Southwest rewrites Rapid Rewards as Aeroplan moves into restaurant bookings

Three North American loyalty programmes made changes on the same day, each from a different angle. Southwest has restructured its Rapid Rewards status. Aeroplan has added a new, entirely non-travel way to earn points. United is using onboard Wi-Fi to attract elite members away from its competitors.

Southwest: new tiers, new redemptions

From 1 January 2027, Southwest’s A-List and A-List Preferred tiers become Silver and Gold, and a new Platinum tier is added above them. Platinum comes with unlimited Companion Pass trips. According to Frequent Miler, the qualifying thresholds are 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points or 25 flights for Silver, 65,000 or 50 for Gold, and 140,000 or 100 for Platinum.

Below and between the tiers, Southwest is adding Milestone Rewards. At 20,000 points or 15 flights, members can choose bonus points or Preferred Seat Certificates. At 95,000 points or 75 flights, they get three Companion Pass trips. Every Rapid Rewards credit cardholder, including the entry-level Plus card, will earn one Tier Qualifying Point per dollar spent on the card.

Redemption options are widening at the same time. Points can be used for rental cars from November 2026, and for seat selection, including Extra Legroom seats, later in 2027. Partner redemptions on three international airlines start in spring 2027. Not every change goes in the members’ favour: according to The Points Guy, the top Choice Extra fare will earn 10 points per dollar instead of 14. Southwest also plans lounges linked to a Chase card in late 2027, and expects to finish fitting Starlink across its fleet by autumn 2027.

The backdrop explains the urgency. Rapid Rewards reached almost 100 million members in the second quarter, with enrolments up 35 per cent and Chase co-branded card acquisitions up 28 per cent year on year. Southwest ended open seating in January 2026.

Aeroplan: points for a table

Air Canada’s Aeroplan, with more than 10 million active members, has expanded its partnership with DINR, a Montreal-founded restaurant booking platform. Members who subscribe to DINR Premium earn 1,000 bonus points, then 100 points for every eligible completed reservation, plus points on selected culinary events. DINR says it is the first and only restaurant reservation platform to offer Aeroplan points. The deal builds on a strategic partnership launched in October 2025.

United: Wi-Fi as a recruitment tool

On the same day, United said Starlink Wi-Fi is now live on more than 635 aircraft and nearly half of its daily departures, with installation across the fleet due by the end of 2027. It also launched a tool that lets customers check whether their flight has Starlink. Access is free for MileagePlus members, so every new install is a reason to sign up. United has also extended to 22 October its “Switch to Better Wi-Fi” campaign, which offers Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage elite members a route to United Premier status. United says the campaign has produced a tenfold increase in daily status match applications. Southwest is making the same link: its loyalty announcement includes completing Starlink across its fleet by autumn 2027.

Why it matters

The announcements look different but point the same way. Southwest is rebuilding its programme to resemble a legacy airline’s: metal tiers, lounges, international partners, credit card spend counting towards status. Aeroplan is pushing points further into everyday life, where earning has nothing to do with flying.

United is using a product feature, free fast Wi-Fi, as a way to recruit members from competing programmes.

The marketing tactics are just as telling. Southwest is dropping “A-List”, one of the most distinctive names in US loyalty, for the precious-metal tiers everyone understands. That gains clarity but loses some of the brand’s personality. United is running conquest marketing: “Switch to Better Wi-Fi” names the competitor’s weakness in the campaign title itself and targets the most valuable customers of Delta and American. Aeroplan is using lifestyle positioning: restaurants are aspirational, shareable experiences, and DINR also runs Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants ranking, a content asset that keeps the airline brand present at the dinner table.

In every case the programme behaves less like a reward for flying and more like a currency that sits alongside the airline. That raises the question this column has been following since the Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles and Flying Blue deals: what a loyalty programme is worth if its value depends less on the flight and more on the card and the partners around it.