Do I Get Southwest A-List When I Transfer Points for the Companion Pass?
"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?
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.
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.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees