Southwest Airways has introduced — and made — many modifications to its Fast Rewards loyalty program not too long ago. In July 2024, Southwest mentioned it will finish its open-seating coverage. In March 2025, Southwest slashed incomes charges on flights, unveiled plans to finish its fashionable bags-fly-free coverage and rolled out a number of different unfavorable modifications.
However there are nonetheless causes you would possibly wish to use the Southwest Fast Rewards program regardless of the current modifications. Southwest operates some helpful nonstop routes which can be unserved or underserved by different carriers, and it nonetheless provides its helpful Southwest Companion Move. So, here is tips on how to earn Southwest factors.
Earn factors on Southwest flights
In early March 2025, Southwest slashed incomes charges on flights. Now, Fast Rewards members earn as follows on qualifying Southwest flights:
- Wanna Get Away (altering to Fundamental on Might 28): 2 factors per greenback
- Wanna Get Away Plus: 6 factors per greenback
- Anytime: 10 factors per greenback
- Enterprise Choose: 14 factors per greenback
A-Listing members get a 25% incomes bonus on qualifying flights, whereas A-Listing Most well-liked members get a 100% incomes bonus. Southwest defines qualifying flights as these paid for with {dollars}, Southwest LUV Vouchers, reward playing cards, flight credit or Money + Factors. When you make a Money + Factors reserving, you will solely earn Southwest factors on the portion of the bottom fare you pay with {dollars}. Reward, constitution, nonrevenue and Companion Move journey aren’t qualifying.
You too can earn Southwest factors for those who ebook an itinerary by means of Icelandair that features a Southwest-operated phase and affiliate your Fast Rewards quantity with the reserving. You may solely earn Southwest factors on the segments operated by Southwest, and you will solely earn 500 factors for flights of 1,000 miles or much less, 1,000 factors for flights of 1,001 to 1,800 miles, and 1,500 factors for flights longer than 1,800 miles.
Earn factors with a Southwest bank card
A straightforward solution to earn factors is to make use of a Southwest bank card for on a regular basis spending. Plus, many Southwest playing cards have welcome provides that may earn you bonus factors — and generally different perks — for those who meet particular spending thresholds inside the first few months after opening your bank card account.
Here is a take a look at a few of our favourite Southwest playing cards, together with their welcome provides, incomes charges and annual charges.
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| Card | Welcome supply | Incomes charges | Variety of factors you get yearly in your cardmember anniversary | Annual charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card | Earn a Companion Move by means of Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening | 2 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways purchases; Fast Rewards resort and automobile rental companions; native transit and commuting (together with ride-hailing providers); web, cable and cellphone providers; and choose streaming
1 level per greenback spent on different purchases |
3,000 | $69 |
| Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card | Earn a Companion Move by means of Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening | 3 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways purchases
2 factors per greenback spent on Fast Rewards resort and automobile rental companions; native transit and commuting (together with ride-hailing providers); web, cable and cellphone providers; and choose streaming 1 level per greenback spent on different purchases |
7,500 | $149 |
| Southwest® Fast Rewards® Premier Enterprise Credit score Card | Earn 60,000 factors after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening | 3 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways purchases
2 factors per greenback spent on Fast Rewards resort and automobile rental accomplice purchases, and on native transit and commuting (together with ride-hailing providers) 1 level per greenback spent on different purchases |
6,000 | $99 |
| Southwest® Fast Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card | Earn 80,000 factors after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening | 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways purchases
3 factors per greenback spent on Fast Rewards resort 2 factors per greenback spent on social media and search 1 level per greenback spent on different purchases |
9,000 | $199 |
The factors every card provides you yearly in your cardmember anniversary will often present extra worth than the cardboard’s annual charge. As such, it is typically simple to justify holding Southwest playing cards in your pockets for those who take pleasure in redeeming Southwest factors for flights.
Associated: Evaluating the Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence, Premier and Plus bank cards
Convert transferable factors to Southwest factors
You may switch Chase Final Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors to Southwest Fast Rewards.
Chase Final Rewards factors switch to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio, that means 1 Chase level can develop into 1 Southwest level. Different Chase Final Rewards switch companions — comparable to World of Hyatt — typically present extra worth. But when it’s good to prime off your Southwest factors steadiness to ebook an award, transferring Chase factors to Southwest could also be worthwhile.
