By Vamsi, RewardsGuru.club. Published October 15, 2026, updated October 25, 2026.
Every rule below was read on Thursday, October 15, 2026, on Southwest's own pages: the October 15 press release and the Rapid Rewards 2027 pages at southwest.com/rapid-rewards/2027/. Nothing changes until Friday, January 1, 2027, and Southwest says members don't need to do anything before then.
The short version: On January 1, 2027, Southwest renames A-List to Silver and A-List Preferred to Gold, and adds a new top tier, Platinum, that comes with unlimited Companion Pass trips. Every Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card, the Plus card included, starts earning 1 tier qualifying point (TQP) per $1 spent, with no cap. Companion Pass moves onto those same points, so card welcome bonuses, anniversary points and bonus-category points stop counting toward it, except for cardmembers approved for a Southwest card on or before Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
Why "just a rename" is the wrong read
Southwest describes the tier change as a rename: "A-List will become Silver and A-List Preferred will become Gold." The rules underneath moved, and the biggest move is on the card.
Today, Southwest's 2026 page credits card spend in blocks: "1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 in purchases" on the Premier card, 2,000 per $5,000 on Premier Business, and 2,500 per $5,000 on Priority and Performance Business. The Plus card isn't on the 2026 list. From January 1, Southwest's card page says each $1 spent "earns one Tier Qualifying Point (TQP)" on every Southwest card, "including Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Cards," with "no earning cap."
Here is what that does to the card spend it takes to reach each level, counting card purchases only:
| Status | 2026 on Priority or Performance Business | 2026 on Premier Business | 2026 on Premier | 2027 on any Southwest card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-List (35,000 TQPs) / Silver (35,000 TQPs) | $70,000 | $90,000 | $120,000 | $35,000 |
| A-List Preferred (70,000 TQPs) / Gold (65,000 TQPs) | $140,000 | $175,000 | $235,000 | $65,000 |
| Platinum (140,000 TQPs, new) | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | $140,000, or $130,000 plus the 2027 card boost |
Our math from Southwest's posted rates, with 2026 rounded up to whole $5,000 blocks. Flights earn TQPs too, so most members who fly will get there on less card spend.
The 2027 boost, in Southwest's words: "after you reach 130,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs), you will receive a 10,000 TQPs boost that can help you qualify for Platinum status valid through 12/31/2028." It is one boost per member, for the primary cardmember, between January 1 and December 31, 2027. Southwest's card pages: Plus, Premier, Priority, Premier Business and Performance Business.
Silver, Gold and Platinum side by side
| Silver (was A-List) | Gold (was A-List Preferred) | Platinum (new) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualify with | 35,000 TQPs or 25 qualifying flights | 65,000 TQPs or 50 qualifying flights | 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying flights |
| Seat at booking, no extra cost | Preferred or Standard; Extra Legroom upgrade within 48 hours of departure | Any seat, including Extra Legroom | Any seat, including Extra Legroom |
| Boarding | Group 1 | Before Group 1 | Before Gold members and Group 1 |
| Free checked bags | First bag | Up to two | Up to three |
| Earning bonus on qualifying flights | 40% | 60% | 120% |
| Companion Pass | Not included | Not included | Unlimited Companion Pass trips |
| Complimentary premium drinks | Not listed | Two per flight | Two per flight |
All three tiers get Priority Lane and Express Lane access, priority member support, and same-day standby "even with Basic fares." Seat and boarding benefits apply "when available."
How the qualifying numbers compare with Southwest's 2026 page:
- A-List today: 20 qualifying flights or 35,000 TQPs. Silver: 25 flights or 35,000 TQPs.
- A-List Preferred today: 40 qualifying flights or 70,000 TQPs. Gold: 50 flights or 65,000 TQPs.
The flight counts go up at both levels, and the points bar for the second tier comes down by 5,000. The flight earning bonus moves too: A-List earns 25% today and Silver earns 40%; A-List Preferred earns 100% today and Gold earns 60%.
If you already earned A-List or A-List Preferred for 2027
Southwest moves your account automatically on January 1.
