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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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TPG Readers' Best Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Redemptions
After spending seven years in New York City working as a full-time writer and editor, Kaeli sold everything, left her cushy NYC apartment, and embarked on a solo travel adventure through Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand before doing the Working Holiday Visa thing in Australia and New Zealand. Kaeli then spent several months freelance writing and editing full-time as she continued to travel around Australia and New Zealand, before returning to the U.S. in March 2020. Her writing has been featured by The Points Guy, Forbes, and Budget Travel, as well as CNN Travel, Fox News Travel, NBC News Travel, Yahoo Travel and, Huffington Post Travel. Her greatest adventure: a two-month solo road trip through the Northern Territory and Western Australia while updating the Outback chapter of Fodor’s Essential Australia guidebook. Follow along with all her travel adventures on Twitter and Instagram: @KaeliTravels and her new website, KaeliTravels.com.
August 18, 2019 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial note: <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/airlines/southwest-airlines/new-restrictions-southwest-credit-cards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">This strategy no longer works</a>], switched all our spending to these cards and had the Companion Pass by March. Since we got the Companion Pass, we've taken several trips to Las Vegas (LAS), Austin (AUS) and Chicago-Midway (MDW). If there's a concert on a weekend somewhere Southwest flies, we just go. All of this was money that we would normally spend every month, and <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/ten-credit-card-commandments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">we pay off the cards with no interest</a>. Thanks TPG!‬"
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
TPG readers shared their favorite ways to use Rapid Rewards points, highlighting trips across the US, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica.
Many leveraged the Companion Pass to bring family or friends on flights at no additional cost, maximizing value on both domestic and international travel.
Several respondents reported substantial savings, with some families saving thousands of dollars or not paying for flights for years through strategic use of points and the Companion Pass.
Tips included booking as soon as schedules open, monitoring for fare drops and using travel planning tools to optimize redemptions.
What to consider
Some redemption strategies mentioned, such as earning the Companion Pass through certain methods, are no longer available.
Booking early and monitoring for fare changes can help maximize point value and secure the best deals.
Rapid Rewards points can be used for both domestic and select international destinations, with additional savings possible when combining with hotel loyalty points.
What you'll miss from the article
Real-life redemption stories and practical tactics for maximizing Rapid Rewards points and the Companion Pass for significant travel savings.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
We recently asked our TPG Lounge members and those in the new TPG Family Facebook group to share their all-time favorite redemptions through the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards loyalty program. Here’s a look at some of our favorite answers. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity).
Saving With Southwest on Trips Around the US
From inaugural flights to Hawaii to epic summer vacations at some of the best national parks in the country, our TPG Lounge members definitely know how to make the most of their Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
"The inaugural flight to Honolulu! It was less than 20,000 points to fly from Dallas (DAL) to Oakland (OAK) to Honolulu (HNL) and back." — Jake G.
"Hawaii. When they first opened access, I scored three, one-week trips to different islands from Oakland. Round-trip flights for me and my partner were no more than 15,000 points total for the three trips. The Southwest Companion Pass is the best!" — Eric H.
"Completing our 10-night stay in Hawaii! My wife and I used the Companion Pass and my son used points on the first day Southwest flights opened up in March. We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach on Marriott Bonvoy points all week!" — Michael B.
Have you flown Southwest to Hawaii yet? (Photo by Art Wager / Getty Images)
"It's the last night of our 11-day trip to national parks in Utah and Arizona. Our family of three flew from Raleigh (RDU) to Las Vegas (LAS), then Phoenix (PHX) back to RDU, with all flights on [Southwest Rapid Rewards] points." — Karen S.
"Did a summer baseball trip with my sons. Two of them paid, two used the Companion Pass [and we visited] four stadiums in eight days. We now will have visited 20 of the 30 MLB stadiums. And let's not forget our Christmas cruise, where we saved over $2,000 by using Southwest Rapid Rewards points and Companion Passes for the four of us to travel to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and back." — Richard A.
"Long-distance co-parenting: I check Southwest's Travel Planning Tools often to see the flight release dates, then book with Rapid Rewards points on the release date. If we use more than 10,000 points for the flight, we check often for a price drop and rebook. We’ve covered travel expenses with points [to fly] between New York and Florida four or five times per year with zero cost out of pocket." — Melanie S.
Trips to Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica
Some of our TPG Lounge readers mentioned how they were able to use Southwest Companion Passes to take family members with them on trips to Mexico and Costa Rica, among other popular vacation destinations.
"I brought my parents to Mexico with Southwest Rapid Rewards points, and my boyfriend on the Companion Pass, and it was a great trip. I also like to give points to friends who want to visit me but have no money." — Lisa B.
"[Flew from] Sacramento (SMF) to Baltimore (BWI) nonstop for a cruise to Bermuda. That has to be one of their longest routes. With an empty seat beside me, it was a delightful trip." — Thomas P.
"[Flew from] Baltimore (BWI) to San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) for less than 9,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points round-trip!" — JL A.
Fly Southwest to beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by dennisvdw/Getty Images)
"Had the Companion Pass when Marriott vacation packages counted toward it and used it to take my honeymoon in Aruba! Book early, then watch like a hawk for price drops. They are not uncommon and sometimes you can get a significant amount of points redeposited." — Ryan M.
"I fly from Kansas City (MCI) to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) on Southwest Rapid Rewards points every year. One ticket for me and my husband flies for free with the Companion Pass." — Sarah M.
"In the past year, our family of five flew from Denver (DEN) to Liberia, Costa Rica (twice) and from Denver to Honolulu (once). We only had to buy four tickets to Costa Rica and three to Hawaii because of Companion Passes. Book as soon as tickets are released, use the low fare calendar and get a Companion Pass or two!" — Jessica E.
Our Favorite Southwest Success Stories
While all the responses from our TPG Lounge members were impressive in one way or another, there were a few that stood out from the crowd, among them folks who saved more than $3,500 on flights and others who haven't paid for travel in years thanks to Southwest Rapid Rewards points and Companion Pass perks.
"This year, we’re on track to save around $3,750 on flights thanks to the Southwest Companion Pass." — Jessica R.
"My wife has flown 103 free flights since 2014. Also, for several years, we have used Southwest for positioning flights to get far cheaper fares to our final destination. For example, if a flight from Nashville (BNA) to Madrid (MAD) is $1,200 but only $400 from New York-JFK, I'll fly Southwest to New York for free and buy a significantly cheaper ticket to MAD from JFK." — Jeff C.
Southwest Airlines is definitely a big hit with our TPG Lounge audience. (Photo by The Points Guy staff)
"We haven’t paid for a domestic flight in years. My boyfriend travels for free with the Companion Pass, and with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, I use the More Rewards tab to book international flights. The redemptions are so varied. I think I got Chicago to Dublin for around 40,000 points, to Stockholm for around 75,000 points and to Edinburgh for around 70,000 points." — Caroline J.
"In January 2018, I saw an article TPG posted about how to earn 100,000 points towards a Companion Pass quickly. I applied for both the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card [Editor's note: This strategy no longer works], switched all our spending to these cards and had the Companion Pass by March. Since we got the Companion Pass, we've taken several trips to Las Vegas (LAS), Austin (AUS) and Chicago-Midway (MDW). If there's a concert on a weekend somewhere Southwest flies, we just go. All of this was money that we would normally spend every month, and we pay off the cards with no interest. Thanks TPG!" — Marli N.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
