When redeemed towards award flights on Southwest Airlines, you can typically get around 1.3 cents in value per Southwest Point. Overall, you can redeem Southwest Points towards:
- Flights On Southwest
- International Flights
- Gift Cards
- Rental Cars
- Hotel Stays
- Experiences
This page covers all the options you have when redeeming your Southwest Points and the value you'll get out of redeeming them. Do note that some options may be unavailable due to COVID.
Southwest Points Value Calculator
Use the Southwest Points Value Calculator to calculate the average cash value of your Southwest Rapid Rewards Points based on the average value per cent. Average values (denoted by '~') are based on how much The Point Calculator values that redemption after doing some testing and number crunching. You can enter any amount of points in the field below.
These are the average cash values for Southwest Points when redeemed for free flights at a value of 1.3 cents per point.
| Southwest Points | Cash Value |
|---|---|
| 10,000 Points | US $130 |
| 20,000 Points | US $260 |
| 30,000 Points | US $390 |
| 50,000 Points | US $650 |
| 75,000 Points | US $975 |
| 100,000 Points | US $1,300 |
Southwest Award Flights
Redeeming your Southwest Points for award flights on Southwest Airlines will generally give you the best value of around 1.3 cents on average. For example, below are a few revenue flights between Detroit and Tampa.
When looking at the same flights in Southwest Points, you'll see that the cost in points adjusts with the cost in cash.
You'll see that you'll get around 1.32 cents per Southwest point with all of the Business Select and Anytime fares. The Wanna Get Away fares will give you the change to get little bit more value with these particular redemptions giving you 1.4-1.5 cents per Southwest Point. While I'm sure it's possible, it will be very hard to get less than 1.3 cents out of your Southwest Points.
You can easily divide the cash cost by the cost in points to get the exact value of your Southwest Points for the redemption, but you can also use the Points and Miles Cash Value Calculator if you wish.
Use your Southwest Points to fly internationally with other carriers.
International Award Flights
While Southwest doesn't partner with any airlines, they do allow you to use your Rapid Rewards Points to book international travel with other airlines. The value of these redemptions will vary depending on the itinerary and airline. I found flights from Detroit, Michigan to Amsterdam Netherlands ranging from 81,164 points with Air Canada to 246,041 with Aeromexico. For most of the redemptions I checked, a value of 0.78 was the highest I could find. I would recommend using your Southwest Points for only the routes that they fly.
Redeem For Gift Cards
You can use your Southwest Points to pick gift cards from more than 70 different retailers. This include big brands such as Best Buy, Apple's iTunes Store, Starbucks, and more. Gift card denominations range from $25 to $500. All $25 gift cards will get you a value of 0.61 cents per Rapid Rewards Point while denominations of $50 and upward will give you 0.74 cents. Listed below are a few of the many gift card options available.
- Alamo
- Amazon
- American Eagle Outfitters
- App Store & iTunes
- Applebee's
- Avis
- Barnes & Noble
- Bath & Body Works
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Best Buy
- Best Western
- Budget
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Cheesecake Factory
- Kohl's
- Lowe's
- Macy's
- Panera Bread
- Royal Caribbean International
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Southwest
- Spafinder Wellness 365
- Target
- Walmart
Redeem For Car Rentals & Hotels
Redeeming your Southwest Points for car rentals will give you a value of about 0.55 cents per point. Booking through their portal allows you to choose vehicle size, car type, and also gives you the option of whether or not you want to drop off your rental at the same location. The following car rental agencies are available when booking through Southwest:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget
- Dollar
- Enterprise
- National
- Thrifty
Southwest Points can also be redeemed for hotels at around the same value. Hotels can be booked through their Southwest More Rewards portal. You can search by airport, city, and landmark. It also lets you specify the number of rooms and number of guests in each room. All major hotel chains are bookable through this portal along with a few smaller chains as well.
Experiences
Southwest members can use their Rapid Rewards Points to partake in experiences. The value of these will vary. You can type in a destination and it will show all of the available experiences in the area. This includes things such as bike tours, scavenger hunts, aquarium tickets, and more.
Summary
Southwest makes it very easy to get some solid value out of your points. On top of that, it's easier than ever to build your points thanks to using Southwest credit cards, credit cards from transfer partners and spending with their partners.
Want to know how much value you can get out of miles and points earned from other top airlines? Check out the links below to calculate the cash value and get a list of redemption options.
FAQ
How much are Southwest Points worth?
The Point Calculator values Southwest Points at an average of 1.3 cents each when redeemed for award flights on Southwest Airlines.
What can you redeem Southwest Points for?
Southwest Points can be redeemed for Southwest flights, gift cards, hotels, car rentals, international flights, and experiences.