- A-List becomes Silver. Southwest's comparison table lists the second checked bag at $35 for A-List and "Standard Fee" for Silver, with one carve-out: Silver members who earned A-List for 2027 from 2026 activity "will pay $35 for their second checked bag for flights on or before December 31, 2027."
- A-List Preferred becomes Gold. Members who earn A-List Preferred for 2027 from 2026 activity "will retain their 100% flight-point earning bonus through December 31, 2027." The 60% applies to Gold earned under the new rules.
- Still working toward 2026 status? The 2026 rules apply through December 31, 2026, and tier qualifying points reset on January 1, 2027. Activity in 2026 doesn't count toward 2027 Milestone Rewards.
- Status match or promotion in 2026? Southwest says promotional status "will transition to the corresponding status level in the new program." Southwest is also one of the four programs in American's corporate status match, which takes requests until October 23.
Companion Pass: what changes
Southwest says the pass "will continue to be a core Rapid Rewards benefit." What changes is the points that count and how much you get at each step.
| Through December 31, 2026 | From January 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Points that count | Companion Pass qualifying points | Tier qualifying points (TQPs) |
| Three Companion Pass trips | Not offered | 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights |
| Unlimited Companion Pass trips | 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights | 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying flights (Platinum) |
| Companions at one time | 1 | 1 |
| Companion changes per year | 3 | 3 |
What stops counting. Southwest lists it: "new Cardmember welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, and bonus points from spend (e.g., 2x on gas), as well as partner spend (e.g., hotel, car)." Those still earn Rapid Rewards points; they just don't move you toward the pass. Today they do: Southwest's 2026 page says card points posted in 2026, "including bonus points," count toward a 2026 pass, and cardmembers get "one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year."
The December 2 line. Southwest's 2027 FAQ, as of October 25, 2026: "any Cardmembers who apply on or before December 2, 2026 and are approved for a Rapid Rewards Credit Card and meet the requirements for the new Cardmember welcome bonus will have the opportunity to have those points count as 2026 Companion Pass qualifying points toward a Companion Pass valid through December 31, 2027, even if the spend threshold is met in early 2027." So the date that matters is the day you apply. (Updated October 25: Southwest's earlier wording tied the date to approval.)
If you hold or earn a pass under today's rules. A Companion Pass earned in 2026 under the current rules keeps unlimited Companion Pass trips through December 31, 2027. If yours ends December 31, 2026 and you haven't earned one for 2027, it ends as scheduled. Companion Pass qualifying points are retired after December 31, 2026. If you're registered in a Companion Pass promotion, Southwest says your participation "will be honored."
What a "trip" means. Each Companion Pass trip covers one one-way or one round-trip itinerary, and Southwest's FAQ says "one-way trips do not retain partial or remaining trip value." Taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way still apply.
Milestone Rewards: two rewards on the way to status
| Milestone | Qualify with | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| First (before Silver) | 20,000 TQPs or 15 qualifying one-way flights | Your choice: 2,000 Rapid Rewards points, or two Preferred Seat Certificates |
| Second (between Gold and Platinum) | 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights | Three Companion Pass trips |
The full 2027 ladder is 20,000, then 35,000 (Silver), 65,000 (Gold), 95,000 and 140,000 (Platinum) TQPs, or 15, 25, 50, 75 and 100 qualifying flights. Progress resets to zero on January 1 each year, and a Milestone Reward stays valid through December 31 of the year after you earn it. Preferred Seat Certificates are redeemed through "Modify or Upgrade Seats" and can't be used while booking. Southwest says benefit selections are final.
How you earn TQPs in 2027
Southwest lists five ways: qualifying flights operated by Southwest, purchases on Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards (1 TQP per $1), qualifying purchases on the Rapid Rewards Debit Card (1 TQP per $2), qualifying Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings, and qualifying Southwest Groups bookings. TQPs can't be redeemed and reset every January 1; Rapid Rewards points still don't expire.
Rapid Rewards points earned on fares in 2027, as Southwest's FAQ lists them: Basic 2X fare, Choice 6X fare, Choice Preferred 8X fare, Choice Extra 10X fare. For what a good Southwest fare looks like, our record of every Southwest sale we priced in 2026 has the pattern.
