How to Earn 100k+ Southwest Rapid Rewards Points [in 90 Days]

Despite not flying outside of the Americas, Southwest is still 1 of the largest air carriers in the world by multiple metrics. In fact, Southwest is the world’s fourth-largest airline by fleet size, seventh-largest by revenue, and third-largest by number of passengers carried annually.

And while most of its routes are operated within the U.S., it has an extensive route network to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean as well. This is all on top of breaking customer satisfaction records year after year.

The airline has an award-winning loyalty program, too. Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed on any Southwest flight with no blackout dates, giving you the ultimate flexibility to travel whenever you’d like. Coupled with the airline’s Companion Pass benefit, you can bring a companion on any Southwest flight you choose to fly — whether booked with points or cash.

So if you love to fly for free (and let’s be real: who doesn’t?!), join the Southwest Rapid Rewards loyalty program. You’ll earn points for flights, shopping, dining, and more which can be redeemed for free travel.

We get it: earning points sounds daunting. In this guide, we’ll show you how it’s possible to earn over 100,000 Rapid Rewards points in less than 90 days. Follow this guide closely, and you’ll find ways to stock your Rapid Rewards account with freshly minted Rapid Rewards points so you can travel for the great price of free.

Why Would You Want to Earn 100,000 Points?

Before we dive into earning, let’s address the elephant in the room: why would anyone want 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points?

Simple: during peak travel season, Southwest has more than 4,000 daily departures from cities across the U.S. That’s a ton of flight options from which to choose to help you redeem all your Rapid Rewards points! You can fly these routes to visit family, attend conferences, or take a much-needed vacation.

Even better, Rapid Rewards redemptions don’t have blackout dates, so you can use your points on any Southwest route on any day you’d like.

And remember: those 100,000+ points will really come in handy when using the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass! It effectively doubles the value of your Rapid Rewards balance when you travel with a companion.

1. Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards

One of the best ways to get your hands on Rapid Rewards points is via Chase since the program is a Chase transfer partner. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that you won’t lose points in the transfer process.

You can use 1 of 6 different Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards to earn tons of points. To transfer points to your Rapid Rewards account, you will need to have 1 of the 3 premium Ultimate Rewards cards (i.e. 1 with an annual fee). Note that both personal and business Ultimate Rewards cards are available.

Hot Tip: You can also book Southwest flights through the Chase Travel Portal online or by calling the number on the back of your credit card. This may make more sense for Chase Sapphire Reserve^® members as they can redeem at 1.5 cents per point towards paid flights. Further, you’ll actually earn Rapid Rewards on flights booked through this portal.

Just note that point transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards do not count towards Companion Pass qualification.

Here’s a look at some of the best Chase’s Ultimate Rewards-earning cards:

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

BEST BEGINNER CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

20.24% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel^SM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel^SM
• 3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases

Cons

• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Hot Tip: Check out our Transfer Partner Tool for quick calculations on point transfers.

2. Use Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards

Southwest Airlines has partnered with Chase to offer Southwest Airlines-branded credit cards.

You cannot have more than 1 Southwest consumer card at a time. Further, you also cannot get a second card if you already have received a new cardmember bonus on either card in the last 24 months.

Thankfully, this rule does not apply to the Southwest business card — so consider getting both a personal and business Southwest credit card if you want to earn a lump sum of Rapid Rewards points at once.

Thankfully, points earned with Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards do count towards Companion Pass qualification.

Here’s a look at Chase’s Southwest personal and business co-branded credit cards:

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, travel credit, upgrades, and money back on inflight purchases.

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, travel credit, upgrades, and money back on inflight purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$650

Annual Fee

$149

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card is the most premium personal Southwest card offering from Chase. When you peel back the curtain, it is easy to see why.

Not only does the card offer multiple bonus categories to help you earn more Southwest Rapid Rewards points, but it is also loaded with benefits that are sure to offer quite a bit of value to Southwest flyers.

Here is a full overview of the card to help you decide if it is a good fit for your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
• 2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare purchases
• 2x points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

Cons

• $149 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable points

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 7,500 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 3X points on Southwest^® purchases.
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• $75 Southwest^® travel credit each year.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn Southwest points on every purchase, plus anniversary points, Tier Qualifying Points, and points toward the Companion Pass!

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

Earn Southwest points on every purchase, plus anniversary points, Tier Qualifying Points, and points toward the Companion Pass!

Welcome Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $650

Annual Fee

$99

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Another week, another flight. Flying weekly can get tiring, but you know that every flight gets you closer to taking some great vacations with your significant other or your favorite travel buddy.

