Why Southwest Airlines Just Got Better & More Rewarding

Southwest Airlines has been one of the most polarizing airlines. Some travelers love them for the value they provide with bags fly free, companion passes, and inexpensive flights. Other travels have complained that they don't like Southwest because they don't offer assigned seating, don't participate in airline alliances, and don't offer many international flights. There's some good news! All of that is about to change as Southwest has kept many of their best strengths while also improving many of their weaknesses.

5 Reasons Why Southwest Was Already Great

There are a number of reasons why Travel Hackers love Southwest, but many people don't know about these unique features that already made Southwest great!

1. Southwest Points are Easy to Earn - Southwest points are some of the easiest to earn through their Credit Cards, Shopping Portals, Travel Partners, and more. (My wife & I earned 310,000 Southwest points just this year!)
2. Southwest Points are Very Valuable - Southwest points are generally valued at 1.5¢ per point. (That means that the 310,000 points my family has earned is worth over $4,600 in flights!)  
3. The Southwest Companion Pass - The Southwest Companion Pass allows one other person to fly free with you on unlimited flights for up to two years! Whether you're paying with cash or points, flying coach or business class, your companion flies for free! That instantly creates a scenario where all your Southwest Airlines tickets are buy one, get one free! (My wife & I each earned a Companion Pass this year which means that our two girls fly for free with us everywhere we go until the end of 2025!)
4. Bags Fly Free - Unlike the majority of other airlines that will charge you for your first, second, or even carry-on bags, Southwest lets you check two bags per passenger for free! (That can save you hundreds of dollars per trip!)
5. Premium Destinations - Beyond all of their US destinations, Southwest can be a great way to get to Aruba, Hawaii, the Cayman Islands, and more (One of my course students recently flew Southwest for an incredible Anniversary trip to Cancun)

5 Ways Southwest Just Got Better

Southeast is calling these incoming changes the biggest transformation in company history! They've listened to their customers and their shareholders to make their airline even better moving forward!

1. European Partners - Taking them far beyond the select few international destinations they've offered, Southwest just announced a brand new partnership with Icelandair. This partnership will offer flights to 36 different European destinations, including Paris, Rome, London, Barcelona, Prague, and more!
2. Assigned Seating - Correcting their previous boarding-based open seating, Southwest will now offer assigned seating as a free part of their standard tickets.
3. Extra Legroom Seats - Beyond the normal cabin seats, Southwest will now offer more comfort with extra legroom seating.
4. New Credit Card Rewards Incoming - With cards that already offer free TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry, free in-flight wifi, and lots of points, Southwest already had some of the most generous credit cards on the market. They've now announced that they will increase those rewards even more in 2025!
5. New International Partners Incoming - Southwest is just getting started with international travel destinations, and beyond the tropical locations they currently offer, the European locations they're launching, they plan to continue to expand their partnerships for further global reach.

Join the Party with Southwest!

With all these exciting changes on the horizon, Southwest Airlines is not only preserving what travelers already love but also addressing some of the biggest concerns that have held others back. Whether you're a frequent flyer already loyal to Southwest or someone who has been hesitant due to the airline's limitations, now is the perfect time to revisit what they have to offer. Southwest is evolving in a way that makes them even more attractive for both casual and savvy travelers alike.