Southwest Rapid Rewards: The Complete Guide

Introduction: The End of Open Seating

For over 50 years, Southwest Airlines was defined by the “Cattle Call”—the open seating policy that rewarded early check-ins with the best seats. That era ends tomorrow. As of January 27, 2026, Southwest has transitioned to a fully assigned seating model, introducing premium options like “Extra Legroom” and “Preferred” seats to compete with legacy carriers.

With these operational changes comes a significant shift in value. The famous “Two Bags Fly Free” policy now only applies to the most expensive “Choice Extra” fares. For everyone else, baggage fees apply—making the Rapid Rewards credit cards, which waive the fee for the first bag, virtually mandatory for frequent flyers. Despite this, the core redemption promise remains: if a seat is for sale with cash, you can buy it with points, with no blackout dates.

What is the value of a Southwest point?
In 2026, Southwest Rapid Rewards points are consistently valued at 1.3 to 1.4 cents per point (cpp). Unlike other programs with dynamic award charts that can fluctuate wildly, Southwest points are revenue-based. If a flight costs $130, it will require approximately 9,500 to 10,000 points. This makes Rapid Rewards one of the most predictable currencies for domestic travel, though it lacks the “outsized value” potential of international business class redemptions found in programs like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

The New 2026 Ecosystem: Assigned Seating & Boarding

The transition to assigned seating completely rewrites the playbook for flyers. If you are flying on or after January 27, 2026, the old “A, B, C” boarding groups are replaced by a numbered group system (Groups 1–8). Here is how the new hierarchy works:

The “Gotcha” for Basic Economy:
Previously, even “Wanna Get Away” fares allowed you to pick any open seat if you boarded early enough. Now, the new “Basic” fare behaves like Basic Economy on United or Delta—you are assigned a seat at check-in, likely a middle seat in the back. Furthermore, if you don’t hold a Southwest credit card, you will pay out of pocket for every checked bag.

Earning Points: Flying and Credit Cards

You earn points based on the fare class purchased. However, the fastest way to accumulate a meaningful balance is through credit card spend and welcome bonuses, especially given the new 2026 earning structures.

The 2026 Credit Card Overhaul

Chase and Southwest refreshed their card lineup to align with the assigned seating model. The most significant change is the Tier Qualifying Point (TQP) earning rate, which helps you reach A-List status faster. Previously, you earned 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 spent. The new 2026 rules are far more generous:

• Southwest Priority & Performance Business: Earn 2,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent.
• Southwest Premier Business: Earn 2,000 TQPs for every $5,000 spent.
• Southwest Premier Personal: Earn 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent.

This math clearly favors the Priority Card. Spending $5,000 per month on the Priority card would yield 30,000 TQPs in a year—getting you 85% of the way to A-List status (35,000 TQP requirement) without flying a single mile.

Redeeming Points: The 1.4 Cent Rule

Redemptions are strictly revenue-based. The calculation is simple: Ticket Price x 72 to 78 = Points Needed. Generally, you will get between 1.3 and 1.4 cents per point in value. For example, a $140 flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Las Vegas (LAS) will cost approximately 10,000 to 10,500 points.

Sweet Spots?
Unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards, where you can transfer to Hyatt for 4+ cents per point, Southwest offers consistency rather than high-ceiling value. The best “sweet spots” are during fare sales. Since points usage is tied to the dollar price, when Southwest launches a “$49 fare sale,” the points cost drops to ~3,500 points. This is the best time to lock in speculative bookings.

Pro Tip: Always book one-way tickets. Since there is no financial penalty for booking two one-ways versus a roundtrip, this gives you maximum flexibility to change or cancel just one leg of your journey without re-pricing the entire itinerary.

Companion Pass: The Ultimate Travel Hack

The Southwest Companion Pass remains the most valuable benefit in domestic travel. It allows a designated companion to fly with you for free (plus taxes of ~$5.60) an unlimited number of times. This effectively doubles the value of your points to 2.6+ cents per point whenever you travel with your partner.

2026 Requirements

To earn the Companion Pass in 2026 (valid for the rest of the year plus all of 2027), you must:

1. Fly 100 one-way qualifying flights; OR
2. Earn 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points.

Points earned from credit card sign-up bonuses and everyday spending count toward the 135,000 total. A critical “gotcha” to avoid: Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards DO NOT count toward Companion Pass qualification. You must earn the points directly through Southwest or its co-branded cards.

New Assigned Seating Rules for Companions:
Starting January 27, 2026, companions inherit the seating priority of the pass holder. If you are an A-List Preferred member and book a free Extra Legroom seat, your companion gets a free Extra Legroom seat next to you (subject to availability). If you buy a Basic fare, you both sit in the back. This is a significant quality-of-life upgrade for elite members traveling with family.

Elite Status: A-List & A-List Preferred

With the death of open seating, the value proposition of A-List status has shifted from “boarding early” to “seat selection cost savings.”

A-List (20 Flights or 35,000 TQPs)

• Benefit: Free selection of Preferred or Standard seats at booking.
• Upgrade: Free selection of Extra Legroom seats within 48 hours of departure (if available).
• Boarding: Guaranteed Group 5 or better.

A-List Preferred (40 Flights or 70,000 TQPs)

• Benefit: Free selection of Extra Legroom seats at time of booking.
• Boarding: Guaranteed Group 2 or better.
• Wifi: Free inflight Wi-Fi.

If you don’t fly enough to earn status, holding the Priority Card mimics the “A-List Lite” experience by granting access to Extra Legroom seats 48 hours before departure.

Transfer Partners & Top-Up Strategy

If you are short on points for a redemption, you can instantly transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest. This is useful for topping off an account, but generally, we recommend saving Chase points for higher-value partners like Hyatt or United. However, if you have a specific family trip and need to bridge a gap, the transfer is instant and fee-free.

Warning: Never transfer points speculatively. Once points are moved to Southwest, they cannot be moved back to Chase. Always confirm award availability first.