southwest travel portal

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Boracay Airport Transfers from Kalibo International Airport and Godofredo P. Ramos (Caticlan) Airport

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SOUTHWEST TOURS (BORACAY), INC. is the pioneer tourist transport service company in the Philippines serving the paradise island of Boracay. It is popularly known under the brandname, Southwest Travel & Tours. Started in 1991, Southwest Travel & Tours offers land and sea transfers to local and foreign tourists, from the moment they step foot at the Kalibo International Airport or the Caticlan Airport, to the time they feel Boracay’s powder-white sand between their toes. As of 2016, Southwest Travel & Tours provides transfer services to guests of most hotels and resorts in Boracay, as well as over 200 travel agencies from all over the Philippines, and individual travellers booking online. It has also forged partnerships with airline companies with regular daily flights to and from Boracay, where Southwest transfer tickets are sold on-board international and domestic flights. In addition, the Southwest Travel & Tours develops and markets tour packages for other major destinations in Western Visayas, including Iloilo City, Roxas City in Capiz, Kalibo in Aklan, San Jose in Antique, Guimaras, and Negros. The company now maintains offices in four major locations, managed and run by over 500 personnel. As of 2017, Southwest Travel & Tours has many buses, mini buses, coasters, vans, taxis, and speedboats. It maintains partnerships with cab providers on the island of Boracay, as well as island activity providers, ranging from island hopping and scuba diving, to parasailing, to ATV and off-the-beaten-track tours. Southwest Travel & Tours now provides 24/7 online booking and customer assistance. Accredited by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT), Southwest Travel & Tours is also registered with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Southwest Travel & Tours is a member of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), the Philippine Travel Agency Association (PTAA), and the Network of Independent Travel and Allied Services (NITAS). It is an active participant in national and foreign travel shows.

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Key takeaways

• The Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping portal allows members to earn bonus points when making purchases with participating online retailers.
• These bonus points can help members accumulate enough rewards for free flights more quickly, and points earned through the portal count toward earning a Southwest Companion Pass.
• By using a Southwest co-branded credit card or other rewards card portal shoppers can earn even more rewards toward their next trip.

If you’re already a Southwest Rapid Rewards member , you can use the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal to earn bonus points when you make purchases with participating online retailers. These bonus points can help you accumulate enough rewards for free flights more quickly, and they can add up rapidly if you’re intentional about using the portal each time you shop online.

Here’s more about how it works and how you can maximize your purchases to earn award flights with Southwest.

What is Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping?

Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Shopping portal works similarly to other shopping portals from airline and credit card loyalty programs. Essentially, program members pass through the portal on their way to online shopping in order to earn bonus points.

You can choose from over 1,100 online stores, ranging from department stores to magazines and newspapers, sporting goods, tech and more. These retailers offer a certain number of points per dollar you spend, or reward a fixed amount of points per purchase. Many offers range from about one to six points per dollar spent.

You can also benefit from checking the portal regularly since these offers change and retailers may offer extra points during certain periods.

Benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping portal

Some of the benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal depend on how much you use it and how much you spend on eligible purchases over time. Consider the following perks you can get just by “clicking through” this portal whenever you shop online.

Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points toward future travel with the airline

Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping lets users earn points for each dollar they spend, which they can redeem for future travel with the airline. Based on Bankrate’s valuations , each Southwest Rapid Rewards point has an average value of [shortcode: Southwest Airlines (35)] when redeemed for airfare.

Other redemption options may not be as valuable, but include gift cards, merchandise, hotel stays, experiences and even Rapid Rewards Access Events.

Choose from a wide variety of merchants to find the deals that best work for your budget and needs

The Southwest Shopping portal isn’t just for your holiday shopping list or big expenses. You can use the portal to earn bonus miles at all kinds of online retailers you could spend with on a regular basis. Everyday spending options currently available in the portal include stores like CVS, Home Depot and even Walmart.

Select your favorite stores and get email alerts when they offer extra points through the portal

Southwest lets you pick your favorite online stores and receive notification if they start offering bonus points through the airline’s shopping portal. Set up notifications by logging into your Southwest Shopping account and heading to this page on the website to select stores and request alerts.

Earn points toward a Southwest Companion Pass

Points earned through the Southwest shopping portal count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass, which is a popular pass that lets passholders book a companion on each flight they take for only the cost of airline taxes and fees.

The Southwest Companion Pass is especially lucrative since it can be used an unlimited number of times, and because it can be applied whether the owner of the pass pays for their own flight with cash or points.

