Can I Transfer My Southwest Points To Another Airline? | Now

Rapid Rewards points can’t be converted to other airlines’ miles, but you can redeem them for travel through Southwest or More Rewards.

You’ve got Rapid Rewards points and a trip that’s better on another carrier. Maybe Southwest doesn’t sell the route. Maybe the timing’s off. Or maybe you already earn miles with a different airline and you’d prefer to keep your flights there.

Here’s the plain answer: Rapid Rewards points stay inside Rapid Rewards. There’s no way to push them into United, Delta, American, or any other airline program. The useful part is what you can do instead, without wasting points or paying fees you didn’t need to pay.

What to do if your real goal is “use value,” not “move points”

Most travelers ask about transferring points because they want the trip, not because they love the act of transferring. So start by naming the real outcome you want.

• You want a seat on a certain airline. Price that ticket in cash first. Then check if More Rewards gives a points price that feels fair.
• You want to help someone else travel. Booking a Southwest award ticket in their name is often the lowest-friction path.
• You want one household balance. A single paid transfer can tidy things up, yet repeated transfers can pile on fees.

This quick reframing keeps you from spending money just to make points “look” like another currency.

Can I Transfer My Southwest Points To Another Airline? What’s actually possible

If you mean “send my Rapid Rewards points into another airline’s miles account,” the answer is no. Southwest points don’t convert into other airline currencies.

If you mean “use these points so I end up flying another airline,” that can happen through Southwest’s redemption channels that price travel in points. Expect less value than a Southwest flight award in many cases.

Fast ways to use points when Southwest isn’t the right flight

Most people land on one of these paths:

• Book a Southwest award ticket for someone else.
• Move points to another Rapid Rewards member (paid transfer).
• Redeem through the More Rewards catalog, including travel that isn’t Southwest.
• Pay cash for the other airline and save points for a Southwest trip that fits better.

Book a Southwest flight for someone else

If your goal is getting another person a ticket on Southwest, you often don’t need to transfer points. You can book the award ticket in their name straight from your account. No transfer fee, no waiting for points to post.

Steps that keep it smooth

• Search flights with the “Points” option turned on.
• Enter the traveler’s name exactly as it appears on their ID.
• Use your email for confirmations if you want to manage changes, then forward the itinerary.

This works even if the traveler has zero points. You’re paying with your points; they’re just the passenger.

Transfer points to another Rapid Rewards member

Southwest lets you send points to another person’s Rapid Rewards account. It’s legit, but it usually costs enough that you should run the math first.

Transfers make the most sense when:

• Someone is a few thousand points short and you want to top them up.
• You want one family account to do the booking and you’re fine paying a fee once.

Southwest runs this through its official points page. Buy, gift, and transfer points shows the current limits and the steps inside your account.

Three checks before you hit submit

• Verify the recipient’s Rapid Rewards number. A typo can be painful.
• Compare the transfer fee to the cash price of the ticket you’re trying to book.
• If the end goal is a Southwest flight, price that flight from your account too. Booking it directly can skip the fee.

Use the More Rewards catalog for non-Southwest travel

Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed beyond Southwest flights through Southwest’s catalog. That catalog can include gift cards, hotels, and travel options that aren’t operated by Southwest.

This is best treated as a backup choice. It can solve a route Southwest doesn’t sell, yet the points price can be steep compared to what you’d spend on a Southwest award flight with a similar cash price.

Southwest lists the main redemption categories on its official page. How to redeem points is the cleanest starting point for the current menu.

When this route is worth a look

• You need a city pair Southwest doesn’t sell.
• You’ve got points you won’t use on Southwest in the next few trips.
• You want one checkout flow and you accept you may spend more points.

How fees change the math on “sharing”

Southwest’s member-to-member transfer is a paid service. That alone doesn’t make it bad. It just means you should compare it to the cash price of the thing you’re trying to buy.

If you’re transferring points so another person can book a Southwest award, pause and price the same flight from your account. Many times the booking itself is the better deal, since you skip the transfer charge and you still put the passenger on the ticket you want.

