No, you cannot use Southwest Airlines travel funds or flight credits to book hotels directly through Southwest.
However, there are a few important details and related options to understand:
1. Southwest Travel Funds (Flight Credits)
- Purpose: These credits are issued for canceled Southwest flights and are strictly for future airfare purchases on Southwest Airlines.
- Restrictions: They cannot be transferred to Southwest’s hotel or car rental partners. They are locked for use on flights only.
2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
- Purpose: These are the points you earn in Southwest’s loyalty program.
- Flexibility: You can use Rapid Rewards points to book hotels, car rentals, and other travel through the Southwest Hotels and Southwest Car Rental portals on their website.
- How it works: When you search for hotels on Southwest.com (under “Hotels”), you’ll see a price in dollars and an option to see the cost in points. You can pay entirely with points, or use a combination of “Points + Cash.”
3. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card & Other Co-branded Cards
- Earning Points: Purchases on these cards earn Rapid Rewards points, which, as noted above, can be redeemed for hotels.
- Travel Eraser Feature: Some Southwest credit cards (like the Priority card) offer a “Travel Eraser” benefit. This allows you to use your points to reimburse yourself for travel purchases made with the card—and this includes hotels, car rentals, and even other airlines.