Southwest Guts Points Earnings on Cheapest Fares

Southwest Airlines just dealt a major blow to Rapid Rewards members by slashing the number of points passengers will earn on the airline’s cheapest tickets, while the most expensive tickets will see a modest increase in points earned. The change comes without any advance notice from the airline.

Effective March 4, 2025, Southwest passengers traveling on Wanna Get Away fares will see a 67% decrease in the number of points they earn. Flyers traveling on Wanna Get Away Plus fares will earn 25% fewer points. Tickets booked prior to March 4, 2025, will earn points at the old earnings rate, Southwest said in an email to NerdWallet.

Changes to earnings rates

NerdWallet values Southwest points at 1.5 cents each. When you consider airline miles as an effective rebate on the cost of airfare, travelers will now earn the following:

• Wanna Get Away fares earn 3% back, down from 9%.

• Wanna Get Away Plus fares earn 9% back, down from 12%.

• Anytime fares remain unchanged and earn 15% back.

• Business Select fares earn 21% back, up from 18%.

By comparison, non-elite passengers flying on United Airlines in the cheapest fare class (basic economy) earn 5 miles per dollar. NerdWallet values United miles at 1.2 cents each, which equates to a 6% earn rate per dollar spent, or double what passengers will now get on a Southwest Wanna Get Away fare.

» Learn more: Southwest Airlines fare classes: What you need to know

The decreasing value of Southwest loyalty

The changes are particularly negative for Southwest loyalists with A-List and A-List Preferred elite status who earn bonus points for every dollar they spend on airfare. While the bonus multipliers for elite members remain unchanged, loyalists will now earn significantly fewer points than they previously did.

A-List members receive a 25% point bonus on qualifying flights and will now earn:

• 2.5 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away fares, down from 7.5 points per dollar.

• 7.5 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away Plus fares, down from 10 points per dollar.

A-List Preferred members receive a 100% point bonus on qualifying flights and will now earn:

• 4 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away fares, down from 12 points per dollar. 

• 12 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away Plus fares, down from 16 points per dollar.

» Learn more: What is Southwest status worth?

What does it mean for consumers?

I’ve taken over 200 flights on Southwest and can’t remember an instance where I purchased an Anytime or Business Select ticket. For non-business Southwest flyers who do the same, these changes are remarkably unfriendly and diminish the value proposition of the Rapid Rewards program.

These changes come amid a call for improved company profitability from Elliott Investment Management, a hedge fund that purchased a $1.9 billion stake in Southwest in 2024 (approximately 10% of the company's common stock, according to Reuters). Since that purchase, the airline has announced plans to increase revenue through charging for seats with more legroom and transitioning away from open seating.