Full Breakdown
Southwest Overhauls Rapid Rewards Loyalty Program
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Changes to Status Tiers
Southwest Airlines is replacing its long-standing “A-List” and “A-List Preferred” tiers with a three-level structure that mirrors the naming conventions of many legacy carriers. Effective 2027, “A-List” members will become Silver, “A-List Preferred” members will become Gold, and a new top tier called Platinum will be introduced. The Platinum tier incorporates the airline’s unlimited Companion Pass benefit, and members in each tier will board in progressively earlier groups (Silver in Group 1, Gold before Group 1, Platinum before both).
New Qualification Requirements
- Silver: 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or 25 qualifying flights (previously 20 flights).
- Gold: 65,000 TQPs or 50 qualifying flights. CNBC reports the same 65,000 TQP threshold, while The Points Guy also lists an alternative 40-flight/70,000 TQP path.
- Platinum: 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying flights.
All Southwest-branded credit cards will earn 1 TQP per dollar spent beginning 2027, and cardholders who reach 130,000 TQPs will receive an automatic 10,000-point boost.
Expanded Benefits and Perks
- Companion Pass: Previously a separate qualification, the Pass is now granted automatically to Platinum members and remains usable for the duration of its term.
- Bonus Point Earnings: Silver members receive a 40% flight-bonus, Gold members a 60% bonus (down from the former 100% for A-List Preferred), and Platinum members a 120% bonus.
- Milestone Rewards: Starting 2027, members can earn small perks after 15 flights or 20,000 TQPs, and larger rewards—including three one-off Companion Pass trips—after 75 flights or 95,000 TQPs.
- International Partner Redemptions: Southwest will allow Rapid Rewards points to be earned and redeemed on long-haul flights with Icelandair, Etihad Airways, and China Airlines beginning 2027.
- Icon Lounges: The airline will open its first “Icon” lounges in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville in 2027, with additional locations planned. Access will be tied to a new premium credit card partnership with Chase.
- Fleet-wide Starlink Wi-Fi: Southwest aims to equip its entire fleet with ultrafast Starlink internet by fall 2027, positioning itself as the first U.S. carrier to achieve this coverage.
Official Statements & Responses
Southwest’s chief customer and brand officer, Tony Roach, explained the rationale for the tier rename: the airline no longer uses traditional boarding groups A, B, and C, so a refresh was needed to align the loyalty program with recent seating and experience changes.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the Gold tier’s qualification options. CNBC states that Gold requires 65,000 TQPs or 50 flights. The Points Guy lists the same 65,000 TQP threshold but also mentions an alternative 40-flight/70,000 TQP path. The discrepancy has not been clarified by Southwest, leaving the exact set of qualifying combinations uncertain.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If you think about A-List and A-List Preferred, we don't even have [boarding] groups A, B and C anymore,” — Tony Roach, Southwest chief customer and brand officer
What’s Next
- 2027: Full rollout of Silver, Gold, and Platinum status levels; credit-card TQP boost; Icon lounge openings; partner award redemptions; and the Starlink fleet-wide upgrade (targeted for fall 2027).
These changes mark Southwest’s shift from its historically “quirky” loyalty model toward a more conventional tiered system while adding new revenue streams and international connectivity options.