Southwest Offering Free A-List Status to Targeted Members

Check your inboxes, as Southwest Airlines is sending out a targeted message offering complimentary A-List status in the Rapid Rewards program to some members, as reported by Doctor of Credit. The offer is highly targeted, and not everyone will qualify. Southwest has offered this freebie status before, and it’s likely not the last time we’ll see it offered, too.

How Do You Know if You’re Targeted?

Simply check your email inbox (or spam folder) to see if you’ve received an email from Southwest Airlines saying “A-List status is all yours.” As noted, this email will only go to a select group of individuals. Some reports indicate it’s going to a group of flyers who have flown a certain amount or those who have previously held A-List status.

Hot Tip: If you weren’t targeted for A-List status, learn more about how to earn Southwest elite status or status match from another airline to Southwest.

Why Is Southwest Sending Out This Offer?

With Southwest’s meltdown a few weeks ago, the airline is likely going full-court press on positive marketing, and this includes offering free status to certain travelers it intends on wooing back. While there’s no evidence that the targeted offer is going to folks impacted by the meltdown, this certainly has to be a factor at play when considering who should receive status.

What is A-List?

A-List is Southwest’s lowest tier in its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, but keep in mind that there are really only 2 elite levels, A-List and A-List Preferred, and then a separate program called Companion Pass.

A-List normally requires 20 one-way flights or 35,000 tier qualifying points to earn this level, and it comes with several cool benefits:

• Priority boarding, which basically means you’ll receive some type of “A” boarding position, though it’s after those that have paid for EarlyBird Check-In
• 25% earning bonus, which means you’ll earn 25% more points on all Southwest flights
• Same-day change benefits, which allow you to move to another flight on the same day as your original flight at no difference in fare
• Priority lanes at airport-check in and security lines
• A-List phone line, which will help route your call to an agent faster
• Free same-day standby, which allows you to go on standby for an earlier or later flight if you aren’t able to confirm the change

You’ll find many of these benefits to be the same as other airlines’ entry-level elite tiers.

Final Thoughts

Be sure to check your email to see if you were targeted to receive A-List status. While the status is only good for a few months, if you’re interested in keeping it, you’ll need to fulfill the airline’s usual requirements to keep it going for another year.