“I would love to use points for a flight, but I just don’t fly enough to earn the points I need.”
Sound familiar? We hear this all the time from people who don’t travel enough to earn miles by flying alone.
Although flying is 1 way to earn miles, there are so many other ways to rack up serious frequent flyer miles that don’t involve ever stepping foot inside of a plane.
Today, we are talking about Southwest, one of our favorite airlines for domestic and Caribbean trips. Not only is its frequent flyer program easy to use, but its customer service is also top-notch and there are no checked bag or change fees.
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Rapid Rewards is Southwest Airline’s frequent flyer program and is straightforward and easy to use.
Each flight’s price in Rapid Rewards points is dependent on the cash price of the ticket. You can expect to get right around 1.5 cents per point value. Plus, there are no blackout dates: if a cash ticket is available, you’ll be able to purchase the ticket in points.
When searching for a flight on Southwest.com, you can toggle back and forth between cash prices and points prices. Image Credit: SouthwestEarning Southwest Points With Credit Cards
You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points through Southwest credit cards and Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio, so any Ultimate Rewards points you have can be easily turned into Rapid Rewards points.
You might be surprised to know that the best-earning rate for Southwest points isn’t on the Southwest credit cards!
Many of the Chase credit cards offer better bonus categories and larger sign-up bonuses and are therefore a better long-term option. Don’t forget, when collecting Chase points you have the option of not only transferring to Southwest but also many of its other airline and hotel partners. This makes so much more sense than pooling all your points with just Southwest!
Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Learn More (at Chase's secure site) | - Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $95
$1,600
Must Reads: For more info on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, see our thoughts on its benefits and travel insurance coverage, which includes primary car rental insurance. Take a look at our full review to see why it’s one of our favorite cards. |
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Learn More (at Chase's secure site) | - Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® 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 Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
- With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- 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 PassTM Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- Excellent (740-850)
- Annual Fee: $550
$1,000
Must Reads: For more on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, see our thoughts on its benefits, global airport lounge access, and travel insurance protection. Take a look here for our full review. |
If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Chase business credit cards.
However, don’t count out the Southwest cards. They have nice sign-up bonuses and points earned from these cards count towards the Southwest Companion Pass.
Southwest Cards (Personal)
Referral Bonus From Credit Cards
Did you know you can earn points simply by referring friends and family to sign up for a credit card that you hold? Not all Chase cards have a referral bonus at all times, but they are pretty frequent. Check out our post on Chase’s refer-a-friend program for more info.
To see what referral bonus offers you have, follow these easy steps:
- Log on to your online Chase account.
- Go to the drop-down menu (≡) at the upper left-hand corner of the screen and select Just for you.
- Then click Refer friends now to see the cards you have that are offering a referral bonus. Click on the card to access your referral link.
You can earn Southwest points (via Chase) through the Chase Refer-A-Friend program. Image Credit: ChaseMarriott Bonvoy Airline Transfers
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Southwest at a 3:1 ratio. For every transfer of 60,000+ points, you get a 5,000-Southwest point bonus.
That means for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer, you’ll get 25,000 Southwest points. There’s a minimum of 3,000 points required to make a transfer and the transfer can take 1 day to complete.
Rapid Rewards Dining
You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points just by going out to eat through Rapid Rewards Dining. When you join Rapid Rewards Dining and dine at a participating restaurant and pay with your registered card, you’ll earn bonus Southwest points.
- Earn 3 points per $1 when you sign up for email notifications
- Earn 1 point per $2 when you opt-out of email notifications
There are participating restaurants all over the country. You can search for a specific restaurant or search by region. Or register your credit card and get surprised when bonus points pop up in your account!
Earn bonus points when you dine at participating restaurants with the Southwest dining program. Dining. Image Credit: Rapid Rewards DiningHow To Earn Points Dining Out
- Go to rapidrewardsdining.com and log in with your Rapid Rewards account credentials.
- Register a credit card with your Rapid Rewards Dining account.
- Visit a participating restaurant and pay with your registered card.
Even More Points From Dining Out
The Rapid Rewards Dining program offers some bonus ways to earn additional points.
- New member bonus: 1,000 Rapid Rewards points in your first 30 days
- First step bonus: Earn 500 bonus points the first time you earn 1,500 points through dining.
- Thank you bonus: Earn 300 bonus points each time you earn 1,000 points by dining.
- Review bonus: Earn 10 bonus points each time you complete a review of your dining experience.
Hot Tip: Rapid Rewards Dining occasionally offers even more bonus points for new members who dine and review their experiences in the first 30 days of membership. Visit rapidrewardsdining.com for up-to-date bonus offers!