How to sign up and access Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping

Using Southwest’s shopping portal is easy once you are a member of the loyalty program and you take the time to set up a shopping account. The following steps will get you started.

Step 1: Sign up for Southwest Rapid Rewards if you haven’t already

To access the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal, you must be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member. You can sign up for free on Southwest’s website by providing information like your full name, date of birth and street address. You also need to set up a username and password for your account.

Step 2: Log in to your account to shop

Once you’re a member of the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, you can access the portal anytime at rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com . You’ll need to use this site to click through to the retailer you’re shopping with each time, however, since this is how Southwest tracks your points earned. Incidentally, you’ll also want to ensure cookies are enabled in your browser as that’s how Southwest will track your purchases to award your points.

When you’re in the portal, you can search for specific stores or browse by points offerings, category or popularity.

Step 3: Consider downloading the browser extension

You can also use the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping button , a browser extension that lets you skip clicking through the portal website altogether. The button will alert you when you’re shopping at an online store that offers extra points, and you then click the button to activate the offer.

Step 4: Start shopping and watch your points add up

After clicking through the portal or activating a deal with the button and making your purchase, the points you earn will be credited to your Rapid Rewards account. There’s no limit to the number of points you can earn via the portal.

You shouldn’t expect to access them right away, though. The points will first post to your Rapid Rewards account within six to eight weeks of the purchase, according to Southwest.

How to maximize points through Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping

Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping makes it easy to earn bonus points when you shop online, yet there are ways to boost your rewards haul even more. Consider these strategies to increase the points you earn with everyday purchases through the portal.

• Look for “featured deals .” Southwest offers some bonus rewards deals that change throughout the year, which you’ll want to keep track of. These deals are for stores that offer more points than normal for each dollar you spend.
• Check the portal before you begin a new service . While Southwest Shopping offers a range of rewards deals at retail stores and places consumers regularly shop, it also offers flat-rate rewards deals for setting up specific services. For example, you might earn a few thousand points for setting up new phone service with Verizon or for subscribing to DirectTV.
• Stay on the website until your purchase goes through . Avoid missing out on your bonus points due to a technical glitch. Make sure to stay on the website you’re purchasing from until the transaction is complete, and ensure you don’t accidentally close the tab.
• Pay for purchases with a rewards credit card : You can also increase your rewards dramatically if you pay for your Southwest shopping purchases with a rewards credit card . You can even “double dip” on Southwest points by paying with a co-branded Southwest Airlines credit card .

Best credit cards for Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping

The best credit card for Southwest shopping can vary from person to person, but airline enthusiasts should definitely consider paying for purchases with a Southwest credit card. Doing so paves the way to earning even more Southwest points for every purchase made. A card like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card even comes with special benefits that apply when you fly with the airline, such as two EarlyBird check-ins per year and discounts on in-flight purchases.

Other co-branded cards to consider include the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card * and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card . Also note that all spending made with a Southwest credit card counts toward the points needed to earn a Southwest Companion Pass, so shopping through the portal with a co-branded airline credit card can help you reach Companion Pass status even more quickly.

Travel credit cards from Chase can also be a good option for Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping purchases, particularly if someone wants to rack up rewards that can be used in the Southwest program or a dozen other loyalty programs.

Eligible Chase credit cards let users transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to a selection of airline and hotel partners including Southwest Airlines, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and more. This means users can earn Ultimate Rewards points on their Southwest shopping portal spending, then decide how to use them (and if they want to transfer to Southwest) later on.

If you want to earn rewards that transfer to Southwest and other partners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® should be at the top of your list when you’re trying to choose a travel rewards card .

The bottom line

The Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal offers an innovative way to earn more points in this frequent flyer program, and points earned through the portal are given on top of rewards you earn for paying with a credit card. You can even “double dip” your rewards by paying for purchases with a Southwest credit card, and all the points you earn will count toward Companion Pass status.

The key to maximizing the portal is making sure you use it each time you make an eligible purchase online. You can do this by getting into the habit of checking the portal before you shop or by downloading the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping browser extension.

*The information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal

Do points earned through the portal count toward earning a companion pass, do points earned through the portal count toward a-list status, what are the southwest rapid rewards shopping portal promotions and how do they work, which credit cards offer purchase protection for high-value purchases made through the portal, what are some examples of deals and rewards offered by specific merchants on the southwest shopping portal.