What stays the same
Southwest's pages list what carries over: Rapid Rewards points don't expire, points still book Southwest flights with no blackout dates, every fare from Basic to Choice Extra still earns points, partners still earn points, WiFi stays free for members, and existing card benefits continue.
Southwest's Instagram carousel for the launch adds one more line: redeem points "any time, any flight, any day," "with no blackout dates or change & cancellation fees." Its fine print, in full: "Fare difference may apply. Basic fare roundtrip bookings must be canceled or upgraded. Cancel 10+ minutes before departure to avoid forfeiture of travel funds."
The other changes on the calendar
- Mid-November 2026: redeem points for rental cars across all of Southwest's car partners on cars.southwest.com.
- Spring 2027: earn and redeem points with Icelandair, China Airlines and Etihad Airways.
- Later in 2027: use points for seat selection on Southwest-operated flights, including Extra Legroom and Preferred seats, after booking and before check-in (not at the airport).
- Late 2027: the first Southwest Icon Lounges (more below).
- Fall 2027: Starlink WiFi across the fleet, still free for Rapid Rewards members through T-Mobile.
Southwest's partner airlines: what works with points and the Companion Pass
Southwest already sells connecting trips with 11 partner airlines: Air Premia, ANA, China Airlines, Condor, EVA Air, Icelandair, LOT, Philippine Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP and Turkish Airlines. You book those trips through the partner's own website or channels, not on southwest.com.
- Earning today. On a partner trip, Rapid Rewards points, TQPs and flight credit come only from the Southwest-operated flights. The partner's own flights earn nothing.
- Points in spring 2027. Southwest's three initial loyalty partners for earning and redeeming points are Icelandair, China Airlines and Etihad Airways. Etihad isn't on today's list of 11. Southwest hasn't published award prices, cabins or how booking will work.
- Companion Pass. Southwest's help center says it outright: "Companion Pass benefits may not be used on partner itineraries." The 2027 terms limit Companion Pass to Southwest-operated flights, so that goes for the new Milestone trips and Platinum's unlimited trips too.
- Tier perks. Southwest's footnotes say tier bag benefits "do not apply on flights booked with a partner carrier," and seat benefits may not apply on partner bookings either. A partner trip follows the partner's bag rules and fees.
Southwest Icon Lounge: four airports first
A rendering, not a photo: no Southwest lounge is open yet. Shared by Southwest in its Instagram broadcast channel. Rendering: Southwest Airlines.
Southwest's first lounges, built with Chase, are already under construction at four airports, and Southwest expects the first guests in late 2027:
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
- Daniel K. Inouye (Honolulu) International Airport
- Nashville International Airport
Southwest says "at least seven more" are planned "over the next several years." Access comes through "a new, premium, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, issued by Chase, launching in 2027." Southwest's lounge page describes the design as combining "inspiration from the communities we serve with the success of the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network."
What Southwest's pages don't say yet
- How many points a seat will cost. Southwest says it varies by flight.
- The premium card's name, annual fee and benefits beyond lounge access.
- Whether Silver, Gold or Platinum status gets anyone into a Southwest Icon Lounge. The pages tie access to the new card and don't mention tiers.
- Whether today's five cards change their own travel benefits. Southwest says each card "offers a different package of travel benefits" and that existing cardmember benefits continue.
We'll update this page as Southwest fills those in.
Related articles
- If You Think the Southwest Companion Pass Card Trick Is Already Over, You May Be Wrong: Apply by December 2 and Two Bonuses Still Count
- If You Think You Missed Southwest's $59 Holiday Fares on October 12, You May Be Wrong: The Same Sale Is Back Through October 29, and 5,555 of 6,424 Routes Are Within $10
- If You Think Southwest's Up to 40% Off Sale Always Gets You the Cheapest Seat, You May Be Wrong: On Los Angeles to Honolulu, the Regular Nonstop Was Cheaper
- Southwest Is Paying 1 Rapid Rewards Point per Unread Notification, Up to 10,000, Plus 500 for a Quiz: the Terms That Decide Your Count
Do this with your own numbers
- Purchase optimizer — run your own spending through the same numbers this article used
- Bonus tracker — today's welcome bonuses, verified on the issuer's page