5 last-minute ways to earn Southwest elite status this year

Featured image by LESLIE HARVEY FOR THE POINTS GUYLeslie HarveyLeslie Harvey is a family travel blogger and freelance travel writer. Her site, Trips With Tykes, chronicles the joys and challenges of travel with young kids. Her work focuses on identifying and overcoming the little logistical challenges of travel with young children that make so many families shy away from it before they even begin. Her travel passions include all things involving planes and air travel, Disney, snow skiing, and national parks. November 11, 2026 • 9 min readThe cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.