[Expired] Select Flyers Can Now Buy Southwest Elite Status — But Is It Worth It?

Updated: August 23, 2024, 11:45am CDT

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Southwest Selling Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) — What To Know
Final Thoughts

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Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

Southwest is selling its elite qualifying points to targeted travelers, which could potentially help you earn A-List status with the airline.

However, this promotion is only available through August 22, 2024. In this post, we’ll dive into the details you need to know and assess whether the juice is worth the squeeze.

Southwest Selling Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) — What To Know

Southwest Airlines‘ latest promotion allows Rapid Rewards members to buy up to 35,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs) to qualify for status by December 31, 2025. However, in order to be targeted for this offer, you must have earned at least 3,000 TQPs so far. Here’s how much it will cost you:

1,000 TQPs: $175
2,500 TQPs: $350
5,000 TQPs: $650
7,500 TQPs: $875
10,000 TQPs: $999
15,000 TQPs: $1,199
20,000 TQPs: $1,350
25,000 TQPs: $1,499
35,000 TQPs: $2,190

You can see if you qualify via Southwest’s landing page here. As you can see above, buying TQPs isn’t cheap. That said, if you’re short of a few thousand TQPs for Southwest elite status, this promotion could potentially be worth it for you.

Southwest MCO to HOU cabin dimmed — Huge changes are coming to Southwest soon, including Wi-Fi and seat upgrades. Image Credit: Jessica Merritt

If you purchase the maximum amount — 35,000 TQPs — you will be granted A-List, the lower level of Southwest’s elite status. Benefits include priority boarding and check-in, 25% bonus points on Southwest flights, free same-day standby, and a dedicated customer service line.

However, it remains to be seen how useful this level of elite status really is. Earlier today, the airline announced a major change: rolling out assigned seating. Once the boarding process changes happen, this would largely eliminate the need for priority boarding, which is a key benefit of A-List status.

Hot Tip:

Southwest is selling TQPs via Points.com, which won’t code as travel purchases. Consider using a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which earns 2x miles on all eligible purchases.

Final Thoughts

This status buy-up promotion will largely be a pass for most Southwest flyers — especially amid questions about the major boarding process changes that are soon coming to the airline. Priority boarding for you and all travelers on the same reservation has long been the main draw of A-List, so the elite status perks are no longer as valuable.

If you’re interested, be sure to take advantage before Thursday, August 22.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.