Best credit cards for Southwest Airlines

Why I'll never book Southwest flights with Chase points the same way again

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Early this morning, we learned that Southwest suddenly dropped the value of its Rapid Rewards points . Effective immediately, all redemptions require about 6% more points.

This is a painful devaluation no matter how you look at it, especially as more travelers are starting to think about planning trips once again. Naturally, those with a large existing balance of Rapid Rewards points may be the ones most impacted. That being said, I don't anticipate paying more for Southwest awards in the long run. I just need to tweak my earning and burning strategy.

Let me explain.

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Booking Southwest awards through Chase

Whether you're a frequent or infrequent Southwest traveler, one of the easiest ways to earn Rapid Rewards points and book award flights is by transferring points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Rapid Rewards. You can transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio, and transfers typically process instantly .

However, that's not the only way you can redeem Chase points for Southwest flights — you can also book your awards directly through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal .

This is a bit of a hidden redemption option that goes under the radar because Southwest flights don't appear on Chase's website, but you can book these flights using Chase Ultimate Reward points redeemed at a fixed value of up to 1.5 cents each by calling the Chase Travel Center at (855) 233-9462.

Moving forward, this is going to be the only way I book Southwest flights with Chase points.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve as I do , your points are worth a fixed 1.5 cents each through the portal. That's exactly what TPG valued Southwest points at before the devaluation. Meanwhile, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card cardholders can redeem at 1.25 cents each toward travel bookings made directly with Chase, including Southwest flights.

Related: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Aside from being protected from this no-notice devaluation by using your Chase points in a different manner, there are some other benefits to booking Southwest awards through Chase. For instance, although you're technically using points to book your flights, these are considered paid bookings in the eyes of Southwest. As such, you'll still earn frequent flyer miles and elite-qualifying credit.

What to do with your Southwest points

Even if you book all of your future Southwest awards through Chase using Ultimate Rewards points, you'll still rack up Rapid Rewards points over time on your flights since they are counted as paid flights by Rapid Rewards. While hoarding generally isn't recommended in the points and miles world, since Southwest points don't expire , my advice would be to save them until a good deal pops up. Since we've just experienced a devaluation with Southwest, history shows us we likely won't have another one for a few years. Put another way, don't rush to buy or transfer points to top off your balance for a sub-par redemption.

Related: Battle of the airlines: Why I think Southwest Airlines is the best

From time to time, Southwest runs flash sales where you could potentially get outsized value of your points.

For instance, in March, Southwest offered $29 flights for about 1,060 Rapid Rewards points . Even if that award rate was 6% higher, and you subtracted the standard $5.60 security fee, you'd still be getting more than 1.5 cents in value per point.

Bottom line

Today's announcement is a real disappointment for Southwest Rapid Rewards members.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first devaluation to hit loyalty programs this year -- and it likely won't be the last. While there is a time and place for earning program-specific points and miles, you can best combat devaluations by focusing more on earning on flexible credit card points, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards points available with cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

In this case, you can still use Chase points to book Southwest-operated flights at a fixed 1.25- to 1.5-cent value, depending on your Chase card, but you have plenty of other options, too. Since flexible credit card points aren't tied to a specific program, you'll be less exposed to future devaluations and have more flexibility when it comes to redemptions.

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How to use the chase travel portal, you can use chase points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more through its travel portal..

With the right amount of planning, it's possible to book your entire vacation, including flights , hotels , cruises , car rentals , tours and other activities, entirely on points through the Chase Travel SM portal.

But are you getting the best deal by doing this instead of transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners and booking directly? It turns out there's a lot more to consider — everything from travel date flexibility and brand variety to the credit card you're using — if you want to get more value for your points by booking through Chase Travel SM .

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the best ways to book flights, hotels, cruises, tours and vacation activities through the Chase Travel SM portal with Ultimate Rewards® points.

How to use the Chase Travel SM Portal

• How to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• How to get started with the Chase Travel portal
• How to book flights through the Chase Travel portal

How to book rental cars, cruises, and other travel activities

What to know about chase's airport lounges, bottom line, how to earn and redeem chase ultimate rewards® points.

To access Chase Travel SM , you'll need to have a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card , Ink Business Cash® Credit Card , Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex® .

The easiest way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly is by taking advantage of the lucrative welcome bonuses offered by certain rewards cards: 

• You'll earn 75,000 points by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and spending $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account. That's worth over $900 when redeemed through Chase Travel SM
• With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card 's welcome bonus, you'll earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel SM.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve 's welcome bonus gives you 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's worth $1,125 when redeemed through Chase Travel SM .

