The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® program is Southwest’s loyalty program that offers rewards for flights, hotel stays, dining and more.
With unlimited rewards seats and no blackout dates, Rapid Rewards members can redeem points for flights across the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Or they can be traded in for things like hotel stays, car rentals and gift cards.
Points never expire. Plus, if you’re part of Southwest’s A-List you could have access to perks like priority boarding and same-day standby, all while earning points towards the Southwest Companion Pass.
How to earn Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points
The best way to earn Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points is with a Southwest Airlines credit card. You can rack up points quickly using one of the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards.
How to redeem Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points
On average, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points are worth 1.4 cents apiece, according to Credit Karma’s valuation. Of course, point values depend on how you choose to redeem your points, as some redemptions hold more value than others.
Here are some of the best ways to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
1. Book Southwest Airlines award flights
The best use of points is to redeem them for Southwest flights. Southwest Airlines award flights are tied to the cash price of flights, not an award chart, so how many points you need depends on the ticket cost.
Points can be used to book flights to over 100 domestic and international destinations.
2. Use rewards with partners
The airline doesn’t offer flights to Europe, Asia and other popular international destinations. But through the Southwest More Rewards program you can redeem your points to book international flights on other airlines.
3. Redeem points for hotels, dining and shopping
Have points you don’t want or need to use for flights? Points can be used for hotel stays and rental cars, along with other experiences for card members. You can also cash in your points when you shop at select retailers or use them to buy gift cards.