By Austin Christensen · Last updated: November 9, 2026
How to Book Southwest With Points
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Key takeaways
- Southwest prices a reward from the fare. There is no fixed award chart on the page Southwest uses to explain the booking.
- The bank table is built from the transfer partner list. A bank that does not list Rapid Rewards is not in the table.
- Use points when the fare's point price beats 1.25 cents per point after the taxes you still pay. Pay cash when it does not.
- This guide does not name a second airline program that books Southwest metal. Southwest's partners page describes earning, not a partner award chart.
Which program books Southwest
Rapid Rewards is Southwest's own program. Southwest points to dollars is what those points are worth against a cash fare. The transfer steps, including why a Chase transfer does not move Companion Pass progress, are in how to transfer Chase points to Southwest.
No partner page sits next to this one. We did not find a page from another airline that publishes a Southwest award price. If a partner search does not show a Southwest operated flight, do not transfer into that program for this trip.
How to book Southwest with Rapid Rewards
Southwest says to log in to your Rapid Rewards account on the Southwest.com homepage, enter the flight, and view fares in points. Then select the flight and purchase it. The number of points depends on the fare. When fares go on sale, the points needed go on sale too. Cash + Points combines cash and Rapid Rewards points. Source: [Southwest, how to redeem points](https://www.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/points/how-to-redeem/), checked November 9, 2026.
Southwest says members can use points for any seat, any time. There are no blackout dates, and points do not expire. Source: [Southwest, Rapid Rewards](https://www.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/), checked November 9, 2026.
That is the mechanism. The award follows the fare, so a cheap cash fare is a cheap award and a high cash fare is an expensive award. It is not a fixed award chart that charges the same points on a peak day and an empty day.
Banks that list Southwest Rapid Rewards: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards.
| Bank | Transfers at | Partner list checked |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1:1 | November 6, 2026 |
| Bilt Rewards | 1:1 | October 17, 2026 |
Chase transfers to Southwest at 1:1, checked November 6, 2026. Move the points only after the fare is on the screen in points. The cards, the timing, and the Companion Pass limit on transferred points are in how to transfer Chase points to Southwest.
Bilt lists Rapid Rewards at 1:1, checked October 17, 2026. Same rule: price the flight first.
A bank missing from this table does not list Rapid Rewards in our transfer data. The full directory is the transfer partners page.
When the points beat cash
We value Rapid Rewards points at 1.25 cents per point (The Points Guy, November 2026). Divide the cash fare, minus any taxes you still pay on the award, by the points the award costs. If the result beats that figure, the booking is a good use. If it does not, pay cash and keep the points.
NerdWallet's spread for Southwest awards is 1.1¢ to 1.5¢ per point, and its median across 80 round trips is 1.4¢. Rates checked October 29, 2026. Those figures are a study of fares, not a price Southwest guarantees. The fare on the screen is the price.
Run your own balance through the points value calculator.
Cash + Points is the mix Southwest offers when you do not want to cover the whole fare with points. The redeem page says the booking still earns on the dollars portion under the rules in its footnote. Read that footnote before you count the booking toward status or a Companion Pass.
Companion Pass is a separate decision
The Companion Pass is not a second seat you book with points on this page. The 2027 rules, which start January 1, 2027, use 95,000 tier qualifying points for the shorter pass and 140,000 for the unlimited pass, per Southwest. The booking guide does not replace that page. Read Companion Pass 2027 before you move points in the hope that the transfer counts.
Learn this properly
Lesson 11: Transfer Partners & When to Use Them explains why one bank's points can book a flight. Every ratio is on the transfer partners page, and points values prices Rapid Rewards against the other currencies.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a Southwest flight with points?
Southwest says to log in to your Rapid Rewards account on the Southwest.com homepage, enter the flight, and view fares in points. Then select the flight and purchase it. The number of points depends on the fare. When fares go on sale, the points needed go on sale too. Cash + Points combines cash and Rapid Rewards points.
Which bank points transfer to Rapid Rewards?
Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards, at the ratios in the table above.
Do Southwest awards use a fixed chart?
No. Southwest says the points needed depend on the fare. A sale on the cash fare is a sale on the points. That is the opposite of a fixed award chart.
When should I pay cash instead?
Pay cash when the points price, after taxes, comes out below 1.25 cents per point (The Points Guy, November 2026). Use points when the same math beats that figure.
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