Southwest Airlines is, for far better and for even worse, unique. It’s typically taken a spending plan airline company, recognized for its open seats and complimentary inspected bags — and individuals have a tendency to either love or hate it.

When it comes to elite standing with Southwest, there aren’t the exact same advantages offered for faithful participants that lots of various other airline companies supply. For circumstances, many airline company elite standing programs consist of complimentary inspected bags and a possibility at free seat upgrades. However, Southwest currently uses complimentary inspected bags for all travelers and does not supply company- or excellent seats alternatives; as a result, you will not locate these on the advantages listing for Southwest’s elite standing rates.

Still, Southwest does supply some advantages to its faithful travelers. Here’s what you require to understand about A-List, A-List Preferred and the Companion Pass to determine whether they deserve pursuing.

What is Southwest A-List standing?

Southwest makes use of the term “A-List” when referring to its Rapid Rewards clients with elite standing. The program has 2 standing rates: A-List and A-List Preferred.

And while it isn’t practically an elite standing rate, the airline company additionally has the ultravaluable Companion Pass. This advantage permits you to bring a marked friend with you free of charge (plus suitable tax obligations and charges) on an endless variety of Southwest Airlines trips throughout of the pass.

Related: The total overview to Southwest Rapid Rewards

How to get Southwest elite standing

Southwest has actually made it less complicated to earn A-List and A-List Preferred in 2024. Here’s how to get each degree:

• A-List: 20 one-way certifying trip sections or 35,000 rate certifying factors
• A-List Preferred: 40 one-way certifying trip sections or 70,000 rate certifying factors
• Companion Pass: 100 one-way certifying trips or 135,000 Companion Pass certifying factors

You can earn A-List and A-List Preferred standing by finishing the needed variety of certifying trip sections or by making rate certifying factors. The latter can be gained on trips or using costs on choose cobranded Southwest bank card.

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To get the Companion Pass, you can finish 100 one-way certifying trips in a fiscal year, which are counted identically as those for making standing. Once you struck 70, you would certainly get to A-List Preferred — and after that striking 100 makes you the Companion Pass.

However, you can additionally attain it by making Companion Pass certifying factors, that includes a broader variety of tasks than those that earn TQPs. You can check out complete information of what does (and does not) matter towards these rates on Southwest’s web site, yet they consist of welcome incentives on Southwest bank card, acquisitions with the Rapid Rewards purchasing site, and resort remains and rental cars and trucks scheduled with Southwest companions.

Note that transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards and acquired factors do not count towards any kind of credentials.

Additionally, Southwest in some cases runs promos that permit you to fast-track elite standing or hold it for a much shorter time period — like last loss’s promo to earn a two-month Companion Pass after a solitary certifying trip.

Related: Why I pick Southwest Airlines each time

Southwest standing advantages

For lots of, Southwest’s open seating plan is among its largest advantages. However, the seats is very first come, initially offered, so you’ll be more probable to obtain the seat you desire if you have a very early boarding setting. To obtain an excellent boarding setting, you’ll require to sign in as very early as feasible (24-hour prior to your trip). You can additionally avoid this anxiety by spending for EarlyBird Check-In for an updated boarding setting.

Or, if you have exclusive standing, you’ll obtain automated very early check-in as component of your standing advantages.

Additionally, both standing rates earn much more Rapid Rewards factors on paid Southwest Airlines trips. Typically, you’ll earn in between 6 and 12 factors per buck, relying on the kind of price you buy. But with A-List and A-List Preferred, you’ll earn much more factors on those trips.

Here’s a break down of the vital advantages you’ll get with each rate of Southwest elite standing.

A-List

A-List is the reduced standing rate and the less complicated one to earn. With it, you’ll obtain these advantages:

• Priority boarding
• 25% making benefit
• Free same-day adjustment (tax obligations and charges might use) and concern same-day standby
• Priority Lane and Express Lane at Southwest check-in
• Dedicated A-List participant phone line

A-List Preferred

A-List Preferred is the highest possible rate of elite standing. With it, you’ll obtain raised earning prices and extra advantages:

• Free inflight Wi-Fi
• Up to 2 free costs beverages (on trips of 176 miles or even more)
• Priority boarding (boarding setting instantly booked 36 hours prior to trip)
• 100% making benefit
• Free same-day standby and same-day adjustment (tax obligations and charges might use)

Companion Pass

The Companion Pass isn’t naturally an elite standing rate and does not featured its very own collection of advantages beyond the complimentary marked friend you can include to your Southwest Airlines trip appointments for simply the expense of tax obligations and charges. However, if you earn it with flying, you’ll instantly earn A-List Preferred standing on your means to making the Companion Pass and will certainly obtain every one of those advantages in addition to your Companion Pass.

Related: How to earn and make use of the Southwest Companion Pass

Can a bank card assistance earn Southwest standing?

Southwest has 3 individual and 2 company bank card. None of them feature automated standing, yet 2 of the individual cards and both calling card offer you the alternative to invest your means to standing. Plus, all 5 cobranded cards permit you to earn a Companion Pass with costs.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card earn 1,500 TQPs towards A-List standing for every single $5,000 invested every year.

However, you’ll require to invest two times as much on a calling card to earn A-List standing. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card each earn 1,500 TQPs for every single $10,000 invested every year.

If you’re pursuing a Companion Pass, any one of the cobranded bank card can aid you arrive. All the Rapid Rewards factors you earn with your Southwest bank card costs (consisting of the welcome benefit) will certainly count towards the 135,000 factors you require to earn a Companion Pass. Plus, you’ll obtain a 10,000-point increase towards making the Companion Pass every year, simply for being a Southwest cardholder.

Related: Current Southwest bank card welcome deals

Is Southwest standing well worth it?

Since all travelers obtain 2 complimentary inspected bags and there’s no company course to be updated to, Southwest’s standing has much less noticeable worth than exclusive standing with many various other airline companies.

Additionally, Southwest included the perk of complimentary same-day standby for all price enters 2023, and 3 of the 4 price kinds consist of complimentary same-day modifications, so these advantages most likely aren’t worth chasing after standing for.

However, A-List standing might be worth it for somebody that spends for EarlyBird Check-In or updated boardings on every trip, considering that these array from $15 to $30 per one-way trip. And those that spend for Wi-Fi ($8 per trip) and costs beverages (up to $9 per beverage) might actually see worth in A-List Preferred standing.

Still, you can obtain some A-List advantages simply by holding a cobranded bank card. The Southwest Performance Business card, for instance, features 365 inflight Wi-Fi credit scores and 4 updated boardings each year.

The Companion Pass, on the various other hand, can supply remarkable worth to somebody that flies Southwest frequently with a companion or household. The capacity to include a friend for simply the expense of tax obligations and charges will efficiently reduce the expense of the trip in fifty percent for both individuals, which can supply profitable financial savings to those that can make use of it. Still, those that commonly take a trip alone will likely obtain really little worth from the Companion Pass and not locate it worth pursuing.

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines A-List and A-List Preferred standing do not supply as much extra worth as elite standing on various other airline companies, considering that travelers currently secure free inspected bags and do not have hope of getting a seat upgrade. Still, those that fly Southwest Airlines frequently sufficient to earn standing naturally will value the automated check-in and benefit factors they’ll earn with either standing. And if you’re somebody that takes a trip frequently with a companion, you’ll likely obtain remarkable worth from making a Companion Pass.

Be certain to have a look at our overviews to various other airline company commitment programs for a complete failure of their elite advantages: