Southwest Rapid Rewards Overhaul for 2027: Silver, Gold and Platinum Tiers Replace A-List, Top Tier Includes Unlimited Companion Pass, Points to Cover China Airlines Flights
Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, announced on Oct. 15 that its Rapid Rewards loyalty program will be restructured effective Jan. 1, 2027. The current A-List and A-List Preferred tiers will become Silver and Gold, and a new top tier, Platinum, will be added. Platinum members will receive unlimited Companion Pass trips, allowing them to designate one companion to fly with them on each trip. The program keeps its existing features: points do not expire, there are no blackout dates, and members can qualify for status through Tier Qualifying Points or qualifying flights.
New Milestone Rewards mean members no longer have to reach a new tier before earning benefits. Before reaching Silver, members can select rewards such as Rapid Rewards points or seat certificates, and between Gold and Platinum they can qualify for three Companion Pass trips. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, every Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmember will earn one Tier Qualifying Point for every dollar spent on purchases with the Chase-issued cards, a faster path to tier status.
Redemption options are expanding as well. From November 2026, members can redeem points for rental cars across participating partners through Southwest's car rental site. In spring 2027, members will be able to earn and redeem points through new international airline loyalty partnerships, initially with Icelandair, China Airlines and Etihad Airways, covering destinations including Reykjavik, Paris, Taipei, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi and Johannesburg. Later in 2027, points can also be used for seat selection on Southwest-operated flights, including Extra Legroom and Preferred seats.
The airline also announced a Southwest Icon Lounge network, developed with Chase and planned for late 2027, with access tied to a new premium Rapid Rewards credit card launching that year, and a fleetwide Starlink Wi-Fi rollout expected to be completed in fall 2027, with Wi-Fi free for Rapid Rewards members. Nandika Suri, the airline's vice president of Rapid Rewards, said the updates respond to member feedback while keeping the program's simplicity and value. Southwest operates at 121 airports across 12 countries and carried more than 134 million customers in 2025.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：西南航空一架波音737客机在加州圣巴巴拉机场降落。图片来源：Glenn Beltz／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0。Photo: A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 touches down at Santa Barbara Airport, California. Credit: Glenn Beltz via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
