How often should I change my Southwest Rapid Rewards password?

How Often Should You Change Your Southwest Rapid Rewards Password? What Southwest Actually Recommends, and How Frequent Changes Affect Your Account Safety

Why Password Changes Matter (and Why We Overthink This)

Let’s face it: we’ve all been bombarded with warnings about account security, but who hasn’t quietly wondered, “Am I supposed to be changing my Southwest password every few months?” The stakes aren’t abstract: miles can vanish from hacked accounts (see USA TODAY report, Nov 2023), and frequent travelers increasingly spot fraudulent redemptions before Southwest’s own system does. But here's the twist: unlike banks who nag you for frequent resets, airlines often don’t say much up front. Southwest Airlines, for example, provides pretty generic advice on password use—nothing like, say, the strict regular updates pushed by corporate IT departments. So, what guidance does Southwest actually give? And is there a “right” answer, or just a best practice born of personal experience and international norms?

Official Southwest Recommendations (Straight From the Source)

Through a bit of digging and two calls to Southwest customer service—plus a check at their official FAQ—here’s the meat of their policy:

• There’s no explicit interval set by Southwest for changing your password. They recommend using a strong, unique password—think a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
• If you suspect unauthorized access or forgetfulness, you should reset it immediately.
• Upon suspicious login attempts, Southwest may force a password reset (I’ve had this happen once: sudden forced logout, followed by an email—classic sign your account triggered their security protocols).

So, should you wait for a warning? Based on my own (slightly embarrassing) brush with a security scare last fall, I’d suggest not. But you also don’t need to go overboard and reset your password every quarter unless you’re recycling it elsewhere.

Step-by-Step: Changing Your Southwest Rapid Rewards Password

Let’s keep it real: even though the process is straightforward, the interface can get quirky, especially if (like me) you sometimes fumble your passwords across devices.

1. Navigate to the Login Page
   Go to www.southwest.com and click “Log in” at the top right. If you’re already logged in, head to “My Account.”
2. Find the Profile Settings
   In “My Account,” look for the Profile section—click on “Personal Details” or just scroll until you find something like “Change Password.” Honestly, Southwest sometimes shuffles this around after website redesigns (this confuses more than one family member every Thanksgiving).
3. Enter Your Current and New Passwords
   They’ll ask for your current password, then twice for the new one. Make it memorable but hard to guess—don’t get clever with “LUV2fly2024!” because that’s easy to figure out (don’t ask how I know).
4. Save Changes
   You’ll get a confirmation email (screenshot below) a few seconds or minutes later. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. If you hit enter too fast, the form sometimes errors out—refresh and try again.

What Actually Happens After a Password Change? (Spoiler: It Doesn’t Log You Out Everywhere)

Here’s where I stumbled last time: I updated mine at work on my laptop, but my phone stayed logged in (hooray for “remember me” cookies). That means if someone did have physical access to my devices, the password change alone wouldn’t boot them—especially on mobile apps. Airlines vary here; some refresh all tokens, others don’t. This is a weak point flagged by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: after a password reset, “end all active sessions” is ideal. But Southwest, as of my last check, doesn’t enforce this via the web portal. So if you’re being ultra-paranoid (which is fair if you’ve got a million Rapids points), you should manually log out of every device, or even clear saved logins, right after a reset. Trust but verify—and double-check nobody’s quietly binging flight redemptions on your account.

How Often Do Other Airlines or Institutions Recommend Changing Passwords?

Now, you might be curious: is Southwest just “chill,” or is this now the norm? Actually, there’s a shift globally away from forced periodic password resets, unless there’s evidence of compromise. Here’s what some big names say:

• United Airlines: Password resets are required only for suspicious activity. (United profile page)
• Delta: Similar approach—reset only if required, but recommends unique, hard-to-guess passwords.
• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, US): “Verifiers SHOULD NOT require memorized secrets to be changed arbitrarily (e.g., periodically).” (NIST SP 800-63B, Sec 5.1.1.2)

This shift is backed by cyber security experts and the UK National Cyber Security Centre. Broadly, users forced to change passwords too often actually choose weaker passwords or start rotating them—which isn’t much help.

