Southwest Airlines has spent the past two years overhauling its policies and the customer experience on its planes. Free seats are gone, checked baggage fees are in, and the salons are coming.
The next step? A major overhaul of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program.
The airline introduced sweeping changes to its points and elite status levels on Thursday.
“A-List” and “A-List Preferred” are replaced by “Silver” and “Gold” – and a new top-tier “Platinum” tier.
In the meantime:
- Credit card spending will count more toward earning status.
- There are new benefits with “unique” Companion Passes.
- Southwest is finally rolling out Partner Rewards, unlocking Rapid Rewards redemptions in Europe, Asia and beyond.
This is a host of changes being rolled out by the Dallas-based carrier. Let’s take a look at what this means for your travel and loyalty with Southwest in the future.
Earning status with a credit card just got easier
Circulars in the South West will soon be much more encouraged to make their daily purchases their Rapid Rewards credit cards.
Starting January 1, all Southwest credit cardholders will earn 1 level qualification point per dollar charged to their card.
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TQPs are the point system Southwest uses to award elite status.
Today, not all Southwest cards earn TQP on swipes. And none of its cards currently offer TQP for every dollar spent.
But that will change in 2027, when every Southwest-branded credit card will earn its cardholders 1 TQP per dollar spent.
This even applies to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees), which currently does not offer cardholders any TQP towards status.
Elite status overhaul: goodbye to the “A-List”
The Southwest’s elite status tiers are also being overhauled.
“A-List” and “A-List Preferred” will disappear in favor of more traditional airline status labels, including a new entry-level tier.
From 2027:
- The A-List will become “Silver”
- A-List Preferred will upgrade to “Gold”
- Plus, there’s a new top tier status: “Platinum,” which comes with the airline’s Unlimited Companion Pass.
Qualification Requirements for Southwest Elite Status 2027
Despite the new elite lingo, Southwest isn’t doing an overhaul how you gain status like United Airlines did so earlier this week.
You can always choose to earn status by earning enough TQPs or accumulating enough qualifying flights.
However, you will generally need more flights to qualify for elite status this way. There are also some changes to the TQP requirements – and it’s not all bad news.
| Status level | Qualification requirements | Previous requirements (2026) |
|---|---|---|
Money (formerly A-List) | 25 qualifying flights or 35,000 TQP | 20 flights or 35,000 TQP Five additional flights are needed in 2027. |
Gold (formerly A-List favorite) | 50 qualifying flights or 65,000 TQP | 40 qualifying flights or 70,000 TQP Ten additional flights are required, but the TQP requirement is decreasing. |
Platinum (new higher tier, but on par with the previous Companion Pass threshold) | 100 qualifying flights or 140,000 TQP | 100 flights or 135,000 TQP TQPs are increasing by 5,000, but the airline will give credit cardholders who have reached 130,000 TQP an increase of 10,000 TQP in 2027. |
Generally speaking, A-List and A-List Preferred benefits will transfer to the new “Silver” and “Gold” tiers, the airline said.
For example, baggage benefits and access to A-Listers’ extra legroom seats remain as is.
New Level Up Status: Comes with the Companion Pass
However, Southwest is making its Companion Pass unlock a new official top-tier status.
It will include unlimited access to the carrier’s famous “two for one” advantage.
Members who reach Platinum status will also receive up to three free checked bags.
Qualifying for Southwest Companion Pass has always been the primary member benefit of its Rapid Rewards program. The benefit doesn’t change, but the airline now puts an official status label on it.
You will still need 100 flights to unlock the Companion Pass and achieve Platinum status in 2027.
Southwest is increasing the number of TQPs members will need from 135,000 to 140,000.
However, once it reaches 130,000 TQP, the airline will offer travelers with a co-branded credit card a 10,000 TQP bonus in 2027.
Popular Companion Pass shortcut disappears
One change likely to be disappointing for Southwest loyalists: The airline is phasing out the specific metric it has historically used for the Companion Pass: Companion Pass qualifying points.
Instead, members will get the “2 for 1” pass through TQPs, just like status.
That eliminate a favorite shortcut travelers hoping to unlock one of the best travel deals: credit card sign-up bonuses will no longer count toward the Companion Pass.
Learn more: How Southwest’s changes affect getting the Companion Pass
Milestone Rewards
Southwest is following in its competitors’ footsteps by adding different perks that you can unlock between status levels.
You will be able to earn a few small advantages before obtaining any status.
Pre-status milestone
Starting in 2027, Rapid Rewards members who fly 15 flights or reach 20,000 TQP can choose from 2,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points or two preferred seat coupons.
Milestone between Gold and Platinum
The largest release is for 75 flights or 95,000 TQP.
These members will benefit from three “Companion Pass trips”. Basically, you’ll receive three unique companion passes that you can use to book three flights two-for-one.
This could represent a significant money saving for members moving up the ladder to Platinum, which, of course, comes with the Companion Pass on an unlimited basis.
Another Rapid Rewards overhaul to “win”
Southwest has made some changes to the number of points travelers can earn on flights.
Fewer points for certain fares
- Going forward, customers booking its second highest fare class (Choice Preferred) will earn 8 points per dollar spent on their travel instead of 10 points per dollar.
- The Southwest’s highest fare class (Choice Extra) will earn 10 points per dollar spent instead of 14 points per dollar.
The airline’s base economy fare will continue to earn 2 points per dollar spent. And its standard economy rate (Choice) will continue to earn 6 points per dollar spent.
Bad news for A-List Preferred members
Meanwhile, there was some bad news for Southwest travelers who are getting the carrier’s current A-List Preferred status, which will become “Gold” in 2027.
The bonus miles these travelers receive on flights will decrease in the new year. Gold members will earn a 60% points bonus on bookings, down from the current 100% bonus for A-List Preferred members.
Customers who achieve Southwest’s new Platinum tier will receive 120% bonus points on flights.
Rapid Rewards partner rewards launching in 2027
Starting in 2027, Southwest loyalists will be able to earn and redeem their Rapid Rewards points on long-haul international flights.
Next spring, the airline will launch partner exchanges on three international carriers:
- Icelandair, which you can use to travel to Reykjavik or connect to Europe
- Etihad Airways, the Gulf premium airline based in Abu Dhabi
- China Airlines, based in Taipei, Taiwan
This move has been expected since Southwest first began forming international partnerships in 2025. I would expect the carrier to add additional partners to earn and redeem Rapid Rewards in the future.
Other news from the South West to know
Southwest Updates dropped a few key additional updates amid Thursday’s news flurry.
“Icon Rooms”
The airline has announced plans for what it will call its new airport lounge network.
Southwest calls its clubs “Icon Lounges.” The name, the carrier said, is a nod to past icons like the airline’s founder, Herb Kelleher.
The first outposts are expected to open in 2027, with access granted to Rapid Rewards members with a new premium credit card that the airline is planning with banking partner Chase.
Southwest has confirmed that the first outposts will come to Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville – and at least seven more will follow.
Starlink deployment has expanded across the entire fleet
Earlier this year, the carrier announced that it would install superfast Starlink Wi-Fi on some of its planes.
Now, Southwest plans to install high-speed internet service across its entire fleet.
Interestingly, the carrier said Thursday that it expects to be the first U.S. airline to deploy this technology on all of its jets, by fall 2027.
The revelation comes as United Airlines and Alaska Airlines race to install Starlink on their own aircraft – a week after American Airlines also announced it would become an all-Starlink carrier for connectivity in the coming years.
More than 40 Southwest aircraft are currently equipped with Starlink.
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