What is the difference between southwest a list and a list preferred

For example you may need to make three qualifying roundtrips or six one-way flights. You can find the Southwest status match information here. Instead, if you are interested in getting upgrades to Business Select then you should look into the Southwest Priority Credit Card which offers four annual upgrades.

If you are doing a lot of flying to earn A-List then chances are you probably are a contender to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. That is an extremely valuable pass that will allow a companion to fly for free with you for up to two calendar years. Read more about the Companion Pass here. Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. Well, that is going to depend on your personal preferences and flying habits. Below are some questions that you may want to ask yourself to see if the status will be worth it for you.

If you are someone who does a lot of traveling for business then you might want to catch those earlier flights whenever meetings end shorter than expected or you get done with your work quicker. Being able to utilize the standby tickets for free is a great benefit for those type of people but you might already get that perk with Business Select.

If you are always on the go and typically arrive at the airport just before departure then being able to breeze through the check in line and even the security line could be a major benefit for yourself. If you are someone who can earn Rapid Rewards with work travel, then this could be a great way to take advantage of the status. I know a few people who do not travel that often outside of work and they use their Rapid Rewards for gift cards.

You might be sacrificing a little bit of value but what good or travel points if you have no goals or intentions to travel? To qualify for Southwest A-List status with flights, you will need 25 one-way qualifying flights. You can also qualify with 35, tier qualifying points. Southwest A-List status members get to board right after Business Select. This comes out to the following rates: 7.

A-List does not offer complementary upgrades to Southwest Business Select. Elite status with Southwest may not be about the upgrades but Southwest Airlines A-List offers several perks to make your travel more convenient and rewarding. With expedited check-in, security, same-day standby and other perks this status can be worth it for a lot of people. For more on Southwest, be sure to check out my tips here.

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Excellent in-depth analysis. I learned a number of things. I It was kind of funny but I imagine you would like to correct it. The first place I saw it was 6. The dedicated A-List phone number routes you to the main 1. Not impressed by Southwest. Your email address will not be published.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Well, if so, this article has you covered. Be sure to check out the infographic at the bottom of the article as well!

Table of Contents. How many flights are needed for Southwest A-List status? Can I earn Southwest A-List status with credit cards? How do you earn Southwest elite status?

In short: Either fly frequently, or spend a significant amount of money with Southwest or both. A-List is the lower of the two tiers of Southwest elite status. How to earn A-List status: To get A-List status, you need to take 25 one-way flights or earn 35, tier qualifying points per year. Points are earned through booking flights with Southwest, or through making qualifying purchases with Rapid Rewards partners, which include other hotel programs like the World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy programs, or booking rental cars through companies including Alamo, Hertz and National.

Access to Fly By priority check-in and security access lanes where available. Same-day standby benefits free of airline charges. All passengers included on your reservation will receive priority boarding meaning Southwest will automatically reserve a boarding position 36 hours prior to the flight, though you and passengers on your reservation will still need to check in within 24 hours of scheduled departure to retrieve your boarding passes.

How to earn A-List Preferred status: If you fly 50 qualifying segments or earn 70, qualifying points per year, you will earn A-List Preferred status. Benefits of A-List Preferred status:. A dedicated A-List Preferred phone line.

In addition to flying to earn tier points, you can also earn them with the Southwest Rapid Reward credit cards. When it comes time to redeem Rapid Rewards points , consider using them for a tropical vacation. Southwest flights to the Caribbean provide among the best value for budget travelers looking for a beach getaway. Southwest flights to Hawaii continue to expand as the airline adds more routes beyond just California, where service initially launched, into other West Coast airports too.

Southwest did both. It extended elite status and Companion Passes early on in the pandemic and gave members a headstart toward qualification. In short, the airline deposited Tier Qualifying Points and qualifying segments into each Southwest account earlier this year. This effectively lowered qualification requirements to the following:. That said, I am not reflecting these status qualifying changes in this article.

Make sure to go through your travel plans and see if it makes sense for you to chase elite status during the pandemic. Remember, you can edit the provided Excel sheet and make changes to my assumed valuations for a more accurate look at the value of elite status.

Further, elite status requirements will eventually return to normal once the pandemic is behind us. With the vaccine rollout starting worldwide, the future is bright for travel. Related: When will international travel return? A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery. Unlike some of the other large U. Instead, it focuses on point-to-point, nonstop routes.

So, make sure to check your home airport and see if Southwest flies to your desired destinations. You can do this using a tool like FlightConnections or by looking up your home airport on Wikipedia.

It only serves a small handful of international destinations in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. With that in mind, those who frequently travel to more far-flung destinations may want to skip Southwest and earn status with a more traditional carrier. Related: Southwest Airlines adds 4 new routes; Hawaii and Florida are winners.

This means there are no free upgrades to business class for elite status members, which can be a disappointment for those seeking luxury in the sky. Elites do, however, get priority boarding that gives them first dibs at their preferred seat. Related: Southwest vs. Likewise, all redeemable Rapid Rewards earned from credit card spend count toward Companion Pass qualification. This can be a good way to fast-track yourself to Companion Pass qualification.

That said, there is an opportunity cost involved when you work to earn elite status and Companion Pass with your cobranded credit card. You may earn more points by putting your expenses on a transferable points card that earns bonus points on dining , travel and other popular categories. Points like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards are generally more valuable than Southwest points, too, given their expansive list of transfer partners. Related: Credit cards that can help you earn airline elite status.

One nice thing about this is that you can stretch your points when booking low-cost award tickets. Likewise, the airline has no blackout dates or traditional award space. Keep all of this in mind before aiming for elite status with Southwest. That said, Southwest Rapid Rewards can be great for domestic travelers who want easy-to-redeem points.