Another way to increase your points earning through the dining program is by registering a Southwest credit card (or better yet, a Chase card that earns 2x or 3x points on dining) to your account — this way, you can double dip on Rapid Rewards points. If you happen to hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, you can max out your points-earning since this card earns 3x points at restaurants.
Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal
If you want to earn lots of Southwest points, you should check out the Rapid Rewards shopping portal.
This site allows you to earn points through your everyday online spending. As with its dining program, you can double dip by using your Southwest credit card or a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card.
How the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal Works
- Sign up for a Rapid Rewards account if you haven’t already.
- Log in at rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com by clicking the Sign In button in the top right corner of your screen.
- Enter your Rapid Rewards account number or username and password.
- Start shopping! Search for the store you want to shop at and click through to that website to make a purchase. Points will be posted to your account in about 6 to 8 weeks.
You can earn bonus points by shopping through the Southwest shopping portal. Image Credit: SouthwestBest Offers From the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal
Each store offers a different number of points per dollar spent plus many offer specials and deals throughout the year.
Before clicking through, make sure you know the terms of each offer to verify that your purchase will earn points.
Here are some examples of the lucrative offers that have been offered:
- 10,700 points: Get financial advice from The Motley Fool
- 7,100 points: Get a Houzz Pro membership
- 3,000 points: Sign up for Verizon Fios
- 1,100 points: Make dinner easier with a Blue Apron subscription
- 1,100 points: Sign up for a Bright Cellars subscription
- 1,000 points: File your taxes with Turbo Tax
- 700 points: Subscribe to Barron’s
- 700 points: Order meals through EveryPlate
- 700 points: Sign up for Grove Collaborative
- 700 points: Subscribe to The Wall Street Journal
There are lots of bonus points opportunities when you shop through Southwest. Image Credit: Rapid Rewards ShoppingThis list is by no means complete. There are tons of stores offering bonus Rapid Rewards points! Next time you need to make an online purchase, start at the Rapid Rewards shopping portal to check if the store is offering bonus points. You’ll be on your next Southwest flight in no time!
To find the best offers, click on Extra Rewards in the top menu bar.
Bottom Line: The Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal offers bonus points for many different online stores and subscription services.
Get the Rapid Rewards Button
If you tend to forget to start your shopping on a shopping portal, consider getting the Southwest Rapid Rewards Button. The button will allow you to see points earning rates in your search results, plus it will remind you to go through the Rapid Rewards shopping portal.
To get the button, scroll to the bottom of the Rapid Rewards Shopping website and click Get The Button.
The catch is that this button is currently only available on Google Chrome.
Travel Partners: Hotels
Did you know that you can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points at hotels?
SouthwestHotels.com
SouthwestHotels.com is Southwest Airlines’ partnership site with Booking.com that allows you to book a hotel and earn Southwest points at the same time.
In addition to hotels, you can book apartments, B&Bs, motels, homestays, campgrounds, and even hostels on this site.
Hot Tip: Be aware that bookings made on SouthwestHotels.com are prepaid and non-refundable.
One quirk we found with this site is sometimes the bonus points you earn can increase exponentially with the number of nights you book.
Check out this listing for the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. When you book 1 night through SouthwestHotels.com, you can earn 419 bonus points. However, if you book 3 nights, you can earn 20,000 bonus points!
You can earn bonus points by booking your hotel through SouthwestHotels.com. Image Credit: SouthwestHotels.comThe number of bonus points you can earn is not necessarily tied to the price of the room. Image Credit: SouthwestHotels.comRocketmiles
Rocketmiles is another website that rewards you with Southwest Rapid Rewards points when you book a hotel. You can expect to earn 1,000 to 10,000 bonus points per night. However, you won’t earn any additional hotel loyalty points.
Searching for a hotel on Rocketmiles is similar to any other OTA. Once you have your list of search results, you will be able to see the number of Rapid Rewards points you can earn with each booking to the right of the screen underneath the price.
The price shown is per night, but the point value shown is for the whole stay.
You can earn Southwest points when you book a hotel stay through Rocketmiles. Image Credit: RocketmilesHot Tip: You will NOT earn hotel loyalty points from any stay booked on Rocketmiles and any elite status you have with a hotel may not be recognized.
Best Western Rewards
You can earn Rapid Rewards points each time you stay at a Best Western. Just set your Best Western Rewards earning preference to Partner Rewards>Southwest Airlines. Then show your Rapid Rewards account number at check-in.
You can also transfer Best Western Rewards points to Rapid Rewards points.
- 5,000 Best Western Rewards points = 1,200 Rapid Rewards points
Choice Privileges
You can transfer your Choice Privileges points to Southwest.
