Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Overhaul

Southwest got rid of open seating and its no bag fees policy. The latest way it’s looking like everyone else? The loyalty program. 

Until this week, Southwest’s program had remained relatively unique: just A-List and A-List Preferred. 

But the carrier has unveiled a sweeping overhaul and its Rapid Rewards program resembles the frequent flyer programs of American, Delta, and United. 

It will have three status tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Southwest is also offering Rapid Rewards credit cardholders the opportunity to earn 1 TQP, or tier qualifying point, per dollar spent to reach status faster. 

The overhaul comes ahead of Southwest’s plans to open lounges late next year. The lounges, which are part of the Southwest Icon Network, will first debut in four U.S. cities — Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville. Southwest also gave a first look of what the lounge concept will look like, also resembling the newer lounges from the Big 3 airlines. 

All of these changes now set the stage for long-haul international flights and perhaps a premium seat offering. Southwest’s rapid transformation has been met with some pushback from loyal customers, but so far, it appears that the carrier’s gamble to become something closer to a full-service legacy carrier has worked. Southwest is one of the few U.S. airlines on track to make a profit this year, despite surging fuel costs.