[Expired] Earn Elite Status Twice as Fast With Southwest’s Newest Promotion

Updated: July 19, 2024, 2:51am CDT

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Promotion Details
What This Promo Means for 2022 Elite Status
Final Thoughts

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

If you haven’t already earned elite status with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards for 2022, now is the time to jump on board.

Earlier this year, Southwest extended status to its 2020 elites through 2021 and also deposited 15,000 tier qualifying points( TQPs) and 10 qualifying one-way flights towards status to all its active members.

The airline has just launched a new promotion to make earning its elite status even easier — though you won’t have all year.

Let’s take a look at the details.

Promotion Details

2021 Southwest promotion — Image Credit: Southwest

This offer is valid for everyone, not just existing Rapid Rewards elite members, which means earning elite status from scratch will be twice as easy:

Earn double tier qualifying points (TQPs) on flights during the promotion period.
You must register for the promotion in order to be eligible.
Flights must be booked after registering in order to qualify for double TQPs; this means that existing bookings do not qualify.
The promotion is valid now through November 30, 2021.

So what does this mean, practically speaking?

Well, Southwest has 2 levels of elite status: A-List and A-List Preferred. Although its elite statuses don’t confer the same benefits as other major U.S. airlines — such as airport lounge access and complimentary upgrades — many still find value in this program. Elites can expect priority boarding, check-in, security lane access, and free inflight Wi-Fi, among other benefits.

With Southwest’s previous promotions, the requirements for earning elite status have now dropped:

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Status	Requirements	2021 Bonus Given to Active Members	Remaining Requirements to Earn 2022 Elite Status
A-List	35,000 TQPs or 25 flights	15,000 TQPs and 10 flights	20,000 TQPs or 15 flights
A-List Preferred	70,000 TQPs or 50 flights	15,000 TQPs and 10 flights	55,000 TQPs or 40 flights

This promotion now effectively halves the amount of flying you’ll need to do in order to qualify for status. If you’re looking to take advantage of the promotion, this means you can earn yourself A-List by flying just 10,000 TQPs worth of flights or A-List Preferred by flying 27,500 TQPs worth of flights.

Be aware that you’ll only earn TQPs on paid flights — award flights don’t count for these purposes.

Unfortunately, this promotion does not also extend to the points required for Southwest’s famed Companion Pass; you’ll still need to earn those the old-fashioned way.

Hot Tip: Learn about the best ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points and co-branded Southwest credit cards that can help earn tier points towards elite status in our helpful guides.

Final Thoughts

This is an excellent promotion for anyone who has not yet earned elite status for 2022 with Southwest. Thanks to previous promotions depositing additional TQPs into members’ accounts, those looking to maximize this promotion can earn A-List status with as few as 10,000 TQPs through November 30, 2021. Just be sure to register first — and wait to book your flights until after registering.