The card you're using to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points will also affect your point redemption value . For instance, if you're using the Chase Sapphire Preferred to book through the Chase Travel SM portal, points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents per point). But if you're booking through Chase Travel SM with the Chase Sapphire Reserve , points are worth 50% more (1.5 cents per point) — the other $0 annual fee Chase cards each carry a redemption rate of 1 cent per point.

That means the bonus points you'd earn from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus is worth over $900 towards travel and the Chase Sapphire Reserve's is worth $1,125 towards travel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

21.24% - 26.24% variable

Good/Excellent

Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

How to get started with the Chase TravelSM portal

To reach the Chase Travel SM portal, log into your Chase account, then click the area near the right side of the screen where it says the amount of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Depending on how many Chase credit cards you have, you may be asked to choose which one you want to proceed with.

The next screen is your credit card's main dashboard, showing how many Ultimate Rewards points you currently have, as well as any deals or bonus opportunities. On the top of the page, you'll see several menus with redemption options.

While not the best redemption in terms of overall value, you could choose to use your Chase points for Apple and Amazon purchases, cash them in for gift cards and experiences. You can transfer points directly to one of Chase's 14 travel partners if you have a specific flight or hotel in mind. Otherwise, click "book travel" to enter the Chase Travel SM portal.

From here, you'll be able to search for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and cruises. Simply choose your category, plug in your desired dates and details, and book with points, cash or some combination of the two.

Chase's travel partner programs

Currently, you can transfer your points to the following airline and hotel programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United Airlines MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

How to book flights through the Chase TravelSM portal

There are a few pros and cons to consider when booking flights through the Chase Travel SM portal. You won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability, which makes it great if you're not flexible with dates and flight times. Just make sure you compare the number of points needed through the Chase Travel SM portal with how many points the airline would require if you were using its own miles, especially if you're hunting for a good deal on economy seats.

The catch with using the Chase Travel SM portal is you won't be able to shop for tickets on low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Allegiant Air — you can search for flights on Alaska, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American, and United. You'll also be able to book flights on most international carriers.

Remember that you can still earn miles and elite credits on flights, as tickets booked through the Chase Travel SM portal are categorized as "paid" rather than as an award flight since you're "paying" for them with points instead of cash. Consider the taxes and fees you might have to pay if you were to transfer the points straight to one of Chase's travel partners versus booking directly through the portal, and to calculate and compare how many points and miles you'd earn by booking with either method.

You'll be able to search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport. For this example, below, consider a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (redemptions are worth 1.25 cents per point):

Results included 107 results with an economy mix-and-match United and Delta fare for $370 or about 29,600 points being the most affordable option. For comparison's sake, the points price is about the same as what United and Delta are currently charging if you were to book the awards directly through the airlines, but Delta isn't a transfer partner of Chase. You also won't earn miles if you were to book these awards through the airlines, whereas you will earn miles when booking through Chase.

To finish booking your flight through the travel portal, select your route(s), review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

Remember that if you're booking with money rather than points, you can earn extra rewards on your booking. In our example, if you paid $370 for a flight, you'd earn 1,850 Ultimate Rewards points with your Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card. Either card earns 5X points on flight purchases through Chase Travel SM .

Booking travel with Southwest

In 2023, Chase also added the ability to use Ultimate Rewards points to book Southwest flights directly through the issuer's travel portal. To do so, simply search for the flight using the process described above. Your search results will only show Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares. However, when you proceed with the booking, you'll also have the option to select an Anytime or Business Select fare.

How to book hotels through the Chase TravelSM portal

While the best redemption rates are usually realized when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partner World of Hyatt, if you're not a huge fan of chain hotels or prefer boutiques or brands like Hilton, Choice Hotels, or Wyndham, it can be a good idea to book them through the travel portal. 

As with flights, you won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award night availability. However, keep in mind that hotels treat the Chase Travel SM portal as a third-party booking agency, so you won't be able to earn hotel points on stays as you might by booking your stay directly with the hotel.

Hyatt hotels usually offer better deals when you book directly, and since it's one of Chase's hotel partners, you can transfer UR points instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott and IHG are usually more varied, so you may score a better deal by booking via the Chase Travel SM portal instead of transferring points over. For this reason, it's a good idea to ring up how much your hotel stay would cost in points through the portal as well as the hotel's website.

Start by searching by destination so you can see a list of all the available hotels. For this example, let's try looking for hotels in downtown Austin. Once the results appear, you'll be able to narrow down your search with filters based on price, star ratings, guest ratings, amenities and neighborhood.