If you’re transferring points so someone can use them later, the fee can still be worth it when you value simplicity more than squeezing every last drop of value from your points. Just make it a deliberate choice.

Make the call with a simple value check

Pick your goal first. Then compare prices in the same moment, since fares can swing.

• Price the trip in cash on the airline you want.
• Price the closest Southwest option in points and in cash.
• If Southwest won’t work, price the same trip through More Rewards in points.

If a transfer fee is part of your plan, add it to the total cost in your head. A transfer can turn “free” into “not so free” fast.

What you’re trying to do	Best move with Rapid Rewards points	What to watch for
Get someone a Southwest ticket	Book the award flight in their name	Enter traveler details exactly; keep the confirmation handy
Combine points into one family account	Transfer points to one Rapid Rewards member	Fees can be high; check daily limits
Fly a route Southwest doesn’t sell	Try flights or travel in More Rewards	Compare points price to the cash fare you’d pay anyway
Use points for a hotel stay	Redeem hotels in More Rewards	Hotel redemptions often yield less value than flights
Turn points into gift cards	Redeem gift cards in More Rewards	Point value can drop versus travel
Fix a small points shortage	Buy points or earn via partners, then book Southwest	Buying points can cost more than paying cash
Avoid paying a transfer fee	Book travel directly instead of moving points	Transfers add cost; bookings skip that step
Another airline is far cheaper in cash	Pay cash and save points for later	Don’t burn points at a weak rate just to “use points”

Common mix-ups that waste points

Mixing up “transfer” and “redeem”

A transfer changes one program’s currency into another. Rapid Rewards doesn’t do that with other airlines. A redemption spends points through a booking channel, and that’s where you may see options beyond Southwest.

Paying to move points when you could book the ticket

If the goal is a Southwest flight for another person, booking the award ticket from your account is often the cleaner play than paying to transfer points first.

Expecting perks to follow you

If you redeem through a catalog for a non-Southwest flight, treat it like a standard booking from a travel portal. Don’t count on Southwest perks carrying over.

Second table: Pick the right move by goal

Use this as a quick sorter when you’re stuck between two choices.

Your goal	Most practical play	Best first check
Someone else needs a Southwest ticket	Book the award in their name	Compare points price vs. cash price on Southwest
You need a non-Southwest route	Try More Rewards travel	Compare points price vs. the cash fare you’d pay anyway
You’re short on points for a Southwest award	Earn via partners or buy a small amount	See if paying cash costs less than buying points
You want one family balance for booking	Transfer once to one account	Add up all transfer fees before you do it
You want something other than travel	Redeem for gift cards or merchandise	Check the points-to-dollar value against a flight
You want points ready for later	Pay cash for the other airline and save points	Scan Southwest fares for a trip you know you’ll take
You need to book today	Pick the option with the fewest steps	Confirm ticketing and refund rules before checkout

Small habits that keep your points usable

If you don’t have a Southwest trip on the calendar yet, your points can still sit quietly until you do. The main thing is staying organized so you don’t scramble later.

• Keep a note with your Rapid Rewards login, account number, and the email tied to the account.
• When you book for someone else, save the confirmation number and the passenger name in the same note.
• If you redeem through a catalog, take screenshots of the final checkout page and the email receipt.

That tiny bit of admin work makes changes and refunds far easier to handle.

A checklist before you click “purchase”

1. Write down the route, dates, and your must-have departure window.
2. Price the trip in cash on the airline you want.
3. Price the closest Southwest option in points and in cash.
4. If Southwest won’t work, price the trip through More Rewards in points.
5. Only think about member-to-member transfers after you compare the fee to buying the ticket.
6. Before checkout, confirm traveler name spelling and refund rules.

Where this leaves you

Rapid Rewards points won’t convert into another airline’s miles, so a true airline-to-airline transfer isn’t on the table. Still, you’ve got workable moves: book Southwest flights for someone else, transfer points to another Rapid Rewards member when the fee makes sense, or redeem through More Rewards when you need a route Southwest doesn’t sell.