Southwest Rapid Rewards is one of the best frequent flyer programs out there for no-frills travelers who prefer simplicity.

Rapid Rewards points never expire. And since the value of Rapid Rewards points closely mirrors cash prices for airfare, you don’t need to worry about whether you got a good or bad redemption when booking Southwest flights.

And while redeeming Rapid Rewards points for airfare tends to be the best redemption, you’re not limited to just that. Just note that while your points are generally worth the same cash value when you redeem them for airfare, the other redemptions are not all created equal — and they are generally far inferior.

NerdWallet values a Rapid Rewards point as being worth 1.5 cents, but you’ll typically only get that when you redeem your points for Southwest flights. Other redemptions — such as a new pair of headphones or an international flight with a non-Southwest airline — tend to be worth far less.

So with that, here are the primary ways to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points, ordered from general best to worst.

Get up to 80,000 bonus points with our favorite Southwest cards

Check out our nerdy picks for the best Southwest credit cards and find the right card for you.

BROWSE CARDS

1. Best redemption: Southwest Airlines flights

One of the most straightforward ways to redeem Rapid Rewards points is by booking Southwest flights — not to mention it’s one of the best values of your points.

Rather than pricing flights using distance-based award charts like some airlines, Southwest’s redemption rate directly correlates to the fare’s cash-price. This means the higher the fare, the more points it will “cost” you.

Southwest airfares are divided into four categories, all of which are redeemable with points:

Business Select (most expensive, higher earning rates, more flexibility).

Anytime.

Wanna Get Away Plus.

Wanna Get Away (least expensive, lower earning rates, less flexibility).

All tickets are eligible for two free checked bags and no change fee, and credits are reusable indefinitely if a flyer needs to cancel their ticket.