The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the perfect travel companion for Southwest loyalists.
The card lets you earn solid rewards rates on Southwest purchases as well as everyday purchases. Plus, you’ll also receive a plethora of travel perks such as annual travel credits, four upgraded boardings, and annual points bonuses.
So, whether you’re a frequent flyer or just looking to earn rewards for your travel purchases, the Chase Southwest Priority Card is the perfect choice. Let’s learn more about it below.
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- $75 Annual Southwest Travel Credit
- 7,500 Points on Every Cardmember Anniversary
- 3X Points on Southwest Purchases
- 2X Points on Ridesharing, Local Transit, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Select Streaming
- 4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- $149 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Southwest Priority Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Welcome Bonus Restrictions
One thing to remember is that you are not eligible for a Southwest welcome bonus if (1) you currently have a Southwest personal credit card OR (2) you received a bonus on any Southwest personal card in the last 24 months (business cards don’t count toward this limit).
If you’ve recently canceled your Southwest card and it’s been at least 24 months since your last welcome bonus, you are able to eligible for a new bonus.
Earning Points
With the Southwest Priority Card, you can earn the following:
- 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases.
- 2 points per dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
- 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare apps.
- 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, and phone services;
- 2 points per dollar on select streaming.
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
The Southwest Priority Card has a $149 annual fee, which can be offset by a $75 annual travel credit, 7,500 points for each cardmember anniversary, four upgraded boardings, 25% in-flight savings, and travel protections.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card Benefits
The Southwest Priority Card provides a wide range of travel benefits that apply to all types of travel, as well as additional benefits specific to Southwest Airlines. These benefits are valuable enough to easily justify the annual fee of $149.
7,500 Points Anniversary Bonus
Every account anniversary, cardmembers will get 7,500 points which are worth about $100 in flights on Southwest.
These points are enough to almost cover the entire cost of a one-way Wanna Get Away flight.
$75 Annual Travel Credit
As a Priority cardholder, you’ll receive a $75 travel credit every year that can be used to purchase flights on Southwest Airlines, vacation packages or other travel-related expenses, excluding Upgraded boardings and in-flight purchases.
When you use your Priority card to make these purchases, a statement credit will be applied to your account automatically.
The travel credit can also be used to make purchases for someone else, as long as the primary cardmember’s Priority card was used to make the purchase. This benefit is a great way to save money on your Southwest Airlines travel each year.
Four Upgraded Boardings
Each year, you get four upgraded boardings to positions A1-15. All you need to do is purchase the upgraded boarding option with your card and the charge will be reimbursed within eight weeks.
25% In-Flight Savings
When you paying using your Priority card, you can enjoy a 25% statement credit for in-flight purchases of alcoholic drinks and Wi-Fi.
The statement credit typically reflects within two billing cycles from the date of purchase, although it may post earlier sometimes.
10,000 Companion Pass Points Bonus
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most-coveted perks offered by Southwest Airlines, which allows cardholders to bring one travel companion with them for free on any Southwest flight (excluding taxes and fees).
To earn the Companion Pass, you need to earn 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying points within a calendar year. Qualifying points are earned from purchased flights, partner hotel stays, partner rental cars, points earned from credit cards, and credit card referral bonuses.
However, just by holding the Southwest Priority Card, you’ll get a bonus of 10,000 Qualifying points each calendar year, which gives you a headstart towards earning the Companion Pass.
Bonus Tier Qualifying Points Towards Elite Status
You can earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points towards A-List elite status for every $10,000 spent.
There are two elite statuses in the A-List program: A-list and A-list Preferred. Depending on the status you have, elite members will get several travel perks like priority boarding, dedicated customer service, free in-flight Wifi, points bonuses, and more.
A-List status requires 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year while A-List Preferred status requires 75,000 TQPs. Typically, you earn TQPs through revenue flights which takes a lot of time and money, so spending on a Southwest Priority Card could help give you achieve elite status a lot faster,
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Baggage insurance covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
Purchase Protection
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
Redeeming Points
One of the best things about redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points is the simplicity of the process.
The cost of your award ticket is directly tied to the cash price of the flight. The higher the cash price, the more points are required.
Rapid Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents per point on average, but it’s not a fixed rate for all flights. You may get 1.6 cents per point on some routes, but only 1.4 cents per point on others.
Plus, there are no blackout dates, and you can use Rapid Rewards points to book any Southwest Airlines ticket for sale.
Another cool feature is that if the price of the flight goes down, you can just rebook your Southwest flight and the difference in points will go back to your account.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
- Lots of benefits on Southwest, including upgraded boardings.
- The anniversary bonus and annual travel credit help offset the annual fee.
Cons
- No extra points in major categories like restaurants, supermarkets, or gas.
- Limited rewards redemptions
- No trip delay insurance.
Alternatives to the Southwest Priority Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card is the most expensive co-branded card offered by Southwest.
If you want a cheaper co-branded card or alternative cards offered by other issuers, you can check out our recommendations below.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card
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- 6,000 Points Each Cardmember Anniversary
- 2X Points on Transit, Ridesharing, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Eligible Streaming Services
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- Lost Luggage and Baggage Delay Insurance
- $99 Annual Fee
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (review)is the mid-tier in the Southwest personal credit card portfolio, and it’s a balanced, low-cost option offering nice perks.
For a reasonable $99 annual fee, you can earn 3X points on Southwest purchases, and 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, ridesharing, local transit, commuting, phone, cable, internet, and streaming services.
Additionally, you receive two EarlyBird check-in each year, 6,000 points each account anniversary, and a 25% savings on in-flight purchases.
The Southwest Premier card also comes with lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, secondary rental car insurance, purchase protection, and an extended warranty.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Is the Southwest Priority Card Worth It?
If you’re a Southwest loyalist or someone who lives near a Southwest hub like Dallas or Houston, then having a Southwest Priority Card is all worth it.
The card has solid earning rates towards Southwest purchases, as well as common household purchases such as ridesharing, local transit, streaming, cable, phone, and internet.
While the card comes with a $149 annual fee, it can be easily offset by its travel perks like the $75 annual credit, 7,500 annual bonus Rapid Rewards points, and other annual bonuses.
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- $75 Annual Southwest Travel Credit
- 7,500 Points on Every Cardmember Anniversary
- 3X Points on Southwest Purchases
- 2X Points on Ridesharing, Local Transit, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Select Streaming
- 4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- $149 Annual Fee