Real-World Case: Points Theft & Account Recovery

Meet “Tom,” a Rapid Rewards super-user from Dallas. Last January, his account got drained—he’d reused a password from a breached shopping site (hello, credential stuffing). Southwest support flagged the suspicious travel redemption, froze his account, and forced a reset—but he noticed the points loss before he got their email. After confirming account details, Southwest restored his points within four business days. But Tom’s pro tip now: “Set a strong password and enable multifactor authentication wherever you can, check your points balance before booking, and change your password after any major data breach hits the news—even if it’s not airline related.”

Expert Take: Are Frequent Password Changes Still Useful?

I asked a local infosec consultant (Louise, who has lectured to SMBs on password hygiene) about airline account safety. Her wisdom: “Periodic password changes are less useful than unique passwords and monitoring for breach reuse. Unless Southwest notifies you, or you have any suspicion your credentials are exposed, it’s okay to keep a solid password for months—even a year or more—as long as it’s unique to that account.” She added: “If you’ve ever received a breach notification from HaveIBeenPwned with your Rapid Rewards email, change it immediately. Otherwise, don’t stress about arbitrary cycles.”

International Perspective: “Verified Trade” and Regulatory Differences

It might sound off-topic, but the way international agencies treat account security and “verified trade” can shed light here.

• WTO (World Trade Organization): Focuses on customs-verified trade and transparency, but doesn’t set consumer login standards.
• WCO (World Customs Organization): Provides best practices for digital trade facilitation and authentication, e.g., unique credentials per entity, but periodic reset is not mandated. See SAFE Framework.
• OECD: Their cybersecurity guidance (OECD Cybersecurity Policy) echoes the “reset only if credentials are exposed” standard.
• USTR (US Trade Representative): Focuses on enforcement and legal frameworks for digital compliance, generally referencing NIST/SP 800-63 like above.

Country / Org	Name	Legal Basis	Enforcement Body	Recommended Change Interval
USA (NIST)	SP 800-63B	Federal Guidance	US Dept of Commerce	No forced cycle
EU (ENISA)	ENISA Password Policy	EU Directive	ENISA	If breach/suspected compromise
WCO SAFE	SAFE Framework	International Standard	WCO Member Customs	No requirement

Personal Reflection & Final Thoughts (Plus a Quick Rant)

So, here’s my final take after this rabbit hole: unless you spot anything strange or news of credential leaks including your email pops up, keep to a strong, unique password for your Southwest account. Changing it every 30-90 days is not only unnecessary but can backfire (you’ll forget it—trust me). If you use a password manager, set a random, long one–and relax. The bigger threat is password reuse. Honestly, Southwest could step up their game by forcing logouts after password changes, but until then, take your own initiative to sign out from all devices after a reset—especially if you’ve shared tickets with family or used public computers at, say, hotel lobbies. Don’t sleep on those helpful scam alert emails either. If you ever get caught in an account hack or can’t figure out how to update things (or get stuck in that infinite reset loop), don’t be shy about calling their A-list phone support. They’re used to this stuff.

Conclusion: Don’t Overdo It, But Don’t Ignore It

The best defense for your Southwest Rapid Rewards account is a solid, one-of-a-kind password and quick action if you spot anything off. Official policies—from Southwest to world trade bodies—no longer push regular, mindless resets; instead, they emphasize vigilance and password uniqueness. Reset immediately after any security scare, or if your credentials wind up in a breach; otherwise, focus on what works for you. Next Steps:

• Pick a strong, unique password now (use a password manager if possible)
• Only change it after a breach, if you suspect access, or if Southwest requests it
• Manually log out all devices after a reset for extra safety
• Monitor your points and recent redemptions regularly

Stay smart—not paranoid. And if Southwest updates any of their security features, you’ll hear my (probably too honest) review here first.