TRAVEL · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Southwest Airlines Overhauls Rapid Rewards Elite Tiers and Credit Card Earnings
WHY IT MATTERS
These changes will impact how flyers earn status and redeem rewards with Southwest Airlines, potentially affecting travel plans and loyalty program benefits.
What happened
Southwest Airlines has announced significant changes to its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, including new elite status tiers, updated credit card earnings, and the introduction of partner awards. The airline is replacing 'A-List' and 'A-List Preferred' with 'Silver' and 'Gold,' and introducing a new top-tier 'Platinum' level.
Credit card spending will count more toward earning status, and partner awards will unlock redemptions to Europe, Asia, and beyond.
However, changes to the Companion Pass program may be disappointing for some flyers.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Southwest overhauls Rapid Rewards elite tiers, changes credit card and Companion Pass earnings
The Points Guy · Sean Cudahy · Discovery and factual synthesis only; publisher copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 15, 2026, 7:46 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 15, 2026, 7:46 PM