How Southwest’s New 2027 Elite Status Compares To American, Delta And United

Southwest Airlines is introducing Platinum status in 2027, but customers who already had A-List Preferred and Companion Pass aren’t really getting anything better. That’s disappointing – a new top tier should come with new benefits! Platinums get a third checked bag, boarding priority over the new Gold tier (A-List Preferred), and a higher flight earning bonus that still earns fewer points on some fares than before. Companion Pass is being folded into elite status. It isn’t a new benefit, and a frequent Southwest traveler could already have already held both. I’ve covered the full Rapid Rewards overhaul. Southwest status does have advantages over American, Delta and United. The strongest is that you can buy Southwest’s cheapest basic fare and still use your elite seating benefits, including extra legroom seats for your family. That’s an existing benefit that continues next year. What New Top Tier Platinum Status Brings Starting January 1, Southwest’s elite levels will be: Silver: Replaces A-List. Requires 35,000 tier qualifying points or 25 qualifying one-way flights. Gold: Replaces A-List Preferred. Requires 65,000 qualifying points or 50 flights. Platinum: Requires 140,000 qualifying points or 100 flights and includes unlimited Companion Pass. Gold already gets Southwest’s best available seats at booking, two checked bags, boarding before Group 1, and two premium drinks on eligible flights. For someone who already held A-List Preferred and Companion Pass, the additions are: A third free checked bag. which can occasionally be useful though honestly I’ve never checked three bags on Southwest (which you’re not flying on an extended European holiday). Boarding ahead of Gold members. But honestly, since boarding order no longer determines seat selection, who cares? You already avoid gate checking bags so there’s not much marginal benefit here. A 120% flight earning bonus instead of 100%. Southwest is cutting the base rate on its two most expensive fares so you’re not earning more there than in 2026. There’s no better seat selection window than Gold, no additional drink allowance, and no announced lounge access. I’d be surprised if status came with lounge access since they don’t want to discourage their best customers from getting the premium card. For a customer who had A-List Preferred but never earned Companion Pass, reaching Platinum can of course deliver a substantial additional benefit. But if you were earning enough qualifying points for Platinum you’d have been earning Companion Pass already! Southwest Is Stronger On Cheap Tickets And Family Seating Status benefits compare this way, noting that competitor seating benefits generally require buying above basic economy. Benefit Southwest In 2027 United Delta American Extra legroom at entry level Silver: 48 hours before departure Silver: at check-in Silver: upgrades beginning 24 hours before departure Gold: 24 hours before departure Extra legroom at booking Gold and Platinum Gold and above Platinum and Diamond, shortly after ticketing Platinum and above Companions receiving extra legroom benefits Up to 8 at every elite level 1 with Silver/Gold; 8 with Platinum/1K Generally 1 upgrade companion Up to 8 at every elite level Elite seating benefits on Basic Yes No No No, for tickets bought May 18, 2026 onward Free checked bags in ordinary domestic economy 1 / 2 / 3 by tier 1 / 2 / 3 / 3 by tier 1 / 2 / 3 / 3 by tier 1 / 2 / 3 / 3 by tier Complimentary premium cabin upgrades None Eligible flights at every elite level Eligible flights at every elite level Eligible flights at every elite level Unlimited companion airfare benefit Platinum, plus taxes and fees None None None Alliance elite recognition None Star Alliance SkyTeam oneworld Southwest Silver opens extra legroom seats a day earlier than the entry level at its competitors. Gold gets those seats at booking, while Delta Gold members wait until their upgrade window opens 72 hours before departure. I’ve found Southwest extra legroom seats surprisingly available. American also extends Main Cabin Extra benefits to eight companions. Southwest’s advantage is that it still does this when buying Basic. American removed complimentary elite seat selection and upgrades from Basic Economy tickets purchased May 18 onward. United and Delta also withhold their extra legroom benefits on basic economy. Southwest elites get same-day standby on Basic, but not free confirmed same day changes. American allows standby on Basic, and its Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members can receive free confirmed changes on eligible itineraries. The Flight Bonuses Match Competitors, Members Earn Less Southwest’s new bonuses are 40% for Silver, 60% for Gold and 120% for