Southwest Airlines is replacing its two existing elite frequent flyer tiers with a three-tier system of Silver, Gold, and Platinum, mirroring the structure used by other carriers.
The airline will officially retire the current A-List and A-List Preferred membership levels on January 1. Southwest Airlines will also introduce new benefits for each tier and revise the rules for earning the Companion Pass.
Farewell, A-List and A-List Preferred. Southwest Airlines (LUV) will scrap its two-tier loyalty program starting next year and launch a three-tier system of Silver, Gold, and Platinum, aligning itself with other airlines. The once-iconoclastic carrier hopes to boost revenue and reward its highest-spending customers.
Southwest Airlines management has been aggressively overhauling the company's operations, having already eliminated several long-standing customer perks such as the two free checked bags policy and the open seating boarding system. Some services are now charged separately, a practice competitors like Delta have followed for years.
Along with the shift from two tiers to three, the old tier names will be discontinued. Under the previous system, travelers were classified as A-List and the higher A-List Preferred. Southwest Airlines Chief Customer and Brand Officer Tony Roach said in an interview: "Think about the A-List and A-List Preferred naming. We are even moving away from the A, B, C boarding group naming. So it is time to refresh the membership program and integrate the changes in seating rules and new customer experiences."
Details of the loyalty program changes
Starting January 1, the A-List and A-List Preferred tiers of the Rapid Rewards program will be officially discontinued. Former A-List members will automatically become Silver members; former A-List Preferred members will be upgraded to Gold. A brand-new top tier, Platinum, will be introduced for the platform's most active customers.
Customers earn 1 tier qualifying point (TQP) for every dollar spent using the Southwest Airlines and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) co-branded credit card. The thresholds for the new membership tiers are: Silver: 35,000 tier qualifying points, or 25 qualifying segments. The old A-List threshold was 35,000 points or 20 segments. Silver members' flight points bonus ratio rises from 25% to 40%. Gold: 65,000 tier qualifying points (the old A-List Preferred was 70,000 points), or 50 qualifying segments. The qualifying flight points bonus drops from the previous 100% (double points) to 60%. The new top-tier Platinum: 140,000 tier qualifying points, or 100 qualifying segments. Qualifying flight points bonus of 120%; unlimited Companion Pass benefits.
Boarding order: Silver members board in Group 1; Gold members board ahead of Group 1; Platinum members board ahead of Gold and Group 1.
Companion Pass rule changes
The Companion Pass allows a designated companion to fly free by paying only taxes and fees. Passes already active in an account will remain unchanged for their valid period. However, starting from the 2027 benefit calculation year, the Companion Pass will no longer follow the old rules and will need to be unlocked through accumulating tier qualifying points, reaching qualifying segment milestones, or achieving Platinum status.
Old rule: Rapid Rewards members needed to accumulate at least 135,000 reward points, or 100 one-way segments, to earn a Companion Pass.
Southwest Airlines is also expanding partnerships with international airlines and building its own airport lounges. On Thursday the airline unveiled a new lounge called Icon, developed in partnership with co-branded card issuer JPMorgan Chase, with the first locations opening in four U.S. cities and additional venues still under construction.
Southwest Airlines is also adding mid-tier milestone benefits for each tier, following the model of American Airlines (AAL). For example: after accumulating 20,000 points or 15 qualifying segments, travelers can choose between earning an extra 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or two preferred seat vouchers (preferred seats refer to seats at the front of the cabin with more legroom, or popular aisle or window seats).
For those who have not yet reached the Platinum threshold, after accumulating 95,000 points or 75 qualifying segments, travelers can also receive 3 Companion Pass uses.
Nandika Suri, who leads the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards loyalty program, said: "This is very different from what we did in the past. This new mechanism can recognize and reward customers faster and more frequently as they grow into higher-tier members, continuously improving user loyalty."
Across the airline industry, carriers are steadily raising the thresholds for earning membership tiers, requiring customers to spend more, while also tightening lounge access conditions. United Airlines (UAL) announced on Tuesday that starting next year its Mileage Plus program will no longer allow tier upgrades based solely on segment counts, recognizing only Premier qualifying points generated from ticket spending and co-branded credit card spending. United Airlines is also raising the threshold for its highest membership tier, Premier 1K, with qualifying points increasing from 28,000 this year to 32,000 (excluding the invitation-only Global Services top-tier membership).
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