- 6,000 Choice Privileges points = 1,800 Rapid Rewards points
Marriott Bonvoy
You can earn 600 Southwest points per stay at over 7,300 Marriott hotels across the world.
To earn points, you will need to change your earning preference to Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards instead of Marriott Bonvoy. Then, provide both numbers upon check-in.
Marriott Bonvoy points can also transfer to Southwest at the following rates:
- 9,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 3,000 Rapid Rewards points
- 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 10,000 Rapid Rewards points
- 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 20,000 Rapid Rewards points (+ 5,000 bonus points)
- 90,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 30,000 Rapid Rewards points
- 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 40,000 Rapid Rewards points (+ 10,000 bonus points)
For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, you’ll get an additional bonus of 5,000 Rapid Rewards points.
MGM Rewards
MGM Rewards members staying at ARIA, Bellagio, Delano Las Vegas, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Mirage, New York-New York, NoMad Las Vegas, Park MGM, The Signature at MGM Grand, or Vdara can earn 600 Rapid Rewards points per stay.
Both your MGM Rewards and Rapid Rewards membership numbers need to be attached to your reservation to qualify.
Radisson Rewards Americas
When you stay at a participating Radisson brand including Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson, Park Plaza, Radisson, and Radisson Blu you can earn Southwest points. All you need to do is provide your Rapid Rewards number at check-in.
Radisson Rewards Americas points can be transferred to Southwest manually or automatically. To set up an automatic transfer, set the earning preference in your Radisson account to Rapid Rewards. Your points will automatically convert to Rapid Rewards points at a rate of 10,000 Radisson points to 1,000 Rapid Rewards points. Or you can redeem your points manually in the following increments:
- 2,000 Radisson Rewards points = 200 Rapid Rewards points
- 50,000 Radisson Rewards points = 5,000 Rapid Rewards points
- 100,000 Radisson Rewards points = 10,000 Rapid Rewards points
World of Hyatt
If you are a World of Hyatt member, you can earn an additional 600 Rapid Rewards points for each qualifying stay at select Hyatt hotels. Participating brands include Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt House, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Park Hyatt, and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.
To qualify for Rapid Rewards points, each stay must be booked directly through Hyatt, and Rapid Rewards points need to be selected as your currency of choice.
In addition, you can transfer World of Hyatt points to Rapid Rewards points. While the transfer rate isn’t spectacular, it’s good to know your options if you need to top off your account for a redemption.
- 5,000 World of Hyatt points = 2,400 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
- 50,000 World of Hyatt points = 30,000 Rapid Rewards points (24,000 plus a 6,000-point bonus)
Hot Tip: Points transferred to Southwest Rapid Rewards from hotel partners do NOT count towards the Southwest Companion Pass.
Travel Partners: Rental Cars
Renting a car is something many of us do while on vacation. Why not earn some extra Rapid Rewards points at the same time?! You can do just that when you rent your car through Southwest and its partners.
Hot Tip: When booking a rental car through any of the below Southwest links, be sure to add your Rapid Rewards number to earn your bonus points.
Alamo
Earn 600 points on each Alamo car rental at participating locations worldwide by requesting Rapid Rewards points at the time of rental.
Avis
Earn up to 2,400 points on each car rental at participating U.S. airport locations through January 31, 2022. Book here and use MUAA042 in the Coupon Code field and K024700 in the Avis Worldwide (AWD) field.
- 1 to 2 day rentals = 600 bonus points
- 3 to 6 day rentals = 1,200 bonus points
- 7+ days = 2,400 bonus points
Budget
Earn up to 2,400 points on each car rental at participating U.S. airport locations through January 31, 2022. Reservations must be made through Southwest to receive bonus points.
- 1 to 2 day rentals = 600 bonus points
- 3 to 7 day rentals = 1,200 bonus points
- 8+ days = 2,400 bonus points
Dollar
Earn up to 1,200 points on each Dollar car rental at participating locations worldwide through January 31, 2022, by booking through Southwest and providing your Rapid Rewards number.
- 1 to 2 day rentals = 600 points
- 3+ days = 1,200 points
Hertz
Earn up to 2,400 points on each car rental. Book through Southwest or use Promotion Code 159062 and CDP 205418.
- 1 to 2 day rentals = 600 bonus points
- 3 to 6 day rentals = 1,200 bonus points
- 7+ days = 2,400 bonus points
You can earn Southwest points when you rent a car through Hertz. Image Credit: SouthwestNational
Earn 600 points on each National car rental at participating locations worldwide by requesting Rapid Rewards points at the time of rental.
Payless Car Rental
Earn 1,200 Rapid Rewards points on your next rental booked and completed by January 31, 2022. Click here to book and use promotion code A060913.
