How many Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points do you need for a free flight?

Summary

• Earn Rapid Rewards points for free flights by flying, using a credit card and taking advantage of partner offers.
• Factors such as fare type, destination and travel date determine how many points you need for a free flight.
• Southwest’s flexible Cash + Points system allows members to benefit from discounted fares even if they don’t have enough points.

Southwest Airlines is known for its customer-friendly policies, extensive route network and popular Rapid Rewards program. For frequent flyers, collecting enough Rapid Rewards points to book a free flight is an important milestone.

However, figuring out how many points you need for a free flight can be a bit complicated, as it depends on a number of factors. In this article, you’ll learn more about the Rapid Rewards program, how to earn points, and how many points you typically need for a free flight.

Understanding Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program

Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program is a loyalty initiative that rewards frequent flyers with points that can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other travel-related benefits.

The program was designed to be straightforward and customer-friendly, allowing its members to earn points through a variety of channels, including Southwest flights, purchases with affiliated credit cards and use of partner services. The program’s flexibility, coupled with the lack of blackout dates, makes it an attractive choice for leisure and business travelers looking to maximize their travel benefits.

According to Southwest, Rapid Rewards points can be earned in several ways:

• Flying with Southwest Airlines: Points are earned based on fare type and ticket price.
• Credit Card Purchases: Use a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card for purchases.
• Partner Offers: Shop, dine, book hotel stays and use services from Southwest’s partners.

It is important to know that the number of points you can collect depends on the amount you spend on your flight, the type of fare you choose, your status and the payment method you use.

Factors affecting the points available and required for a free flight

The exact number of points needed for a reward flight depends on the cash price of the ticket. Remember that this fluctuates, as with all airline tickets. The factors that affect the cash price of the ticket, which in turn directly determines the number of points needed for a free flight, include:

• Tariff type: The “Wanna Get Away”, “Anytime” and “Business Select” tariffs have different price points.
• Destination and distance: Longer flights usually cost more.
• Travel date, demand and availability: Popular routes and peak times can affect the fare.

The number of points that can be used for award flights depends on a number of factors. You can use the points estimator on the Southwest Airlines website to estimate how many points you have available for a free flight. This is determined by factors such as:

• Status level
• Number of flights you pay for during the year
• The fare you normally fly with
• Using the Rapid Rewards credit card for purchases.

Rapid Rewards points are required for domestic flights

As a rule of thumb, to earn a free flight on Southwest Airlines, you’ll need at least 6,000 to 30,000 points, according to WalletHub. Let’s take a look at some domestic flights departing from Southwest’s Dallas Love Field (DAL) hub and the minimum (for a Wanna Get Away fare) and maximum (for a Business Select fare) number needed to redeem an award flight.

Please note that the flights displayed below are the cheapest nonstop flights available on September 1, 2024.

As you can see in the Low Fare Calendar (photo above), the number of points required is directly related to the cash price of the ticket (photo below), which is determined by the factors discussed above, including the travel date.

To get the most bang for your buck (or in this case, your points), plan your trip around the cheaper dates. In September, for example, the lowest fare is $70 or 4,238 points. Avoid September 22nd, which costs over two and a half times as much.

Rapid Rewards points are required for international flights

Although Southwest does not have an extensive international route network, the company offers flights to tropical destinations, primarily in Mexico and the Caribbean, according to Southwest Airlines’ route map.

Below is a comparison of the minimum point requirement for Wanna Get Away and Business Select flights from DAL to international destinations on September 1, 2024.

Cash + Points

Earning Rapid Rewards points and redeeming them for free flights on Southwest Airlines is a fairly straightforward process. By understanding the factors that affect the number of points you need and employing strategies (like using the Low Fare Calculator) to maximize your points, you can get the most out of the Rapid Rewards program. But what happens if you don’t have enough points?

Southwest recently launched its Cash + Points system, which allows Rapid Rewards members to redeem flights using a combination of cash and points. This is a useful benefit, especially for those who don’t have enough points but still want to take advantage of discounted fares. Whether you’re flying domestically or internationally, the flexibility and transparency of Southwest’s points system offers significant value to frequent flyers.