If I buy a ticket for another Customer, can I receive Rapid Rewards points for the travel? No. The Rapid Rewards program was designed to reward our flyers for the flights they take, regardless of who purchased the tickets. Rapid Rewards points are only earned by the Member who travels.

No, you cannot earn Rapid Rewards points on your own account if you purchase a ticket for someone else to fly. In the airline industry, miles and points are always awarded to the person whose name is on the ticket and who actually completes the travel. If you buy a flight for your friend or family member, they should enter their own Rapid Rewards number to receive the points. However, if you use a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card to make the purchase, you will earn "points-per-dollar" spent on the transaction itself as a cardholder benefit. These are separate from the "flight miles" earned by the passenger. This rule is standard across almost all frequent flyer programs: you get the points for paying with a co-branded card, but only the person in the seat gets the credit for the actual air miles flown.

Excellent question! This is a common point of confusion for many frequent flyers.

The short answer is: No, you cannot earn Rapid Rewards miles for a ticket you purchase for someone else on Southwest Airlines.

Here’s the detailed breakdown of Southwest’s policy and how it works:

The Core Rule: “Who Flies, Earns”

Southwest operates on a strict “the member who flies, earns the miles” policy. Miles are credited to the Rapid Rewards account of the person whose name is on the ticket and who actually takes the flight.

• If you buy a ticket for your friend, the miles will be deposited into your friend’s Rapid Rewards account when they fly.
• If your friend doesn’t have an account, the miles are simply forfeited. They cannot be transferred to you after the fact.

What You Can Earn When Buying for Others

While you don’t earn the flight miles, you CAN earn points from the purchase itself if you use a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card:

1. Credit Card Points: You will earn Rapid Rewards points for the dollar amount spent on the ticket(s) if you pay with a Southwest co-branded credit card (from Chase). These are considered “purchase points,” not “flight miles,” and they credit directly to your Rapid Rewards account.
2. Tier Qualifying Points (TQP): The money spent on the ticket will also count toward your Tier Qualifying Points for A-List or A-List Preferred status if you use your Southwest credit card. This is a key way to earn status even when buying tickets for family or friends.

Important Steps When Booking for Others

To ensure the traveler gets their miles (and to make managing the reservation easier), you should:

1. Have the traveler create a Rapid Rewards account (if they don’t