Let's go over a couple of options within the Chase Travel SM portal, each booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. One option is the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, which is listed for $556 or about 44,500 points per night through Chase. If you book through Four Seasons, directly, you'll pay $561 per night. The hotel chain also doesn't have a rewards program but going through Chase provides a way to pay with points.

Another example is the Hyatt Place Austin Downtown for $288 or about 23,000 points per night through Chase. If you were to book this directly through Hyatt, you'd pay $279 per night as a member of its loyalty program or just 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night if you booked with points. Since you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, in this case, transferring would make more sense.

As you can see, it's worth comparing points required by the travel portal and each hotel's website, as the time of year, location, and other factors may play a part in pricing. To book your stay through the travel portal, select your room type, review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you also get access to The Edit by Chase Travel SM — a premium travel booking platform offering complimentary benefits at featured properties. These perks include a room upgrade (if available), $100 property credit and daily breakfast for two, to name just a few.

It's a pretty similar process if you want to book rental cars, tours and other travel activities through the Chase Travel SM portal. Cruises can also be booked as well, but you'll need to call.

As far as car rentals, make sure you're booking through the travel portal with points that are connected to Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of extra perks like primary rental car insurance — you'll also need to decline the rental car company's auto collision damage waiver when you book to activate this. You'll want to charge at least a few dollars to the card and not use points to cover the entire booking which ensures that you're still "paying" for the car rental with your Sapphire card, which means you'll be entitled to the card's rental car insurance.

Beyond that, simply plug in your itinerary and search. Here's an example for a rental in Austin booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card:

You'll be able to filter your search by capacity, car type, price per day, company, and car options (like air conditioning and automatic transmission). For a seven-day rental, it would cost around 24,800 points or $310 for the cheapest option. As with other travel portal purchases, you'll be able to enter how many Chase Ultimate Rewards points you wish to put toward the final price. It works the same way for booking tours and other travel activities, so you could potentially enjoy a free — or nearly free — vacation solely on Chase points if you were to plan it all out properly.

When it comes to Chase, your travel benefits don't end with booking. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you also enroll and get access to two airport lounge networks: Priority Pass and Chase's Sapphire Lounge by The Club.

The Sapphire Lounge network officially consists of four lounges:

• Boston (BOS)
• Hong Kong (HKG)
• New York City (LGA)
• New York City (JFK)

Chase also manages and operates a lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on behalf of Etihad Airways. This lounge isn't branded as a full-fledged Sapphire Lounge, but it features a similar design and follows similar access rules.

Chase is planning to open four more Sapphire lounges in the future: in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego.

Separately, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders also receive access to Sapphire Terrace at the Austin-Bergstrom airport in Austin, Texas.

Priority Pass, on the other hand, is a vast network with over 1,500 airport lounges around the world.

Booking through the Chase Travel SM portal can be a great use of your Ultimate Rewards® points, but make sure to compare the rates against booking directly with an airline or hotel itself. Finally, consider transferring your points to one of Chase's travel partners, especially if you're looking to book a luxury hotel or flight in business class.

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Travelers can now find Southwest Airlines on Google Flights

Southwest Airlines flyers can now compare airfares to other major airlines on Google’s flight search engine.

The Dallas-based airline has long been off the Google platform and other third-party sites, where many travelers search for a flight based on when they plan to travel and how much they are looking to spend. Google Flights even lets travelers look at one airline there and another back during a trip.

Instead, the airline has always emphasized its own website and mobile app. Southwest is currently “piloting” this partnership with Google, to extend its marketing efforts.

Holders of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards card have also been able to book directly through Chase’s travel portal.

Southwest flyers can now compare different fare options and click directly to the company’s website to book a selected itinerary along its 800 nonstop routes during the peak summer travel season.

It’s among a few changes the airline is considering right now as it reevaluates its operation. Last quarter, the airline announced it would cut service to four airports . Southwest also reported a $231 million loss, and CEO Bob Jordan said the air carrier was “considering more transformational options,” including a study on customer preferences for seating and the cabin.

©2024 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Table of Contents

Who can use the American Express Travel portal?

Benefits of booking travel on amex travel, how to book travel in the portal, is travel insurance included when booking through amex travel, downsides of booking via amex travel, final thoughts on the amex travel portal.

The American Express Travel portal is similar to many other online booking sites in that it allows you to purchase flights, hotels and other travel reservations. The main difference is that only those who hold an American Express card can use it.