Platinum. Those match American and Delta’s first, second and highest earning levels. Southwest skips their 80% level since they’ll have three tiers not four. Here are the redeemable points or miles earned per eligible airfare dollar, excluding rewards from paying with a credit card: Airline / Fare No Status Entry Tier Second Tier Next Tier Highest Tier Southwest Basic 2 2.8 3.2 — 4.4 Southwest Choice 6 8.4 9.6 — 13.2 Southwest Choice Preferred 8 11.2 12.8 — 17.6 Southwest Choice Extra 10 14 16 — 22 United, without qualifying card benefits 3 5 6 7 9 United, with qualifying card benefits 6 8 9 10 12 Delta Classic / Refundable 5 7 8 9 11 Delta Extra 7 9 10 11 13 American, eligible fares 5 7 8 9 11 United here excludes Basic. American and Delta Main Basic earn no flight miles. United adds 2, 3, 4 or 6 miles per dollar for status, on top of a base of 3 miles without qualifying card benefits or 6 with them. Compared with Southwest’s current program, though, even earning the new top tier can leave you worse off: Fare Current A-List Preferred Points Per Dollar New Platinum Points Per Dollar Change Basic 4 4.4 +10% Choice 12 13.2 +10% Choice Preferred 20 17.6 −12% Choice Extra 28 22 −21.4% That’s because Choice Preferred’s current base earning falls from 10 points per dollar to 8, and Choice Extra falls from 14 to 10. Platinum’s larger bonus doesn’t make up the difference. Gold’s standard bonus falls from A-List Preferred’s 100% to 60%. A $1,000 Choice Extra base fare currently earns an A-List Preferred member 28,000 points. Under the standard Gold rules it earns 16,000, a 42.9% reduction. Members who earn A-List Preferred through 2026 activity retain the 100% bonus through December 31, 2027. But the lower base rates still apply, so that ticket earns them 20,000 points next year. Companion Pass Remains Highly Valuable None of American, Delta or United includes unlimited companion airfare in its elite program. A credit card companion certificate for one trip isn’t the same thing. Southwest’s Companion Pass lets you designate one companion at a time, change that person up to three times per calendar year, and bring them along for taxes and fees starting at $5.60 each way as long as there’s a seat available, and you have to travel together. The new program also offers three companion trips at 95,000 qualifying points or 75 qualifying flights. Each can cover a one-way or roundtrip itinerary. For someone traveling regularly with a spouse or child, this can save more money than a year’s worth of domestic upgrades. For someone traveling alone, it may do very little. (Southwest should let you designate yourself as a companion and reserve an extra seat.) Under the ongoing 2027 rules, credit card initial bonuses and extra points from bonus categories won’t qualify you for Companion Pass. There is still a status qualifying path based on number of flights taken, with no spending requirement. American, Delta and United don’t offer that. But Southwest is raising the flight requirements for its existing status levels: A-List’s 20 flights becomes Silver’s 25, and A-List Preferred’s 40 becomes Gold’s 50. What Southwest Still Doesn’t Offer Several benefits distinguish higher status at American, Delta and United from Southwest Platinum: First class upgrades. Extra legroom helps, but you’re still in a coach seat. There’s no domestic first class cabin to upgrade into. Long haul upgrade instruments. United offers PlusPoints, Delta Diamond members can select Global Upgrade Certificates, and American offers systemwide upgrades through Loyalty Point Rewards. Southwest has no equivalent. Worldwide elite benefits. Southwest’s announced Icelandair, Etihad and China Airlines earning and redemption partnerships don’t yet include reciprocal elite benefits. Those are pending. Lifetime status. American, Delta and United recognize cumulative flying with continuing elite status. Southwest has no equivalent. Southwest’s new lounges could be very good. They aren’t a published elite benefit. The real improvement for earning Southwest status is through credit card spending. Starting next year, every Southwest credit card earns one tier qualifying point per dollar of eligible purchases. That makes $65,000 in card spending enough for Gold, less whatever qualifying points you earn flying or through other eligible activity. Platinum takes $130,000 in card spending during 2027 after the special 10,000-point boost at that threshold, assuming no other qualifying activity. That’s twice the spending for the same extra legroom seats and drinks. If you’re deciding whether to go beyond Gold, it’s really just the companion pass you’re getting – still arguably the best benefit in travel, and something Southwest needs because it lacks first class and long haul flying. Topics on this page