DEAL: Buy Southwest Rapid Rewards Points For 40% Off (1.8 Cents Per Point) until Sep 25

Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards program has introduced a new promotion on purchasing points. While buying points strategically can sometimes offer value, it feels strange for a revenue-based frequent flyer program like Southwest to sell points, especially given its structure.

Southwest's point promotion (Source: Southwest)

Let’s break down the details, but we'll start by saying this offer is likely not worth pursuing for most people:

Until Wednesday, September 25, 2024, Southwest is offering up to a 40% discount when purchasing Rapid Rewards points. This promotion is straightforward—you get the full 40% discount when buying at least 3,000 points in one transaction.

• Maximum purchase: 60,000 Rapid Rewards points per day, with no annual limit.

• Normal cost: 3.0 cents per Rapid Rewards point.

If you purchase 60,000 points with the 40% discount, you'll pay $990, which brings the price down to 1.8 cents per point.

How Much Are Southwest Points Worth?

Southwest Rapid Rewards operates as a revenue-based frequent flyer program, meaning the number of points required for a flight depends on the ticket price.

Typically, you need about 85 Rapid Rewards points per US dollar of airfare on Southwest, which means each Rapid Rewards point is worth just under 1.2 cents toward a flight.

Is Buying Southwest Airlines Points Worth It?

In most cases, buying Rapid Rewards points is not advisable. Even with the discount, purchasing points at 1.8 cents each to redeem them for approximately 1.2 cents in value doesn’t make sense. However, there are a few scenarios where this could be useful:

1. Topping Off for an Award

Some might purchase a small number of points to top off their account and redeem an award ticket. While it could work for a few people, it's usually better to continue earning points through regular means and redeem them for a future flight.

2. Buying Points with Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in domestic travel. It requires earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, allowing a companion to fly with you for just the cost of taxes, regardless of whether you’re paying cash or using points.

If you have the Companion Pass, buying points could offer more value:

• Purchase points for 1.8 cents each

• Redeem them for 1.2 cents per point, and your companion flies free, effectively doubling the value to 2.4 cents per point.

Current Southwest promotional offer (Source: Southwest)

However, it’s still not a good strategy, as you'd be better off booking a paid ticket and having your companion fly for free. Also, purchasing Rapid Rewards points does not count toward Companion Pass qualification.

3. Having a Stash of Southwest Points

There is one main benefit to holding Southwest Rapid Rewards points: flexibility. Southwest has no change fees for either revenue or award tickets.

• Cancel a revenue ticket, and you'll receive a travel credit that must be used for future travel (though these credits no longer expire).

• Cancel an award ticket, and the Rapid Rewards points will be returned to your account, and you can use them for anyone at any time.

This flexibility is useful, especially for speculative bookings or making travel arrangements for friends and family.

Southwest airplane (theflight.info)

Conclusion

Southwest is offering up to a 40% discount on Rapid Rewards points, lowering the cost to 1.8 cents per point. Even so, it's unlikely to be a good deal for most people, as Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based program, and points are typically worth much less than the purchase price. While there may be a few niche scenarios where this promotion makes sense, for the majority, it's best to pass on this offer.