Certain cards come with additional perks for booking in the portal. For instance, some AmEx cards allow travelers to earn extra points for bookings, receive a 35% points rebate, pay for a portion of the reservation with points, get room upgrades and more. Terms apply.

Here's a look at what the AmEx Travel portal offers and how to use it to maximize your benefits.

American Express Travel flights, hotels and other reservations are available for American Express cardholders. Depending on which American Express card you have, you may earn additional points on your reservation or unlock additional features. Terms apply.

For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders earn 5x points on flights booked directly with an airline or through AmEx Travel and 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through AmEx Travel. They also have access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts collection through the travel portal. Additionally, American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders can book room reservations with The Hotel Collection . Terms apply.

Here are eight reasons why booking with AmEx travel could be a good idea.

1. Earn up to 5x points

When you book flight through the AmEx Travel portal, your credit card may earn additional points for the purchase. In addition, prepaid hotel reservations through the AmEx travel portal also earn extra points. These are a few of the cards that offer a bonus when making reservations through AmEx travel:

on American Express' website

• 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 spent per year.

• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

• 4 points per $1 at restaurants plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).

• 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.

• 3 points per $1 on eligible travel purchases.

• 3 points per $1 on restaurants worldwide.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year.

• 1 point per $1 on purchases above $50,000 in a calendar year.

» Learn more: AmEx Membership Rewards: How to earn and use them

2. Pay for reservations using Pay with Points

With American Express Travel, flights, hotels and more can be paid for with points instead of cash. Members can even choose to pay a portion of the trip with points and the rest with cash. Once your reservations have been booked, the full amount of your trip will be charged to your American Express credit card, and then a credit will be posted for the points redeemed within 48 hours.

You must redeem at least 5,000 points in order to use Pay with Points. Points are redeemed at a value of 1 cent per point when booking flights or making Fine Hotels & Resorts reservations. Other eligible travel receives only 0.7 cents per point. NerdWallet values Membership Rewards points at 2.8 cents per point if you take advantage of transferring to and booking through travel partners, so the redemption rates in the travel portal are significantly below our ideal value.

If you need to cancel your reservation, you'll receive a statement credit on your card for the cash equivalent. Members who would rather have the unused Membership Rewards points returned to their accounts must contact American Express customer service at 800-297-3276. Terms apply.

3. Upgrade flights with points

Eligible flights booked with cash can be upgraded using your American Express Membership Rewards points. You'll receive 1 cent per point credit towards the cost when upgrading a flight with points (which is again below our AmEx point valuation ).

To upgrade your flight with points, select your airline and provide your reservation details in the AmEx travel portal. You will be notified if your flight is eligible or not. If your flight is eligible, you can submit an offer to the airline for the upgrade. The airline will accept or reject your bid between one and five days of your flight's departure and you'll receive a decision via email.

If your upgrade offer is accepted, the points will be deducted from your account. Your statement will show a charge and a credit for the corresponding points.

» Learn more: You can now use AmEx points to bid on flight upgrades

4. Discounted international flights through AmEx IAP

Platinum cardholders have access to discounted flights through International Airline Program (IAP) , which allows members to book first, business and premium economy at a discount on select airlines and routes. Plus, you'll receive 5x Membership Rewards points on the booking when using your The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to pay for the flight. Terms apply.

There are 25 airlines that participate in this program. You can book refundable and nonrefundable tickets for up to eight passengers through the IAP. Tickets can be paid with your card, points or a combination of the two. You will have to pay a $39 nonrefundable ticketing fee, however the discount received on these tickets should outweigh the fee.

5. Cancel For Any Reason insurance

CFAR is shorthand for an insurance policy that allows you to cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever and receive a refund. In May 2022, AmEx launched its own version of CFAR coverage for airfare booked through the travel portal using an AmEx card.

This feature, called Trip Cancel Guard, will get you up to a 75% reimbursement on nonrefundable airfare costs, provided you cancel at least two calendar days out from your departure. You'll need to purchase Trip Cancel Guard coverage at the point of booking and if you cancel, whether through the airline directly or through AmEx Travel, you can request reimbursement online or over the phone.

» Learn more: The guide to Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance

6. 35% points rebate with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

When The Business Platinum Card® from American Express cardholder book flights using points through the AmEx travel portal, they can receive up to 35% of their points back . The benefit is available on first or business class flights on any airline and all economy flights with their chosen airline. This benefit provides up to 500,000 points back per calendar year.

