Southwest Rapid Rewards Share Points: Earning and Using Strategies

Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards points is a great way to offset the cost of flights, but did you know that you can share those points with others? Southwest allows you to share points with up to seven people.

To start sharing, you'll need to link your Rapid Rewards account to the accounts of those you want to share with. This can be done online or through the Southwest app.

Sharing points can be a great way to help others offset the cost of flights, or to earn points for travel companions. Just be aware that once you share points, they're gone from your account forever, so use them wisely.

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If you have a large stash of Southwest Rapid Rewards points, you can use them to book flights for yourself and a companion, essentially doubling the value of your points.

To do this, book a flight for yourself using points and add your designated companion to fly with you for free, paying only taxes and fees. This strategy stretches your points twice as far, letting two people travel for the price of one award ticket.

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The Southwest Companion Pass is a powerful tool for maximizing your points, but it's not the only way to share your rewards. If you have points in other programs, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards, you can transfer them to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.

If you're thinking about transferring points from a hotel loyalty program like Marriott Bonvoy or Hyatt, keep in mind that the conversion rate might not be optimal.

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If you or someone in your household has earned the Southwest Companion Pass, you can essentially stretch your points twice as far. This is a powerful way to "share" your points without transferring them.

To use the Companion Pass, book a flight for yourself using points. Then, add your designated companion (spouse, friend, family member) to fly with you for free, just paying taxes and fees.

The Companion Pass strategy essentially lets two people travel for the price of one award ticket. No need for two separate redemptions or accounts.

Here's a quick rundown of how it works:

The Premier credit cards from Southwest are definitely worth considering if you're a frequent flyer. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has an annual fee of $149 and offers a welcome bonus of 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

You can earn 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, and 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year. This can add up quickly if you regularly shop at these types of businesses.

One thing to note is that through 12/31/25, you can earn 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting, including rideshare, internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. This is a great opportunity to earn extra points on your everyday expenses.

Here's a breakdown of the rewards rates for the Premier credit cards:

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card has a similar rewards structure, but with a higher welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

You can earn a significant amount of points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card, such as 120,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

To earn points, spend on Southwest purchases, gas stations, restaurants, local transit, and hotel accommodations booked direct, as these categories earn 2 points per dollar. You'll also earn 4 points per dollar on Southwest purchases.

Here's a breakdown of the points earning categories:

Keep in mind that there are also special earning rates through 12/31/2025, such as 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest cruises and 3 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.

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The return on your points is a crucial part of the earning and redeeming process. You can redeem your points for travel, gift cards, and more.

If you're a Southwest Airlines credit card holder, you can earn points on your purchases. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card offers 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.

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To get the most out of your points, be aware of the earning structure. For example, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card earns 2 points at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 spent in combined purchases per year.

Here's a breakdown of the earning structure for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card:

You can also earn bonus points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. For example, you can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.

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To earn and redeem points as a business owner, you have several options to consider. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The annual fee for this card is $149, which may be a worthwhile investment for frequent business travelers. You can earn 3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

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For those who want to earn more points, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card is a better option. Its annual fee is $299, but the welcome bonus is 120,000 points after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

With this card, you can earn 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants, local transit and commuting, including rideshare, hotel accommodations booked direct, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Here's a comparison of the two cards:

Transferring points between loyalty programs can be a great way to maximize your rewards, but it's essential to understand the costs involved.

The transaction fee for transferring points is not applicable, which is a relief for those who want to move their points without incurring extra charges.

However, there is a mileage fee to consider, which is $5 for every 500 Rapid Rewards points transferred.

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Southwest Rapid Rewards has a range of partners that can help you earn points more quickly, including hotel brands like Best Western, Choice Privileges, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt.

You can earn points by staying at these hotels, but transferring hotel points to Southwest usually won't provide the best value. However, it can be useful if you just need a few extra points to book a flight.

Here's a list of Southwest's hotel partners and the points transfer ratios for each:

You can also earn points by renting a car with partners like Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Hertz, but the points earned won't be as valuable as earning points through Southwest's own loyalty program.

Southwest Rapid Rewards is a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards, allowing you to transfer your Bilt Points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.

You can earn Bilt Points through the Bilt World Elite Mastercard, by paying rent, or through other qualifying activities. Bilt Points can also be transferred to other programs, such as World of Hyatt.

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Bilt Rewards has 19 transfer partners, including Southwest Rapid Rewards, which is a significant addition to their lineup.

Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed for flights, but the redemption values have changed. Now, each point is worth more on low-demand flights in basic fare bundles.

If you want to book flights on Southwest, transferring your Bilt points to Southwest Rapid Rewards might be a good option, as you'll get more value out of your points.

Here are some of the airline transfer partners of Southwest:

Southwest Airlines has a range of airline partnerships that can help you earn points more quickly and redeem them for flights.

You can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, which is a great way to boost your Rapid Rewards balance. Eligible Chase credit cards include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred, and Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Southwest Rapid Rewards also partners with Bilt Rewards, allowing you to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio. This is a relatively new partnership, and transfers are currently processed in batches twice per day.

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Southwest is not part of an airline alliance that allows you to transfer rewards or use your rewards to book on an alliance partner. However, you can book international flights through the More Rewards program, although these redemptions usually offer less value than using points for Southwest flights.

Here are some of Southwest's airline transfer partners:

Note that while rewards earned with Southwest's co-branded credit cards count toward earning a Companion Pass, points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards cards do not.

Rental Car Partners can be a great way to earn more Rapid Rewards points, but it's essential to understand the rules and benefits. You can earn 600 Rapid Rewards points by renting at select car rental agencies and requesting points at the time of the rental.

Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty are the participating agencies. Each partner has its own rules for enabling this option, but you'll only receive a one-time 600 points, regardless of the length of your rental.

Some of these partners, including Avis and Budget, apply a frequent flyer surcharge of $1 per day.

Here are the participating agencies:

You can earn Rapid Rewards points by dining out at participating restaurants through Southwest's dining partnership.

To get started, sign up for the program and dine out at least once, then complete a restaurant review to earn 500 points.

If you opt-in to promotional emails, you'll earn 3 points per dollar spent at eligible restaurants.

If you opt out of emails, you'll earn 1 point per $2 spent at participating restaurants.

Check your location for a list of participating restaurants.

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Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and gift cards, but they generally provide the greatest value when used for award flights.

On average, Southwest points are worth 1.42 cents per point when redeemed for Southwest flights, so 10,000 points equal about $142 in airfare.

You can use WalletHub's Southwest Points Value Calculator to quickly determine the cash value of any number of Southwest points.

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50,000 reward points are worth around $500, on average, but the exact value depends on which rewards program is offering the points and how you redeem them.

The value of Southwest Rapid Rewards points has changed with updates to award redemptions, with points now worth somewhere around 1.1-1.5 cents each, depending on the exact flight.

Here are some examples of how much 50,000 reward points are worth across various credit card, hotel, and airline rewards programs.

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