To save money on the flights, you like to use Southwest Airlines.

So why not get the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card to help you earn extra Rapid Rewards points?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
• 2x points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
• 2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshares

Cons

• $99 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 6,000 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 3X points on Southwest^® purchases.
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In^® each year.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card makes it easy to earn unlimited points and qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass.

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

This card makes it easy to earn unlimited points and qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass.

Welcome Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$650

Annual Fee

$69

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you spend a lot of time in the air, it’s important to get a great deal on your plane tickets.

Southwest Airlines can help you get those deals.

One way to save is by using the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card. This card helps you earn points for all your spending, and earning more reward points is always a good thing for a busy traveler!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
• 2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming

Cons

• $69 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 3,000 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 2X points on Southwest^® purchases.
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In^® each year.
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Unfortunately, you cannot earn bonus Rapid Rewards points for adding authorized users to these cards.

Hot Tip: Check out the valuable benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card.

3. Transfer Points From Diners Club International

Are you a Diners Club member? While not the most well-known rewards program, Diners Club points can also be transferred to Southwest Airlines.

Diners Club members earn a Club Rewards point for every $1 spent on their card. Their high-end card even earns 3x points per $1 spent in categories such as grocery stores, restaurants, and drugstores.

You’ll receive 1,200 Rapid Rewards points for every 1,500 Club Rewards points transferred, meaning that the transfer ratio is less than that of Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Unfortunately, it has been a few years since Diners Club accepted applications for new cardmembers, but if you have one, you can take advantage of their rewards program to help you book Southwest award flights.

4. Use Rental Car Partners

Earn 600 points per rental when you book a car through Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, or Thrifty. If you rent a car a few times per year, it’s possible to add approximately 2,000 points to your Rapid Rewards account!

Even better, Southwest frequently has special offers for its rental car partners. We’ve seen offers that give Rapid Rewards members 1,200 to 2,400 bonus points per rental and include up to 35% off rentals. These offers come and go, though, so make sure to check for them frequently.

5. Rapid Rewards Dining

Enroll in the Southwest Dining Rewards program and you’ll earn Rapid Rewards points for dining out at participating restaurants. You can link up to 6 credit and debit cards to your account to maximize your potential!

You can earn up to 3 points per dollar spent at participating restaurants – just sign up, link a credit card, and opt-in to email notifications. If you don’t opt-in to email notifications, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar spent.

Want to earn even more points? Leave a review after you dine and you’ll earn 10 bonus Rapid Rewards points. Plus, periodic sign-up bonuses give you the opportunity to earn more points upon enrollment. Currently, you’ll earn 1,000 Rapid Rewards points when you spend $25 or more at a participating restaurant and leave a review within 30 days of signing up.

Plus, you can earn even more points by completing the following requirements:

• First Step Bonus: earn 500 bonus points after earning 1,500 points through the dining program
• Thank You Bonus: earn 300 bonus points every time you earn 1,000 points through the dining program

Of course, the points you earn in Southwest Dining Rewards are on top of any points you earn just for paying with rewards credit cards. This means if you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, you can earn 3x points per $1 on top of the points you’d earn from the dining program.

6. Switch Home Utility Providers

Like many airlines, Southwest partners with alternative home utility providers to offer points to its customers.

You’ll generally earn a one-time bonus when switching to a Southwest home utility partner and bonus points for each dollar you spend on monthly utilities. Here’s a look at Southwest’s current lineup of home utility partners:

• Reliant (Texas): 15,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points after you signup and 500 additional points each month for the next 24 months for a total 0f 27,000 Rapid Rewards points.
• NRG (Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania): 10,000 enrollment bonus points after 2 months of service and 1 point per $1 spent on the supply portion of your bill every month. Rapid Rewards credit cardholders earn an additional 2,500 enrollment bonus points and an additional 1 point per $1 spent on utilities.

Just note that these providers may charge more than your local utility company for your utilities. With that in mind, it may be worth signing up for the welcome bonus and then switching back to your local provider after a few months. Make sure to carefully review your utility bill at the end of each month to see if this is the case.

7. Book Hotel Rooms Through Southwest Hotels

Like rental cars, you can also earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points when booking hotel rooms through the Southwest Hotels portal.

This portal is powered by Booking.com, so you can book millions of hotels through the portal and earn points. Each hotel earns a different number of points, with more expensive hotels usually earning more points. In the example above, you’ll earn 161 points for a $182 stay — this and other example searches lead us to believe that you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on hotel bookings, sans taxes and fees.