However, as with all AmEx credits , it's not as straightforward as you may hope. You will have to designate the airline for the 35% rebate and the airline must be the same as the one chosen for the $200 airline incidental credit .

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

7. Fine Hotels & Resorts

The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. (Photo by Sally French)

Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) is a collection of resorts and benefits available only to Platinum Card members. There are over 2,000 properties worldwide that participate in this program. When making reservations with Fine Hotels & Resorts for one night or more, you'll receive the following benefits:

$200 statement credit provided once per year.

Noon check-in (when available).

Room upgrade upon arrival (when available).

Daily breakfast for two.

Guaranteed 4 pm late checkout.

Complimentary in-room WiFi.

Unique property benefit valued at least $100.

These benefits rival those that many travelers receive when booking directly with hotels to obtain elite status perks. Some locations also offer a last-night free benefit, depending upon when you make your reservation. And some of the best hotels to book using FHR credits offer especially-unique amenities.

For example, many theme park fans consider Loews Portofino Bay Hotel as the best FHR hotel in Orlando . That's because — on top of all the above benefits — guests receive complimentary Universal Express Unlimited ride access, which allows you to skip the lines inside the Universal theme parks .

8. The Hotel Collection

The Loews Sapphire Falls at Universal Orlando falls under The Hotel Collection. (Photo by Sally French)

AmEx Gold and Platinum cardholders receive elite status-level perks at more than 600 hotels worldwide. When you stay for two nights or more, you'll receive a $100 resort credit and an upgrade upon arrival (when available). In addition, you can use your AmEx Membership Rewards credit card to book and pay for your reservation entirely or partially with your points.

While you can book travel over the phone with an agent, it is often quicker and more convenient to make your reservations through the AmEx Travel portal.

Here's how to book travel in the American Express travel portal:

Go to americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/ .

Log in with your username and password.

Select flights, hotels, flight + hotel, cars, or cruises.

Enter your travel dates, cities and other relevant information.

Choose options based on your trip.

Pay with your American Express credit card, points, or a combination.

Since you need an American Express card to make reservations through AmEx travel, you may already hold a card that offers complimentary travel insurance . If you don’t get travel insurance perks through your AmEx card, you can purchase Trip Cancel Guard through when making your booking.

Trip Cancel Guard works similarly to CFAR in that it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever and get up to a 75% reimbursement of your travel costs as long as the cancellation is made two full days before your trip.

What is the AmEx Travel cancellation policy?

When you book travel through the American Express travel portal, you may be eligible to cancel your reservation within 24 hours and get a full refund. However, the cancellation policy is determined by the airline.

As such, AmEx instructs travelers to refer to the cancellation policy on the itinerary or reach out to customer service with any questions. Terms apply.

There are many appealing reasons why travelers want to book reservations with the AmEx travel portal. However, there are some downsides as well. These are some of the most common reasons why you shouldn't:

Low value for your points. Redeeming points through the AmEx travel portal yields a value of 1 cent per point or less. That's at least a 50% reduction compared to our value of Membership Rewards points.

Complicated customer service. Resolving flight or hotel reservation issues becomes more complicated when you book through a third party such as AmEx travel. The airline or hotel blames the booking agency and may not immediately resolve the problem in some instances. However, providers have no scapegoat when you book direct.

No hotel elite status benefits or loyalty credits. Most hotels require you to book directly to receive elite status benefits, stay credits or earn points. For travelers looking to take advantage of their elite status or earn status for the next year, booking AmEx travel hotel reservations is not a good idea.

Despite the above policy, hotels booked through Fine Hotels & Resorts allow you to earn elite night credit and earn loyalty perks associated with your elite status level on any hotel reservations — regardless if you book in the portal or not.

The AmEx travel portal offers numerous benefits for all American Express cardholders. If you have a Membership Rewards credit card, you can pay for all or part of eligible travel reservations using your points.

And any portion that you pay with your Membership Rewards card can earn up to 5x points. AmEx Travel also offers two hotel collections that provide additional perks similar to elite status benefits.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

Southwest Airlines offers a different experience: What first-time flyers should know

• Southwest Airlines now lists its fares on Google Flights after long shying away.
• The airline doesn't assign passengers seats.
• Southwest lets all passengers check up to two bags for free.

Southwest is not a regular airline; it’s a cool airline, and flying on it is a slightly different experience than the other major U.S. carriers. With no assigned seats in its all-economy cabins and fewer fees than most other airlines, Southwest has its super fans, but its shtick can catch some travelers off-guard if they’re not familiar with it.

