Southwest Rapid Rewards Program Review

It's worth getting a Southwest credit card if you're a frequent flyer who is brand loyal to Southwest Airlines. There are 5 Southwest credit card offers available right now, all of which are issued by Chase and require at least good credit for approval.

If you're not a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer, you're probably better off with a travel rewards credit card that's equally rewarding no matter which airline you use or where you book your flights. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Capital One Venture Card are two particularly good options. 

Bonvoy members can transfer Marriott rewards points to Southwest Airlines by visiting the Marriott website. But first, you must be registered as a member of both Marriott Bonvoy and Southwest's rewards program, Rapid Rewards. It's important that your name is the same on both accounts. To transfer your points, head to Marriott's transfer page and follow the prompts to enter the number of points you want to convert to Southwest Rapid Rewards points. Typically, it takes about a week for the miles to show up in your Rapid Rewards account, but it could take up to 6 weeks.

Three Marriott points count for 1 Southwest Rapid Rewards point. For example, transferring 90,000 Marriott points will get you 30,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points. Members must transfer a minimum of 3,000 Marriott points, up to a maximum of 240,000 points per day. And for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred, you'll get an extra 5,000 Rapid Rewards points.

Rapid Rewards members can also earn 600 rewards points for every qualifying stay at a Marriott property. To be eligible, Rapid Rewards members must have a Marriott Bonvoy membership. It could take up to 8 weeks after completion of your Marriott stay for the points to be credited to your Rapid Rewards Account.

Southwest points do not expire as long as the Southwest account is open and in good standing. The only time Southwest points expire is when you or Southwest closes the account without first redeeming unused rewards.

When Southwest points will expire:

• When you close your account.
• If Southwest closes the account for you.

Even though Southwest points do not expire, it's still a good idea to avoid building up a big Southwest rewards balance because that would make you more vulnerable to rewards devaluation.

If you're trying to choose an airline rewards program and are concerned about rewards expiration policies, you can see how the Southwest points expiration policy compares to other popular companies' policies in the table below.

Southwest Points Expiration vs. The Competition 

You can't use Southwest points to book a hotel room at the moment. Southwest has temporarily paused the ability to redeem points for hotel stays or any of the "More Rewards" redemption options due to Covid. This includes merchandise, international flights on global carriers, rental cars, gift cards and exclusive cardmember experiences.

For now, the only way to redeem your Southwest points is for Southwest flights.

The number of points you need for a free flight on Southwest Airlines can be anywhere between 6,600 and 58,000 for a one-way economy class ticket in high season.

Here are some examples of point requirements for common flights so you can have a broader idea about what to expect:

• New York to Los Angeles: about 21,000 points
• New York to Chicago: about 6,600 points
• New York to Cancun: about 33,600 points
• Los Angeles to Orlando: about 20,000 points
• Los Angeles to Cancun: about 58,000 points

For loyal Southwest flyers, a Southwest credit card can help you earn points and get free flights faster. Most Southwest credit cards are offering initial bonuses for spending a certain amount within a few months of opening an account. Such a bonus alone could get you a free flight or two. You need at least good credit to get approved for a Southwest credit card.

You can redeem your accumulated Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus points for Southwest Airlines flights, international flights on global carriers, gift cards, hotel stays, car rentals, and merchandise. To start, log into your Rapid Rewards account on the Southwest.com homepage.

As far as value goes, points are worth at least 1.3 cents and can be worth roughly 3 cents apiece for certain flights. In general, short-haul flights offer better value.

There can be many reasons why your Southwest Priority Card application was denied, such as:

• A low credit score
• Too much existing debt
• Not enough disposable income
• Too many recent inquiries on your credit report
• A recent delinquency on your credit report

You can try asking for a reconsideration by calling (888) 270-2127, but there's no guarantee the issuer will change its decision about your denial.

No, buying Southwest points is not worth it. Southwest Rapid Rewards points are worth an average of 1.33 cents each, while buying them costs around 3 cents per point, which means you would not be getting a good deal.

The problem is you will need enough points to cover the entire cost of at least a one-way flight because Southwest Airlines doesn't allow customers to combine two forms of payment. So, even though buying points isn't a good value, it might be necessary in some situations when you're just a little short.

The best way to use your Rapid Rewards points is to save them up until you can cover the full cost of a flight. You can earn points by using a Southwest Airlines credit card or shopping online on one of the Southwest Airlines purchasing portals.

Three Ways to Earn Southwest Points Without Buying Them

1. Use one of your Southwest credit cards. You can earn points on eligible purchases if you use a Southwest Airlines credit card. Southwest cards give you more points for buying airline tickets than if you buy them without a card, and they will also allow you to earn rewards on purchases unrelated to travel. 
2. Buy airline tickets with a Southwest loyalty number. One of the best ways to earn Rapid Rewards points without spending money on them directly is to fly with Southwest. By signing up for the Southwest loyalty program before you fly, you can earn points every time you fly with Southwest Airlines.
3. Use the Southwest purchasing portals. Southwest Airlines has two online shopping platforms, Rapid Rewards Dining and Rapid Rewards Shopping. If you want to use the platforms, you will need to sign in with your loyalty rewards program ID. Your loyalty rewards ID is the same number you would use when you are purchasing tickets.

After earning Rapid Rewards points, you can use them to pay for your flights. You can check out WalletHub's guide on the Southwest Rapid Rewards program for a full breakdown.

You can get “free” flights with Southwest Rapid Rewards by redeeming your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points online or over the phone when you book a flight with Southwest Airlines. You will need to have enough points saved to cover at least the cost of a one-way ticket. Southwest does not allow you to mix multiple forms of payment for a single booking.

The exact number of points you will need depends on how much your ticket costs. Additionally, the airline can change the value of their Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points at any time, so you will want to use your rewards regularly to avoid devaluation. Earning points is relatively simple. You just sign up for a free Rapid Rewards membership and make eligible purchases. Using a Southwest Airlines credit card will help you earn rewards and free flights even faster.

How to Redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards Points for a Free Flight

1. Access your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards account. The easiest way to book your free flight with points is online or through the Southwest app. You can also call Southwest at 1-800-435-9792 and redeem your points for travel.
2. Choose the flight you want to book. Once you're logged into your account, you can find a flight to book by inputting the departure date, the trip location, and the return date when applicable.
3. Check to see how many points you need. When looking for potential flights, make sure you search for flights by point value and not dollar value, so you can see your flight cost in points.
4. Book your flight. Once you choose where and when you want to fly, and you've saved up enough Rapid Rewards points, you are ready to book your “free” flight. Although you will use points to pay for the ticket, you will still need to use a credit or debit card to pay the taxes and fees.

You can learn more by checking out WalletHub's full review of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program. If you aren't a frequent Southwest passenger, you can take a look at all of the best frequent flyer programs to compare your options.