Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card review

Miles Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Top Features

• Rewards
• Receive 7,500 anniversary points, 4 upgraded boardings per year when available, and a $75 Southwest® travel credit each year. Enjoy benefits including 3X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more.
• Welcome Bonus
• Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Annual Fee
• $149

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When you "wanna get away" and your preferred airline happens to be Southwest, you know that earning that coveted Southwest Companion Pass is a top priority. Luckily, the CardName can help you toward that goal while offering a number of money-saving perks and features along the way.

Admittedly, this isn’t the card for everyone as it does charge a AnnualFees annual fee and the rewards are fairly specific in terms of redemption options. Still, for the right person, the Southwest Priority Card delivers.

The CardName offers new cardholders can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Those bonus points will give you a decent head start toward A-List Status, which will unlock additional perks, such as priority check-ins and a same-day stand-by option, in case you want to take an earlier flight.

To mark your card member anniversary, you receive 7,500 bonus points plus a $75 travel voucher; that travel voucher in particular goes a long way toward offsetting the annual fee.

Furthermore, there are the ongoing rewards to consider: You earn three points for each $1 spent on Southwest purchases; two points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming; and one point per $1 on other eligible purchases.

Rapid Rewards points are redeemable for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, car rentals and merchandise.

Another nice benefit is the 25% discount the card affords you on all in-flight purchases (drinks, Wi-Fi, messaging, etc.). There are also no foreign transaction fees to worry about, which can save a tidy sum during international travel or when making purchases in foreign currency from the comfort of your own sofa.

card_name boarding upgrades

CardName offers cardholders reimbursement for up to four upgraded boardings (positions A1-A15) per anniversary year. You can purchase your upgraded boardings at the gate or the ticket counter on the day of your departure only (make sure to use your Priority card for the purchase!), and they are subject to availability. Since Southwest seats aren’t assigned, the eariler you board, the more likely you are to snag a desierable seat. The cost of the upgraded boardings is dependent on your itinerary, but this card perk doesn’t have a price limit. In other words, you might consider saving your upgraded boardings for itineraries on which they’re more expensive. After making your purchase on your card, look for statement credit to cover the upgrade.

This is a nifty perk, especially on a crowded flight; however, it’s not quite as appealing as the unlimited priority boarding offered by some similar cards. That said, most other airlines have assigned seats so when you get on the plane doesn’t necessarily have much impact on how good a seat you get.

card_name and the Southwest Companion Pass

One of the most sought-after money-saving perks for Southwest enthusiasts is the airline’s Companion Pass, which allows pass holders to designate a specific family member or friend to fly with them for free every time they purchase a ticket for themselves using cash or rewards points for the remainder of the calendar year in which the pass was earned as well as for the entire following calendar year. The only cost for the companion ticket is taxes and fees. It’s a tremendous money-saving opportunity for frequent Southwest fliers.

Potential downsides of the card_name

The AnnualFees annual fee can be off-putting. If you are not a Southwest frequent flyer, this card is not likely to be worth the expense. Conversely, if you are a mega-Southwest flyer, you’re likely to earn the Companion Pass and plenty of Rapid Rewards points with your regular travel and might not need the card-added perks.

Additionally, there isn’t an introductory interest rate for purchases or balance transfers and the annual fee is not waived for the first year, so be prepared for the potential costs of carrying the card. Of course, paying off your balance in full every billing cycle means that you don’t need an introductory period anyway.

Southwest has no partnerships with other airlines and, while it is regularly expanding its market, the airports it serves are limited to primarily domestic locations. This obviously limits your choices when it comes to travel and redeeming points.

How do cardholders rate the card_name?

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results for the card_name:

How does the card_name compare to other cards?

CardName vs. CardName

discontinued All information about Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Cardratings.com.

These sibling cards are similar in many ways, including their signup bonus opportunities. They also offer identical ongoing rewards earning: three points per $1 on Southwest purchases as well as two points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming and one point per $1 on other eligible purchases. The differences come in with the extras and the fees.

The most obvious difference is the annual fee of AnnualFees for the Southwest Premier card compared to AnnualFees for the Priority Card.

So why pay more?

CardName members receive a smaller anniversary point bonus of 6,000 points and there’s no annivesary voucher offer with this card. Furthermore, the Premier card doesn’t offer statement credit for some upgraded boardings annually nor does it provide discounts for your in-flight purchases. It does offer you two EarlyBird Check-Ins® each year, though.

In fact, the anniversary voucher with the Priority Card effectively lowers the net annual fee to $74 – less than that of the Premier card. That means that as long as you can put that voucher to use each year, you’re probably getting better value out of the Priority card once you figure in the additional perks and features.

CardName vs. CardName

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While these two cards have obvious differences, they are, in many ways, complimentary. You may decide it’s beneficial to have both in your wallet to maximize both your options and your rewards.

The CardName has a slightly lower annual fee (AnnualFees). Neither card charges foreign transaction fees and both offer rewards geared toward your helping you meet your travel goals.

CardName cardholders earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3x points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases; 2x points on all other travel purchases; 1x point on all other purchases; a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. The key with these bonus points is that they can be redeemed within Chase Travel for travel at 25% more value per point or – and this is often where cardholders will get the most value – they can be transferred to one of a number of hotel and airline loyalty programs, including to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. That’s why we say these cards could in fact be complementary. Note that points transferred into your Rapid Rewards account do not count toward your Companion Pass.

CardName offers a signup bonus of 60,000 points, worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel, when you spend at least $4,000 over the first three months from card opening.

What you won’t get with the CardName is the Southwest-specific perks or loyalty bonuses. If those are important to you, you might consider making both of these cards a part of your credit card toolbox.

Is the CardName worth it?

The anniversary bonus and $75 voucher, not to mention a sign-up bonus that helps you on your way to a Companion Pass, make the Southwest Priority Card a worthwhile choice for Southwest fans despite its AnnualFees annual fee. Furthermore, the Southwest Rapid Rewards program offers better value than a lot of airline loyalty programs out there, meaning every dollar you spend offers respectable value.

Offset the annual fee with the statement credit for up to four upgraded bookings each year and the voucher after each account anniversary and you have card with a solid value proposition.