While the airline’s CEO suggested that changes may be coming to its operations in the near future, its trademark service remains in place for now.

The airline, a long-time holdout among the major U.S. airlines, recently started posting airfares on Google Flights .

So, if you’re traveling on Southwest Airlines for the first time, here are four things you need to know .

1. No assigned seating

Probably the biggest difference between Southwest and other airlines is that it doesn’t assign passengers seats.

Instead, every passenger receives a boarding position at check-in. Southwest flights are boarded by lettered groups (A, B, and C), and there are up to 60 positions in each group. Most Southwest gates have columns to help people line up in order prior to boarding.

Once on the plane, passengers can sit in any open seat.

Southwest’s boarding procedure means the sooner you board, the more likely you are to get your choice of seat, which is why elite members of its Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program and holders of some of its co-branded credit cards get priority boarding as a perk. Otherwise, your boarding position is assigned based on when you check in.

Under that system, it’s best to check in as soon as possible. Southwest recommends downloading its app on your phone and checking in as soon as the option becomes available, 24 hours before departure, to get the best possible boarding position.

The airline also sells EarlyBird Check-In, which allows you to get your boarding pass and position up to 36 hours before your flight, and Upgraded Boarding, which guarantees an A1-A15 position when available.

Southwest recently announced it will be raising the maximum price for EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding. 

2. Few fees

Southwest lets all passengers check up to two bags for free, and doesn’t charge change or cancellation fees if your travel plans change. You’ll have to pay the difference in the fare if your new ticket is more expensive. All flights are fully refundable up to 24 hours after purchase. Beyond that window, only Business Select fares are refundable to your payment method. Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares are redeemable for future flight credit if you cancel your trip more than 24 hours after purchasing the ticket.

Cruising Altitude: Want a free upgrade to first class? The only hack is your wallet.

3. Inflight entertainment

Southwest doesn’t have seatback screens, but many of its planes have Wi-Fi that lets passengers stream from its entertainment portal. Options include movies and TV shows, as well as live TV. The Wi-Fi also lets passengers use iMessage and Whatsapp, so long as the apps are downloaded before the flight.

4. Snacks and drinks

Southwest provides water and Coca-Cola soft drinks for free, as well as a selection of snacks. The airline also offers beer, wine, spirits and pre-mixed cocktails for purchase.

Check out the full guide to see current onboard selections. 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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Southwest flight prices are now on google travel.

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For the first time ever, Southwest Airlines flight prices now appear on Google Flights. This is a historic move, as the discount airline is famous for only displaying trip costs on its own website and app. The improved pricing transparency makes it substantially easier to compare flight options on a single platform.

CHICAGO - APRIL 3: A Southwest Airlines jet takes off at Midway Airport April 3, 2008 in Chicago, ... [+] Illinois. Officials from Southwest (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

View Southwest Flights on Google Flights

Until now, it’s only been possible to view flight times for Southwest flights, but you have to either go to southwest.com or the Southwest mobile app to see the fare price. The search experience remains the same except for one critical update: You only need to use Google Flights when comparing Southwest and non-Southwest flights.

Southwest Airlines CEO also hints that other changes in the upcoming quarters that make the discount carrier more appealing and boost the loyalty perks of Rapid Rewards members.

Now, Southwest flight prices are displayed just like those of other airlines. You can easily see the prices for the various fare classes (Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, and Business Select).

However, it's important to note that while you can view and compare these prices on Google Flights, you will still need to book the flight through the Southwest platform. This is because Google Flights doesn’t offer a direct booking option for Southwest flights, unlike certain other airlines that are eligible for price protection .

You can also enable the price tracking feature if you’re not ready to book today. The flight research tool will send price alerts when fare prices dip. Additionally, the platform can look at historic flight costs to suggest an opportune purchase price to avoid overpaying.

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The platform also has customizable filters making it easier to find the best flight for your travel needs.

It’s worth noting that other online travel agencies and flight booking sites still don’t have access to real-time Southwest pricing. You’re still only able to view flight times when searching for flights on Skyscanner or other metasearch sites that use deep data to personalize flight options. A lone exception is Chase Ultimate Rewards for select travel credit card customers.

Final Thoughts

Frequent flyers have been waiting a long time for this day to arrive and it is finally here. Being able to see Southwest flight prices directly on Google Flights is a significant timesaver and continues to make Google Flights the go-to search platform for many travelers seeking convenience and useful price comparison insights.

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