Marriott Bonvoy factors, however, switch to Southwest at a 3:1 ratio, that means 3 Marriott factors can develop into 1 Southwest level. Contemplating the worth you may get when redeeming Marriott factors, this is not often a transfer I might advocate.
Associated: Why transferable factors and miles are price greater than different rewards
Earn Southwest factors with companions
You too can earn Southwest factors when interacting with numerous companions, together with some unrelated to journey. Here is an summary of your choices.
Fast Rewards Buying
Fast Rewards Buying is an on-line purchasing portal that provides you Southwest factors if you click on by means of the portal earlier than making an eligible buy on-line. After you buy, the factors are often posted to your Fast Rewards account in six to eight weeks.
Associated: Use a purchasing portal aggregator to maximise your on-line purchases
Fast Rewards Eating
Fast Rewards Eating is a eating rewards program that permits you to earn Southwest factors if you dine at taking part eating places. Enroll a number of of your favourite eating bank cards in Fast Rewards Eating, and you will routinely earn further Southwest factors every time you employ an enrolled card to pay at a taking part restaurant.
You may earn 3 factors per greenback spent at taking part eating places for those who stay opted in for e-mail communication, however for those who choose out, you will solely earn 1 level per $2. You may additionally earn 10 factors per restaurant overview that you simply submit. Fast Rewards Eating provides numerous bonus factors promotions, together with one for brand new members, one if you earn your first 1,500 factors by means of this system and one other each time you earn 1,000 factors by means of eating or evaluations.
Associated: Are you able to earn rewards with a eating rewards program and a bank card on the similar time?
Resort stays
You may earn no less than 1 level per greenback spent if you ebook resort stays by means of Southwest Inns. However, for those who ebook Fast Rewards Factors Plus properties, you will earn extra factors. Nonetheless, you often will not get resort elite advantages and earnings if you ebook by means of Southwest Inns.
You may ebook instantly and set your incomes choice to Southwest factors with Finest Western Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and MGM Rewards.
Rental vehicles
You may earn 600 Southwest factors per rental with Alamo, Avis, Funds, Greenback, Hertz, Nationwide, Payless and Thrifty. Nonetheless, chances are you’ll must pay a frequent flyer surcharge to earn Southwest factors in your rental with some firms.
Taking surveys
You may earn Southwest factors for taking surveys by means of Rewards for Opinions and the e-Rewards Opinion Panel.
Rewards for Opinions provides you 500 factors for finishing your first survey inside three months of enrolling in this system, plus you will earn factors for each survey you’re taking. In the meantime, e-Rewards provides you e-Rewards Foreign money when taking part in market analysis surveys. You may then redeem $15, $25, $50 or $100 of e-Rewards Foreign money for 300, 600, 1,200 or 2,400 Southwest factors, respectively.
Different companions
Here is a take a look at a few of the different methods you’ll be able to earn Southwest factors if you work together with Fast Rewards companions:
- Emergency Help Plus: Earn 1,500 Southwest factors if you enroll and yearly you renew, plus earn a further 500 factors if you choose an add-on throughout enrollment, improve your membership or renew an add-on
- NRG Residence: Members who reside in choose states and select NRG Residence as their electrical provider can earn 10,000 Southwest factors as an enrollment bonus after two months as an energetic NRG Residence buyer. Plus, these members will earn 2 factors per greenback spent on the availability portion of their power invoice on an ongoing foundation.
- Reliant Safe 24: Members who reside in Texas and swap to Reliant on the Reliant Safe 24 plan can earn 15,000 Southwest factors as an enrollment bonus after sign-up and 500 further factors every month for the subsequent 24 months.
Purchase Southwest factors
You too can earn Southwest factors by buying them outright. Nonetheless, the usual value when buying Southwest factors is 3 cents per level, greater than double the 1.35 cents per level utilized by TPG’s March 2025 valuations. As such, even with a bonus supply or low cost, it is unlikely that purchasing Southwest factors will present good worth.
You might even have one other member switch their Southwest factors to you. Nonetheless, they’d must switch no less than 2,000 factors and pay $5 per 500 factors. As such, I do not advocate utilizing the factors switch possibility.
Associated: When does it make sense to purchase factors and miles?
Backside line
You may earn Southwest factors by means of many alternative avenues. However you will doubtless earn most of your factors by means of flights and Southwest bank cards. When you fly Southwest regularly, it could be price including a Southwest bank card to your pockets to get further advantages when flying Southwest and earn factors in your on a regular basis purchases.
