Southwest’s other 2027 changes: rental cars on points, three new airline partners, Icon Lounges

We already covered Southwest's tier and Companion Pass changes: https://perkjolt.com/southwest-rapid-rewards-2027-silver-gold-platinum-companion-pass/. The same Oct 15 announcement includes several other changes.

The rest of the list

• Nov 2026: Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed for rental cars through participating partners at cars.southwest.com
• Spring 2027: earn and redeem points on Icelandair, China Airlines and Etihad Airways
• Late 2027: a Southwest Icon Lounge network, developed with Chase, with Nashville International (BNA) as the first location
• Fall 2027: Southwest expects a fleetwide Starlink rollout to be complete

Lounge access will come through a new premium Rapid Rewards credit card from Chase, launching in 2027 . Southwest has not been quoted here on card terms, so check the official page.

Wi-Fi is free for Rapid Rewards members through T-Mobile on Wi-Fi-enabled aircraft where available .

Why it matters

Rental cars and partner airlines widen where points can go, and Icelandair, China Airlines and Etihad are the three airlines named. All timelines are as of Oct 17, 2026; confirm on Southwest's press release.

What to do

Keep your points balance flexible. Check the partner details when each launch happens.

Things change, so confirm dates and terms on Southwest's official page.

Sources

• https://investors.southwest.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1946/more-to-love-from-rapid-rewards-southwest-airlines-expands-rewards-redemption-and-member-benefits