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Do I Get Southwest A-List When I Transfer Points for the Companion Pass?

March 10, 2017
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3 min read
Southwest And Other Airlines Testify At Safety Hearing On Capitol Hill
Do I Get Southwest A-List When I Transfer Points for the Companion Pass?
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"Reader Questions" are answered three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — by TPG Senior Writer Julian Mark Kheel.

With only a few weeks left to transfer hotel points to Southwest for a Companion Pass, today's Facebook question from Bill is a timely one...

[pullquote source="TPG Reader Bill"]By transferring 100,000 points from Marriott to Southwest for the Companion Pass, do I also qualify for A-List Preferred and the perks that come along with that as well?[/pullquote]

Even though Southwest doesn't feature a first or business-class cabin on its planes, it does have an elite program for its frequent flyers. Southwest A-List or A-List Preferred elite status can't get you upgraded to a cabin that doesn't exist, but it does come with priority boarding — which under the Southwest cattle-call boarding process means getting into the incredibly important "A" boarding group so you can grab your favorite seat before anyone else — priority check-in at the airport, access to the priority security line, a recently much improved same-day standby benefit and bonus points, among other perks.

But how many points do you need for A-List and A-List Preferred? Well, A-List is earned with 35,000 points or 25 one-way flights, while you get A-List Preferred at 70,000 points or 50 one-way flights. So it seems like a transfer of 100,000 points should cover that, right?

The points you'll need for Southwest A-List status aren't the same points you get when transferring from hotel programs.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, because like most airlines, Southwest uses a separate set of points called Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) to calculate elite status, and TQPs are earned only by flying or high spend on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. So the points transferred from Marriott or other hotel partners for the Companion Pass won't count.

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It's also important to note that the Companion Pass itself has its own set of qualifying points, which aren't the same as Tier Qualifying Points or even redeemable Rapid Rewards points. In other words, even though all Companion Pass points are also redeemable Rapid Rewards points, not all redeemable Rapid Rewards points are Companion Pass points and neither are always Tier Qualifying Points.

Confused yet? The easiest way to think about it is in terms of the different ways you can earn Southwest points...

  • Almost all points you earn on Southwest, no matter how you earn them, are redeemable Rapid Rewards points.
  • Points earned from a specific subset of activities, including flying, making purchases with a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card, base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners and points transferred from hotel and car loyalty programs until March 31, 2017, count as Companion Pass qualifying points.
  • Points earned from an even smaller subset of those activities — specifically flying and spending large amounts on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card (and none of the other Southwest credit cards) — count as Tier Qualifying Points.

Hopefully it all makes sense now, and thanks for the question, Bill. If you're a TPG reader with a question you'd like answered, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or send an email to info@thepointsguy.com.

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Why We Chose It

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.