Status Match To Southwest A-List, Extended 12 Months With Qualifying Activity

If you currently have status with a U.S. airline, Southwest is offering a status match to A-List status for three months. That’ll then be extended a further year when flying three round trips or six one-ways with them.

Here’s a direct link to the landing page about the promotion. To match to A-List status, you need to email Southwest the following:

• First name
• Last name
• Rapid Rewards number
• Screenshot of current elite status with a U.S. based carrier, other than Southwest Airlines

The terms of the status match state that so long as you’re eligible, you’ll receive A-List status within 12 business days of registration. There’s a good chance that it’ll be quicker than that though – Nick submitted his status match request on June 8 and received confirmation of his temporary A-List status the following day.

He now has A-List status for 90 days. That can be worthwhile if you have any upcoming flights on Southwest as it provides the following benefits:

• 25% bonus on Rapid Rewards points earned
• Priority boarding
• Free same-day standby
• Fly By Priority Check-in and security lane access
• Dedicated phone line

If you do this Southwest status match, you can extend your A-List status by a further 12 months when taking three round trips or six one-ways (or, presumably, two round trips and two one-ways or one round trip and four one-ways). You’d normally need to fly 25 one-way flights or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points in order to get A-List, so this is a good shortcut.

Something important to be aware of is that previously booked flights don’t count towards the three round trips / six one-ways. Depending on price changes since you originally booked your flight, once you’ve received your status match it might be worth cancelling existing reservations and rebooking them in order to have them qualify for the 12 month A-List status extension.

Here’s more about the terms and conditions:

• To be eligible to receive complimentary promotional A-List status, the Member must (a) be an elite status member on another domestic airline; (b) submit proof of his or her other current airline elite card or statement, name, and Rapid Rewards® account number and all of the foregoing must be verified by Southwest Airlines®. Qualification and promotional A-List status confirmation must be completed prior to booking of travel to receive A-List benefits.
• Promotional A-List status confirmation typically takes place within 12 business days of registration and verification process.
• Current A-List Members whose status is expiring are not eligible for the promotion.
• If you qualify for promotional A-List status, during the promotional period, you will not receive an A-List card, but you will receive all A-List status benefits on all flights booked after qualifying for this A-List corporate status match promotion, when you provide your Rapid Rewards account number when making your reservation.
• To extend promotional A-List status for 12 months, after qualifying for this A-List status match promotion, Member must book and complete three qualifying round trip flights (or six one-way qualifying flights) from your qualifying flights booked and flown between Member’s enrollment date for this promotion and the end of Member’s 90-day promotional period.
• Valid on new reservations booked within the promotional time period only.
• A qualifying one-way flight for A-List status is a one-way revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city, including any intermediate stops and/or connections on Southwest Airlines. A qualifying round trip flight for A-List status is a revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city and back to the originating airport or carrier-recognized co-terminal.
• Purchased points will not qualify for this A-List status match promotion.
• Tier qualifying points are earned through the purchase of revenue flights or through the use of the Rapid Rewards Premier Card from Chase.
• Companion Pass, charter flights, Southwest Vacations® packages, and reward and group travel do not qualify as one-way or round trip revenue flights for extension of promotional A-List status.
• Changes made to an itinerary after purchase of a one-way or round trip revenue flight may eliminate qualification for extension of promotional A-List status.
• Upon qualifying to extend promotional A-List status for 12 months, you will receive an email within 48 hours of qualification verifying you’ve earned A-List status for 12 months from the date you qualified to extend promotional A-List status.
• Please allow up to 15 business days after qualifying for the extended A-List status to receive your A-List tier card.
• If A-List status is earned by flying 25 qualifying one-way flights or earning 35,000 tier qualifying points in the calendar year while qualified for promotional A-List status, the regular A-List status will supersede the promotional A-List status, entitling the Member to A-List status through December 31, 2019.

h/t Doctor of Credit

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