SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCES SEVERAL ENHANCEMENTS TO RAPID REWARDS PROGRAM FOR 2024

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Southwest Airlines announces enhancements to Rapid Rewards program

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• Southwest Airlines announced five enhancements to its Rapid Rewards program, aimed at rewarding loyal members and making it easier for customers to earn and enjoy benefits. The enhancements include lowering flight requirements for A-List and A-List Preferred tier status, awarding A-List Preferred members with complimentary premium drinks, and allowing customers to pay for flights using a combination of cash and Rapid Rewards points.

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Enhancements include lowering flight requirements and Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card spend to reach A-List and A-List Preferred tier status faster; new perk for A-List Preferred; and more

DALLAS, Oct. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced five enhancements to the award-winning Rapid Rewards^®1 program. The enhancements reward the airline's loyal Members by making it easier for Customers to earn tier status; awarding A-List Preferred Members with up to two complimentary premium drinks; and allowing Customers to pay for Southwest^® flights using a combination of cash and Rapid Rewards^® points.

"We're making our award-winning Rapid Rewards program even stronger, by adding new enhancements to our loyalty program, making it even easier for Members to earn and enjoy their benefits," said Jonathan Clarkson, Vice President of Marketing at Southwest Airlines. "By lowering the tier requirements and making credit card spend count double toward tier requirements, we're able to deepen engagement with our brand and cobranded credit cards, while maintaining the core program values that our Customers know and love—including unlimited reward seats, no blackout dates, and points that don't expire."

1. Earn A-List Status Faster: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Southwest Rapid Rewards™ Members only need to fly 20 one-way qualifying flights² (previously 25) or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points³ to reach A-List status.
2. Earn A-List Preferred Status Faster: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Rapid Rewards Members only need to fly 40 one-way qualifying flights² (previously 50) or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points³ to earn A-List Preferred status.
3. Earn Tier Qualifying Points Faster with Southwest Rapid Rewards™ Credit Cards from Chase: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will receive 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent⁴ (previously $10,000) on purchases using their Rapid Rewards Premier, Premier Business, Priority, or Performance Business Credit Cards from Chase.
4. New Perk Alert—Complimentary Premium Drinks for A-List Preferred Status: Starting Nov. 6, 2023, A-List Preferred Members can receive up to two complimentary premium drinks per flight, added directly to their mobile boarding passes.⁵
5. Redeem with Cash + Points: Starting in spring of 2024, Rapid Rewards Members will have the option to pay for their flight with a combination of cash and points, starting with as few as 1,000 points.⁶

Join Rapid Rewards
The Southwest Rapid Rewards™ program is designed around a simple concept—make earning reward flights faster and easier. With Rapid Rewards, every seat is a reward seat, there are no blackout dates, and points don't expire. Customers can create an account to become a Rapid Rewards Member at Southwest.com.

ADDITIONAL TERMS
¹All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms.

²Tier qualifying flights are revenue flights purchased and flown.

³Tier qualifying points are earned from revenue flights during the qualifying year or through select Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase and are exclusive of bonuses or promotions.

⁴Tier qualifying points (TQP) earned through spending using the Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, and the Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card will count toward A-List/A-List Preferred qualification based on when they are posted to the Member's Rapid Rewards account and NOT based on spending date. The points will be posted to the Member's account after the statement closing date, which will be different for each Customer.

⁵On flights traveling 176 miles or more, A-List Preferred Members receive up to two complimentary premium drinks per leg. Flights traveling 175 miles or less only serve water. Drink coupons are subject to availability. Service may also be limited at Southwest's discretion. This coupon has no cash value. Drink coupon is void if altered, sold, purchased, brokered, or bartered. Non-exchangeable for other goods or services. Southwest Airlines reserves the right to discontinue its drink coupon program at any time. The coupon is invalid after the expiration date and will not be updated or replaced. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol purchased with drink coupons must be consumed onboard the aircraft.

⁶Cash + Points will allow Rapid Rewards Members to combine points with other eligible forms of payment to purchase flights, starting in the spring of 2024. Not all Customers will see Cash + Points as an available payment option during the initial rollout. Cash + Points bookings will not earn Rapid Rewards points, tier qualifying points for A-List or A-List Preferred status, or Companion Pass qualifying points.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.  
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline⁷. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 71,000⁸ People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 126 million Customers carried in 2022. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years⁹ of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a four-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet. 

⁷Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021
⁸Fulltime-equivalent active Employees     
⁹1973-2019 annual profitability    

 

 

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

FAQ

What are the enhancements announced by Southwest Airlines?

Southwest Airlines announced five enhancements to its Rapid Rewards program. These include lowering flight requirements for A-List and A-List Preferred tier status, awarding A-List Preferred members with complimentary premium drinks, and allowing customers to pay for flights using a combination of cash and Rapid Rewards points.

When will the new flight requirements for A-List and A-List Preferred status go into effect?

The new flight requirements for A-List and A-List Preferred status will go into effect on January 1, 2024.

What is the new perk for A-List Preferred members?

Starting from November 6, 2023, A-List Preferred members can receive up to two complimentary premium drinks per flight.

Will Rapid Rewards members be able to redeem flights with a combination of cash and points?

Yes, starting in the spring of 2024, Rapid Rewards members will have the option to pay for their flights with a combination of cash and points.

Do Rapid Rewards points expire?

No, Rapid Rewards points do not expire.