Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways · Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Sally French and Megan Coyle report that Southwest Airlines has overhauled its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, renaming elite status tiers to Silver, Gold, and Platinum, and raising the requirements for the coveted Companion Pass starting January 1, 2027.
“Southwest just overhauled its entire loyalty program with big changes to its elite status and its highly coveted Companion Pass.”
“If you previously had A-list status, that switches into a new tier called silver status. A-list preferred switches into gold status.”