Want some free Southwest drink coupons to enjoy a glass of wine, cocktail or beer on your next flight? I’ve had my fair share as a longtime Southwest flyer, and I’m going to share what’s worked for me firsthand to get free drinks on Southwest.

Unfortunately, alcoholic drinks are not free on Southwest Airlines (alcohol costs $7-$9 per drink), but there ARE ways you can score a freebie, and it doesn’t require you to have earned any rewards.

Here are some tips to get drink coupons for Southwest to say cheers on your next flight, though keep in mind Southwest is always changing their procedures here. This is simply what’s worked for me.

 



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How to Get Southwest Drink Coupons: 5 Ways

1.  Join Southwest Rapid Rewards

Multiple Southwest planes at the Denver airport

If you are not yet a member (and you should be if you want to learn how to fly free on Southwest!), join the Southwest frequent flyer program, which is called Rapid Rewards.

Sign up at Southwest.com.

Southwest sometimes sends Rapid Rewards members free coupons in the mail after they have flown a set number of flights (the rumor is 10 one-ways in a calendar year).

2.  Apply for a Southwest Chase Rapid Rewards Credit Card

This is also key if you want to fly free on Southwest!

To earn the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, which lets one person fly free with you for up to two years, you’ll need at least two of Southwest’s credit cards.

To apply for credit cards in this post, please click on Cards in the Main Menu at the top of the page (shown below) to help support my small business. For Southwest and Capital One, you can also use the links within the post. I greatly appreciate it!

Apply for Travel Cards

Want More Points for Free Flights on Southwest?

Check out the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards, which let you earn tens of thousands of points that you can use to book free flights on Southwest!

These points also qualify for the 135,000 you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, so one person can fly free with you for up to 2 years.

See my full review of the Southwest cards.

Keep in mind you can only hold ONE personal Southwest card at a time, though you can hold 2 Southwest business cards.

To ensure you time these cards in the best way possible to easily ALWAYS have a Southwest Companion Pass, join hundreds of travelers inside Families Fly Free, where I share a simple system to always fly your family for free together with the 1-on-1 support and real-time information you need to be successful year after year.

Credit cardholders ALSO often get free drink tickets as thanks for being a cardholder!

On my second, third and fourth anniversaries of holding the Southwest Premier Business, Southwest sent me 4 free drink coupons in the mail shown below. Yay!

 

3.  Ensure You Are Opted in to Receive Free Southwest Drink Coupons

To get a free Southwest drink coupon, you’ll need to opt in. Here’s how you do it:

1. Log in to your Rapid Rewards account at Southwest.com.

2. Click on My Account (top right).

3. Then click on Profile/Travel and make sure you opted in to receiving drink coupons on the lower left.

southwest drink coupons

 

4.  Sign up for all Southwest Airlines Communications

southwest drink coupon

By ensuring you are receiving all Southwest email communications, you’ll increase your chances of getting these coupons.

Sometimes they’ll offer a freebie in one of their emails, plus you’ll also find out about their sales.

On some special occasions, they give away free drinks … if you know to ask for them! These include:

  • Valentine’s Day
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • Southwest’s birthday (June 18)
  • Halloween

Ensure you are signed up for Southwest emails by logging into your Rapid Rewards Account at Southwest.com, clicking My Account, then Profile/Communication.

Ensure all boxes are checked.

5.  Purchase a Choice Extra Fare

Choice Extra tickets cost more, but they do throw in a free drink in each direction as long as the flight is 251 miles or more.

When you buy a Choice Extra fare, you earn 14 Southwest points per dollar versus 2 points per dollar with Southwest Airlines Basic Fares (the cheapest Southwest fares).

Your Southwest Airlines drink coupons will be on your digital boarding pass which you can show the flight attendant when he or she comes to collect payment.

Southwest Alcoholic Drinks

Southwest cocktail

What options do you have for alcoholic drinks on Southwest? Here’s a list…

  • Beer & Mixed Drinks (Miller Lite, Voodoo Ranger® Juicy Haze® IPA, Kona Brewing Big Wave® Golden Ale – Hawaii only – High Noon Hard Seltzer—Pineapple, Dogfish Head—Strawberry Vodka Lemonade On the Rocks Hornitos® Margarita)
  • Wine or sparkling wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sparkling Wine)
  • Spirits, including:
    • Jack Daniel’s
    • Aviation American Gin
    • Wild Turkey
    • Bacardi Rum
    • Kula Toasted Coconut Rum (Made in Hawaii) – On Hawaii flights only
    • Cazadores Tequila
    • Deep Eddy Vodka
    • Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka
  • These fun cocktails:
    • Vodka and Cran-Apple
    • Rum and Coke
    • Gin and Tonic
    • Bloody Mary
    • Tequila and OJ
    • Vodka and OJ
    • Jack and Coke
    • St. Roc sparkling wine and Cran-Apple – I recently tried this one and it’s super yummy!!

Here is the full Southwest inflight menu, including Southwest Airline’s beverages. On Southwest Hawaii flights, you get some special options!

What If I Have an Expired Southwest Drink Coupon That I Haven’t Been Able to Use?

Southwest card questions

The airline did honor expired Southwest drink coupons from the pandemic for awhile, but you may now be out luck; however, it never hurts to ask!

So hold on to those drink coupons, in case you can use them in the future.

In Summary

Southwest free drink coupons

There are a variety of ways you can score free Southwest drink coupons, so you can toast your travels without spending a dime!

They include…

  • Signing up for Rapid Rewards
  • Holding a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card
  • Purchasing a Southwest Business Select fare
  • Signing up for Southwest email communications

Have you found other ways to get free drink coupons?

My Favorite Travel Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred


[Read My Full Review]


If you want to earn EVEN MORE Southwest points, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, my FAVORITE travel credit.

  • Flexible points transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio instantly and are worth DOUBLE if you have a Southwest Companion Pass
  • 3X points on dining, streaming and online grocery purchases 
  • 2X points on travel purchases
  • 10% points bonus annually on spending
  • Primary car rental insurance
  • Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

Please note, this card’s points DO NOT qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass but CAN be used to book FREE flights on Southwest.

Read More

Author

  • Lyn Mettler is a travel expert, author and longtime travel writer for US News & World Report, USA Today and The TODAY Show. Lyn is also the creator of the Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, where she shares her Fly Free Formula and her insider tips for traveling easier gained from 25+ years as a professional travel journalist. She is one of the industry's foremost experts on collecting and using travel rewards with her expertise featured in major media outlets and on podcasts, television and radio.

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