Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
No Southwest Credit Card (Base Earning)
Wanna Get Away (Approx. 12% value)
Wanna Get Away Plus (Approx. 14% value)
Anytime (Approx. 16% value)
Business Select (Approx. 18% value)
Understanding Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
How Southwest Points Work
Southwest Airlines uses a loyalty program called Rapid Rewards. Unlike many other airlines that have fixed point values, Southwest's points are dynamic. The number of points required for a flight changes based on demand, time of booking, and the specific fare type. However, generally, a Southwest point is valued at around 1.3 to 1.5 cents when redeemed for "Wanna Get Away" fares. This calculator helps estimate potential points earned based on spending and flight redemptions.
Earning Points with Southwest
You can earn Rapid Rewards points in several ways:
Flying Southwest: Earn points based on the fare type and the cash cost of your ticket.
Southwest Co-branded Credit Cards: These cards offer significant welcome bonuses and everyday earning rates on purchases. Different cards have different annual spending bonus tiers.
Shopping & Dining Portals: Earn points by shopping through the Southwest online portal or dining at participating restaurants.
Hotel Stays, Rental Cars, and Other Partners: Many travel partners allow you to earn points on your bookings.
Credit Card Earning Tiers (Simplified)
Southwest credit cards offer accelerated earning on Southwest flights and certain other spending categories. The specific bonus depends on the card. This calculator uses simplified tiers to estimate potential annual earnings from a card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Typically earns 3X points on Southwest purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Typically earns 3X points on Southwest purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Typically earns 3X points on Southwest purchases.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Typically earns 3X points on Southwest purchases.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Typically earns 3X points on Southwest purchases.
No Card: Base earning rates apply (e.g., 1X on most purchases, 2X on specific partner categories).
Flight Redemption Value
The value of a Rapid Rewards point varies. "Wanna Get Away" fares usually offer the best value for your points, meaning you get more cents per point. More premium fares like "Business Select" will cost more points but offer greater flexibility. The calculator uses an estimated cents-per-point value based on the fare type selected.
Calculator Logic Explained
The calculator works by estimating your annual points earned from credit card spending and then calculating how many points are needed for flights based on your typical spending and desired fare type.
Points Earned from Spending: It takes your estimated annual spending and applies the earning rate associated with your selected Southwest credit card. If no card is selected, it assumes a base earning rate (simplified).
Points Needed for Flights: It then estimates the number of points required for a one-way ticket based on the average cost of a ticket and the selected fare type's point value.
Total Estimated Points: The result shows the potential points earned from spending, which can be used towards future flights.
Note: This calculator provides an estimation. Actual points earned and redemption values can vary significantly based on Southwest's dynamic pricing, specific card offers, and personal spending habits. Welcome bonuses and limited-time promotions are not included in this calculation.
function calculateSouthwestPoints() {
var annualSpending = parseFloat(document.getElementById("annualSpending").value);
var cardTypePointsMultiplier = parseFloat(document.getElementById("cardType").value);
var fareTypeValue = parseFloat(document.getElementById("fareType").value);
var fareCost = parseFloat(document.getElementById("fareCost").value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
resultDiv.innerHTML = "; // Clear previous results
var pointsEarned = 0;
var pointsPerFlight = 0;
var estimatedFlights = 0;
// — Points Earning Calculation —
if (!isNaN(annualSpending) && annualSpending > 0) {
// Simplified earning: Assume a base rate for non-card holders, and a multiplier for cardholders.
// The 'cardType' value is already a multiplier (or 0 for no card).
// For no card (value 0), we'll assume a base earning rate of ~1.5 points per dollar on typical travel spending for estimation purposes if the user has no card.
var effectiveMultiplier = (cardTypePointsMultiplier > 0) ? cardTypePointsMultiplier : 1.5; // Default to 1.5 if no card selected for simplicity in this demo
pointsEarned = annualSpending * (effectiveMultiplier / 100); // Assuming the card values represent percentage bonus on Southwest purchases, and applying to total spending for simplicity of demo. Real calculations are more complex.
}
// — Points Needed for Flights Calculation —
if (!isNaN(fareCost) && fareCost > 0 && !isNaN(fareTypeValue) && fareTypeValue > 0) {
// Calculate points needed per flight based on fare cost and redemption value
// Points = Fare Cost / (Point Value in Cents / 100)
// Example: $150 ticket, 14% value -> $150 / (0.14 / 100) = $150 / 0.0014 = 10714 points
pointsPerFlight = fareCost / (fareTypeValue / 100);
if (pointsPerFlight > 0 && pointsEarned > 0) {
estimatedFlights = Math.floor(pointsEarned / pointsPerFlight);
}
}
// — Display Result —
var resultHTML = "You could earn approximately " + Math.round(pointsEarned).toLocaleString() + " points annually.";
if (pointsPerFlight > 0 && estimatedFlights > 0) {
resultHTML += "This could cover roughly " + estimatedFlights.toLocaleString() + " one-way flight(s).";
resultHTML += "(Based on avg. $" + fareCost.toFixed(2) + " per ticket at " + (fareTypeValue * 100).toFixed(0) + "% redemption value)";
} else if (pointsEarned > 0) {
resultHTML += "(Flight redemption estimation requires valid ticket cost and fare type value)";
} else {
resultHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for spending and ticket cost.";
}
resultDiv.innerHTML = resultHTML;
}