Save your points: Southwest offering award discounts on select early and late flights
There's a lot to like about Southwest's Rapid Rewards program. From flexible change and cancellation policies to no blackout dates on award tickets and an array of rewarding credit cards, many travelers value the simple, flexible nature of the program — as do TPG staffers.
Now, the airline is offering an apparently new feature on select flights that can make your Rapid Rewards points go even further.
If you use your points to book select early morning flights (8 a.m. or earlier) or evening flights (7 p.m. or later), you could save 20% off the standard award rate.
We first noticed this when searching for an early 2025 flight from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).
Even though both the 3:20 and 7:20 p.m. departures have the same cash price ($176.98), you'll save 2,499 points by booking the evening flight through Rapid Rewards. This boosts your redemption value from 1.37 cents per point to 1.71 cents per point — well above TPG's July 2024 valuations.
This award redemption savings was also available in the other direction and across multiple dates — including high-demand travel periods like Thanksgiving and on one-stop itineraries.
The discount applies on both Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares, though not on higher-priced Anytime and Business Select tickets.
Unfortunately, these discounts seem to be available on a very limited selection of flights. We searched dozens of routes across the U.S. on various dates, and we only found them on a handful:
- MCO to MSY and MSY to MCO
- MCO to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and BWI to MCO
- MCO to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and PIT to MCO
- Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) and VPS to BNA
However, multiple other routes out of MCO, including flights to Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Denver International Aiport (DEN) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in Missouri, weren't showing the discount at all.
It's unclear if the savings will become more widespread over time, but for now, it's worth checking to see if any are available that match your travel plans.
And since Southwest makes it really easy to change an award ticket when the price drops, you could potentially modify an existing trip to an early (or late) flight to enjoy a partial refund of Rapid Rewards points.
We've reached out to Southwest for more details on this offering, and we'll be sure to update this story with any additional information we receive.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month