Thrifty
Earn up to 1,200 points on each Thrifty car rental at participating locations worldwide through January 31, 2022, by booking through Southwest and providing your Rapid Rewards number.
- 1 to 2 day rentals = 600 points
- 3+ days = 1,200 points
In addition, you’ll earn 600 bonus points after 3 rentals at a U.S. airport location within a 12-month period.
Bottom Line: View the most up-to-date rental car points offers or book a rental car through Southwest.
Experiences
You can earn Rapid Rewards points when you book tours and activities through Southwest. Don’t forget to add your loyalty number during checkout. For most activities, you’ll earn 1 Rapid Rewards point per $1, but occasionally there will be promotions that allow you to earn more points.
You can earn Rapid Rewards points when you book experiences through Southwest. Image Credit: SouthwestShopping & Dining Partners
Laithwaite’s Wine
Earn Rapid Rewards points with any Laithwaite’s Wine purchase.
- Earn 2,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points on your introductory wine club case purchase
- Earn 1,000 bonus points on each future wine club case purchase
- Earn 3x points on non-club purchases
Harry & David
You can earn 1,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points with each Harry & David order over $29.99. Visit harryanddavid.com/rapidrewards and enter code SW44 plus your Rapid Rewards number (in the Membership ID field) to earn your bonus points.
Home Chef
You can earn 1,200 Rapid Reward bonus points on each of your first 5 Home Chef boxes.
Home & Lifestyle Partners
NRG
If you live in IL, MA, MD, NJ, or PA you can earn Rapid Rewards points by choosing NRG Home as your electricity supplier. After being a customer for 2 months, you can earn a 10,000-point enrollment bonus. If you continue to be a customer, you can earn 2 points per dollar on the supply portion of your energy bill.
You can sign up in 2 ways:
- Sign up online
- Call NRG Home at 855-674-7697 and mention offer code SWA-7202-047 (have your Rapid Rewards number and a recent energy bill available)
Reliant
If you live in Texas, you can enroll in the Reliant Secure 24 Plan with Rapid Rewards. You will earn a 15,000-point enrollment bonus plus 500 points each month for 24 months for a total of 27,000 Rapid Rewards points over a 24-month term. Sign up online or call Reliant at 866-222-7100 and mention offer code XW1193. Have your Rapid Rewards account number available.
MakeItCount/Marathon Gas
Sign up for the MakeItCount program to earn Southwest points at Marathon gas stations. Sign up online at makeitcount.com/rapidrewards to earn 1 Rapid Rewards point for every gallon of fuel purchased.
Specialty Partners
These bonus point opportunities take a little more time than just clicking through a shopping portal, but when points are involved, sometimes you have to get creative to earn all that you can!
Rewards for Opinions
Earn Rapid Rewards points just for participating in various market research surveys. This program is free to join, and you can participate as much or as little as you want. The catch is that enrollment happens during random times of the year. Click here for more info and to keep track of the next enrollment opportunity.
After signing up, you can earn 500 bonus points after taking your first survey.
e-Rewards
You can earn points by participating in the e-Rewards Opinion Panel. You will earn e-Rewards Currency for participating in market research surveys which can then be transferred into Rapid Rewards points.
- $15 e-Rewards Currency = 300 Rapid Rewards Points
- $25 e-Rewards Currency = 600 Rapid Rewards Points
- $50 e-Rewards Currency = 1,200 Rapid Rewards Points
- $100 e-Rewards Currency = 2,400 Rapid Rewards Points
This one also has limited enrollment periods. Click here to keep track of the next enrollment opportunity.
EA+ Emergency Assistance Plus
Each active EA+ member can earn 1,200 bonus Rapid Rewards points for the first full year of membership, and an additional 1,200 points for each year of membership.
Southwest Vacations Packages
Southwest Vacations offers package deals including flight, hotel, car rental, and activities. With Southwest Vacations, you’ll earn points on the hotel, car, and activity portion of your package, in addition to the flights.
You’ll be able to see how many points your vacation package earns on the review page before you enter payment information. Since packages are priced per person, each person will earn bonus points.
You can earn Southwest points on vacation packages. Image Credit: Southwest VacationsBuying Southwest Points
While certainly not a primary tactic to accrue points, there’s always the opportunity to flat-out buy Southwest points.
To help you decide when to buy points and how to do it we’ve created a guide on buying Southwest points to help you out.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are tons of ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points without flying a single mile! Don’t forget you can also earn points the old-fashioned (but still fun) way: taking a Southwest flight.
Some of these earning methods take a little bit of effort and planning, but if Southwest points are what you’re after — it can be worth it!
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
