight that you take.
The incredible thing about this pass is that it is valid on both paid tickets and award tickets! You are just responsible for the taxes and fees on your companion. In addition, you can even change your companion three times during the validity period of the pass, adding even greater flexibility to an already terrific benefit.
Once you earn it, the Companion Pass is good for the rest of the calendar year and the following calendar year, so if you earned it now, it would be good until December 3. January 2. 01. 4, it would be good until December 3. In order to earn a companion pass, you must either fly 1. Southwest or earn 1. However, Companion Pass qualifying points are different than tier qualifying points that help you earn status. The rest of the activity came from partners. For more information on how to push your account towards the 1.
Companion Pass, check out this post. Like A- List and A- List Preferred status, the Companion Pass is valid for the rest of the year in which you earn it as well as the entire following year, so to truly maximize the benefits offered by the pass, try to earn it as early as possible. In no particular order: Check bags for free on Southwest. No Checked Bag Fees: All travelers on Southwest are able to bring two checked bags (up to 5. US- based carriers. Jet. Blue allows one free checked bag, while Delta, American, US Airways, United, Virgin America, and Alaska all charge for checked bags for non- elite flyers (with some exceptions for co- branded credit card holders). No Change/Cancellation Fees: All of the legacy carriers charge exorbitant fees to cancel or change a ticket, but Southwest doesn’t charge anything.
If your plans change, you can change your ticket and only be subject to any applicable fare difference. This applies for both paid and award tickets.
If you cancel a ticket, the full amount you paid becomes a voucher that can be put towards future flights. However, they did just recently announce a relatively minor change to this policy: less flexible Wanna Get Away and DING fares must be cancelled at least 1. If not, the entire value of the ticket will be lost. Even with this small devaluation, this is still far and away the most lenient change/cancellation policy of any airline in the US. Southwest and Air. Tran have merged.
Merger with Air. Tran: Another unique aspect of Southwest is their ongoing merger with Air. Tran. As of now, the two carriers still have several separate operations, but they have succeeded in connecting their route networks.
This means that you can now book a Southwest- only, Air. Tran- only, or combination Southwest/Air. Tran flight on Southwest. Any of these three options will earn you Rapid Rewards points, and you can even use your Companion Pass on all itineraries booked through Southwest.
Unfortunately, all international flights must be booked through Air. Tran. com, which doesn. However, transferring A+ Credits to Rapid Rewards points will not count as tier- qualifying points, nor will they count towards earning a Companion Pass. Southwest credit card options.
Credit Cards. Just like many other carriers, Southwest offers a variety of credit cards that can help you pad your Rapid Rewards account balance, and a couple even help with earning and retaining your status. Here are the different options and their current benefits: Rapid Rewards Premier Card (Personal and Business versions available): 2.
Southwest, Air. Tran, and Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental Partners. Ability to redeem points for international flights, cruises, hotel stays, car rentals, and gift cards.
No foreign transaction fees. Rapid Rewards Plus Card (Personal and Business versions available): 2. Southwest, Air. Tran, and Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental Partners. Ability to redeem points for international flights, cruises, hotel stays, car rentals, and gift cards. Upcoming Devaluation. There. In the past, these redemptions would set you back 6. March 3. 1, 2. 01.
Anytime and Business Select redemptions will remain the same). Remember that Southwest allows you to change your award reservations at any time without any penalty (only any applicable fare difference), so if you have travel plans for next spring or summer that involve Southwest, try to lock in your flights sooner rather than later. Despite the lack of luxurious long- haul business class and the relative bore of a true revenue- based frequent flyer program, Southwest Rapid Rewards still offers some great ways to be rewarded for your loyalty and some terrific perks to maximize the points you do earn for travel across the country. Please feel free to share your own personal experiences below! For more information on Southwest Airlines, read these previous posts: Southwest Devalues Rapid Rewards Redemptions On Wanna Get Away Fares. Southwest Launches Its New No Show Policy Today Maximize Monday: Southwest Companion Pass FAQ And Strategies Intro APRRegular APRAnnual Fee.
Foreign Transaction Fee. Credit Rating. N/A1. Variable $9. 50%Excellent Credit.