For the first time, Southwest Airlines loyalists will soon be able to earn Rapid Rewards points when staying in a hotel or booking a rental car.
The Dallas-based carrier on Tuesday announced its long-promised vacation packages platform called Getaways by Southwest.
Included in this announcement is a way for customers to return to the days of two free checked bags on Southwest flights (more on that in a moment).
This new booking site allows Southwest customers to bundle different aspects of their trip, from the flight to hotel, car and ground transportation bookings. And, significantly for Rapid Rewards members, customers who book a package on Southwest’s new site will be eligible to earn 5 Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent.
Read more: Southwest unveils big credit card refresh: 50% fee hikes, but new seating and boarding perks
Southwest expands into vacation packages
Getaways is Southwest’s first real venture into non-air bookings — something airlines have increasingly emphasized in recent years, hoping to make money not just on travelers’ flights, but on other aspects of the trip like lodging and ground transportation.
Customers traveling to a beach destination Southwest serves can go to one site to book their flight, hotel and car rental for the trip, much like they would on another booking site like Expedia or Travelocity — but it’s through Southwest’s channels.
Now, a word of caution: Oftentimes, customers who book a hotel reservation through an airline platform (or any other third-party online travel agency) can run into difficulty earning hotel loyalty points, and tapping into elite status benefits can be a challenge. So, if you’re pursuing World of Hyatt Globalist status, booking sites like these aren’t always your best bet.
That said, booking packages like these can be worth it, in some cases. For starters, it can be a way to save money on your trip by bundling all of your bookings. Plus, if you’re especially loyal to an airline (like Southwest), it can accelerate your loyalty earnings to help you reach future redemption or status goals.
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How Getaways by Southwest works
Southwest’s new Getaways platform will be a little more limited than some other booking tools; you won’t see destinations all over the globe — at least at the start.
The carrier is focusing on more than 30 popular domestic or short-haul international vacation spots it serves, specifically noting Las Vegas, Hawaii, Cancun, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Orlando, and Montego Bay in Jamaica.
International growth expected
However, Southwest’s global reach is expanding. The airline earlier this year launched a partnership with Icelandair and it recently announced a tie-up with Taiwan-based China Airlines.
Speaking at an investor event last fall, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan touched on what an expanding partner list — combined with this vacations platform — could mean down the road.
“You’ll eventually be able to earn and redeem Rapid Reward points to long-haul international destinations through our expanding list of airline partners and through our new Getaways product,” Jordan said in September 2024, speaking at Southwest’s Investor Day in Dallas, when the company first revealed its plans to expand into the vacation packages arena.
Jordan subsequently teased a potential future expansion by Southwest to long-haul international routes. So it’s possible the airline’s network — and by extension this Getaways platform — could grow in the future.
Important polices to know (including 2 free bags)
One downside of the launch of Getaways by Southwest: At the outset, customers will not be able to redeem Rapid Rewards points when booking these packages. However, a spokesperson did describe that as “an enhancement on our roadmap.” So, at some point in the future, you may be able to put those Southwest points you’ve earned toward both a flight and, perhaps, a hotel stay.
A few other policies to know, including one that will be notable to longtime Southwest flyers:
- Customers who book a flight through Getaways by Southwest will be allowed to check two free bags, harking back to the “old days” of a few months ago, before the airline ditched its longtime “bags fly free” policy.
- Customers who have to cancel a getaway will receive travel credits for the platform that will be valid for 18 months and can be applied to a future vacation booking.
- No change fees.
Bottom line
Getaways by Southwest is the airline’s new platform for booking vacation packages, and offers two free checked bags and 5 Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on bundled bookings.
You can access the booking site at southwest.com/vacations.
This reveal comes at a time when the airline is evolving at a rapid pace, having implemented checked bag fees and a host of loyalty changes earlier this year, not to mention a big cobranded credit card refresh last month.
Plus, the airline is well into retrofitting its planes in preparation for the January 2026 launch of assigned and extra-legroom seats — which are now on sale.
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