Just note that if you book chain hotels through the portal — think Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott properties — you likely won’t be able to use your elite status benefits or earn hotel points. Most hotel chains require that you book directly through the hotel in order to take advantage of these perks. However, you can try your luck and add your rewards number when you arrive at the hotel.

This can help you make progress towards your 100,000 goal, especially if you have lots of reimbursable business hotel stays coming up. Just make sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on travel when booking hotels.

8. Refinance Student Loans with SoFi

This offer has expired.

If you’re looking to refinance your student loans, you may be able to earn up to 50,000 Rapid Rewards points in the process.

Financial startup SoFi is offering 1 Southwest Rapid Rewards point per $2 refinanced, up to 50,000 points. So if you’re refinancing $100,000 in student loans, you can max out the deal and enjoy potentially lower interest rates in the process — especially if you’re refinancing a private loan.

SoFi notes that — at the time of writing this article — it offers fixed rates loans with interest rates between 3.46% APR to 5.98% APR while variable rates range from 1.81% APR to 7.17% APR. Note that AutoPay must be enabled to lock in these rates, and all rates and loans are subject to credit approval and creditworthiness.

This points-earning option might be worthwhile if you’re already considering a student loan refinance. Just make sure to compare SoFi’s rates with other competitors — more likely than not, the points earned aren’t worth paying more in interest.

If the interest rate checks out, this could get you half-way to your 100,000 point goal.

9. Shop Through Rapid Rewards Shopping

Finally, you can use the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal to earn bonus Rapid Rewards points on everyday purchases.

This portal lets you earn bonus points on purchases from hundreds of online merchants. Just sign up for an account and search for the merchant you’d like to make a purchase from on the Rapid Rewards Shopping website. Then, click on the merchant’s name and Southwest will direct you to the merchant’s website to make your purchase as normal. Points earned will show up in your account within 15 days of purchase.

Each merchant has a different points-earning rate, and all points are earned based on how much you spend. For example — at the time of publishing this article — Apple Store purchases are earning 1 point per dollar spent. However, this is subject to change when merchants choose to run a promotion.

Further, Rapid Rewards Shopping frequently offers spend bonuses around holidays and the back-to-school season. For example, the holiday 2019 deal awards 500 points for spending $150, 1,000 points for spending $500, and 3,000 points for spending $3,000. Take advantage of these deals to earn even more points towards your 100,000 goal.

Using Those 100,000+ Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

So, you’ve followed this guide and the points are in your Rapid Rewards account. Nice. Now, you need to choose how to spend them.

The price of Southwest award tickets is pegged directly to the cost of the flight. In our research, we’ve found that Rapid Rewards points are generally worth around 1.4 cents per point when redeemed towards flights.

With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for redeeming your Rapid Rewards points:

Visit the Big Apple: Southwest Airlines flies from a number of destinations to New York (LGA) and more often than not, you can score an excellent deal. For example, booking a one-way flight from Chicago (MDW) to New York (LGA) 3 months in advance only costs 5,805 Rapid Rewards points.

Go to the Grand Cayman Islands: Ever wanted to visit the beautiful Grand Cayman Islands? You can book a round-trip adventure to this Caribbean island from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) for around 5,040 Rapid Rewards points, plus about $90 in taxes and fees. For additional points, you can also start your journey from one of the many other U.S. cities served by Southwest Airlines.

Companion Pass: Earn 135,000 points in a calendar year, and you’ll get the Companion Pass for the remainder of the year in which you earn it plus the following year. Only certain points qualify, including points earned for:

• Flights (base but not bonus points)
• Rapid Rewards credit card purchases and welcome bonuses
• Southwest Dining
• Shopping portal purchases

This benefit will let you select a companion to travel with you for free on all flights, no matter if they’re booked with cash or points. You can change your Southwest companion up to 3 times per calendar year.

Avoid Booking Business Select Fares

When you fly Business Select, you receive special perks like getting through security quicker, priority boarding, and a free premium drink during the flight! Since you seat yourself on Southwest flights, having access to priority boarding means that you can get a better seat.

However, a Business Select flight from New York (LGA) to Houston (HOU) comes in at 43,730 points when booking 5 months in advance. Alternatively, you can book a Basic fare for just 7,148 points — so in most cases, we’d recommend booking the Basic fare to save points. You can always purchase priority boarding to secure a better seat.

Final Thoughts

Southwest Rapid Rewards are some of the easiest U.S. domestic airline points to both earn and redeem. As you’ve learned in this article, racking up your first 100,000 points can be done in less than 90 days.

Want to earn even more points? Check out our complete guide to earning Rapid Rewards points to continue earning points so that you always have a stash available for quick flights out of town.

Safe travels!