Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card Review 2024

Southwest has partnered with Chase to offer three personal credit cards. The card_name sits in the middle of those three cards. Depending on your budget and how often you fly Southwest, this or one of the other two cards may be your best option. However, you need to see how this card compares to the alternatives before making a final decision.

TIME’s Take

With its welcome offer, anniversary bonus, and 3x points on Southwest purchases, the card_name presents a lot of value with a competitive annual fee. However, its points have limited flexibility, and you can’t escape the annual fee, even for the first year. While some customers will appreciate its perks, frequent Southwest passengers may benefit by upgrading to the card_name.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Includes anniversary bonus.
• Some non-travel purchases earn bonus points, like streaming.
• Eligible for a welcome offer.

Cons

• Can’t combine with points from other Chase cards.
• Annual fee not waived the first year.
• Few additional perks.

Who is the card for?

This card is for anyone who flies on Southwest at least a few times per year, as it includes a few perks that can make your trip cheaper and more convenient. Chief among these perks is a 6,000-point anniversary bonus. Rapid Rewards points are worth about 1.35 cents each, so this bonus is worth about $81 each year.

This card is also for you if you often buy drinks or Wi-Fi on-board. It gives you a 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases on these items when you pay with your card. You also receive 25% back on in-flight purchases made by authorized users on your card.

Lastly, this card is for you if waiting for the 24-hour check-in window makes you anxious. It gives you two EarlyBird check-ins per year, which lets you check in before the 24-hour period, depending on availability.

Keep in mind that this card requires membership to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. If you aren’t a member already, you’ll be automatically enrolled if you apply for this card and are approved.

Features

While not heavy on features, there are a few things this card can offer to regular Southwest customers.

Easy-to-earn welcome offer

The card_name will currently offers 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening bonus_miles_full. This is a relatively low spending threshold, making this offer easy to earn (Note: You can only earn the welcome offer if you don’t currently have this card and have not received a bonus from Chase in the last 24 months.)

Anniversary bonus points

This card includes 6,000 bonus points each anniversary year. There is no minimum spend or other requirements for this bonus-–simply keep the card open, and you’ll receive your bonus each anniversary.

Earn A-List Status and Companion Pass® Faster

This card makes it easier to earn coveted Southwest perks, including A-List status and Companion Pass. You can get 1,500 tier-qualifying points (TQPs) for every $10,000 you spend on purchases annually. TQPs count toward earning A-List or A-List Preferred status, and there’s no limit to how many TQPs you can earn in a year.

In addition, this card includes one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. To earn the Companion Pass, you must have 100 qualifying one-way flights or 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points. All points you earn with this card count toward Companion Pass status, including the 50,000-point welcome offer.

APR can be high

The purchase APR for this card is reg_apr,reg_apr_type. While this isn’t extremely high, this card could be expensive if you regularly carry a balance. This is why it’s important to pay your bill in full every month, as is usually the case with credit cards.

The fine print

• Regular purchase APR: reg_apr,reg_apr_type.
• Balance transfer APR: balance_transfer_rate.
• Cash advance APR: cash_advance_apr.
• Penalty APR: 29.99%.
• Annual fee: annual_fees.
• Late fee: late_payment_fee.
• Returned payment fee: Up to $40.

Additional hidden perks

The card_name includes a few hidden perks that can make your trip better:

• Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or an immediate family member have luggage lost or damaged, you could be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Baggage delay insurance: This reimburses you for items like toiletries and clothing if your baggage is delayed over six hours, up to $100 a day, for three days.
• Purchase protection: Covers purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.
• Extended warranty: Extends the manufacturer warranty by a year on purchases with warranties of three years or less.
• No foreign transaction fees: You won’t pay foreign transaction fees when you use your card outside the U.S.

While there aren’t a huge number of perks here, it’s nice to see a few additional protections.

What could be improved

This is a fairly simple, straightforward card, so there isn’t much it leaves out for Southwest Customers. However, there are a few things it would be nice to see from this card.

For one, it doesn’t waive the annual fee in the first year. Several cards in this tier do give you a break on the annual fee. While this isn’t a deal-breaker, it would be a welcome change.

Another thing this card is missing is the ability to combine points with other Chase programs. This means you can’t combine points with programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, which would give you more versatile redemptions. Since you can’t do this with the card_name, you’re limited to the redemptions available through Rapid Rewards. Other airline cards from Chase, like the card_name, let you combine.

Finally, while this card does give you a 6,000-point anniversary bonus, it doesn’t include an annual travel credit, like you get with the card_name. The annual fee is only annual_fees for the card_name, but adding a travel credit of around $50 would increase this card’s appeal.

Card alternatives

The card_name is the middle sibling of the three Southwest credit cards from Chase. As such, its annual fee of annual_fees is more than the annual_fees you’ll pay for the card_name but less than the annual_fee_disclaimer you pay for card_name.

Similarly, the card_name has a 6,000-point anniversary bonus compared to 3,000 for the card_name. The card_name has a 7,500-point anniversary bonus and a $75 annual travel credit.

We also compare this card to the card_name because its annual fee is similar. Their welcome bonuses are similar, too. Naturally, the Southwest cards have airline-specific benefits you don’t get with the card_name. On the other hand, the card_name has better bonus rates on everyday spending.

TIME Stamp: Attractive perks for occasional flyers on SouthWest Airlines

The card_name offers decent value to occasional Southwest customers. It includes a few helpful perks, such as an anniversary point bonus, two EarlyBird check-ins, and a boost toward earning A-List status and the Companion Pass. However, the card_name offers more value for frequent Southwest passengers, and the annual fee for the card_name isn’t waived in the first year. The card certainly isn’t bad, but others are better in some situations.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What's the credit score for card_name?

Chase doesn’t mention a specific credit score requirement for the card_name. However, as a mid-tier co-branded airline card, a credit score in the 690 to 850 range should improve your chances of getting approved.

Is a Chase Southwest Card hard to get?

The Chase Southwest Cards may not be the most difficult cards to get, but they likely aren’t the easiest. Generally speaking, these cards are on the high end of the credit score requirement spectrum, but other cards are more exclusive.

What are the cons of Southwest Rapid Rewards?

Southwest Rapid Rewards is a favorite among many U.S. travelers. However, it has its share of downsides. These include limited international routes, no business or first class, and an open seating policy. The latter could be a pro or a con depending on who you ask, but failing to check in early in the 24-hour window could leave you with an undesirable seat.

How much Is 50000 points on Southwest credit card?

Rapid Rewards points are worth about 1.35 cents each. Therefore, 50,000 points on this card should be worth about $675.