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Perhaps you've heard that big changes are coming to Southwest Airlines. The “Bags Fly Free” policy is on the way out, and basic fares — along with assigned seating— are on the way in. But to help ease the pain, new Rapid Rewards credit card benefits are also rolling out, and they can help you skirt the worst of the changes.
Here’s an overview of the new Southwest credit card benefits and the timeline for when they’ll take effect.
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Southwest Airlines Adding Three New Credit Card Benefits
The rest of Southwest Airlines is updating, and the Rapid Rewards credit card lineup is, too. Three new cardholder benefits are coming, and they will debut as soon as May 28, 2025.
Check your first bag for free
Starting May 28 — the day Southwest will begin charging for checked bags — the first of three new cardholder benefits will take effect. And that's getting your first checked bag for free.
While one free checked bag isn’t as generous as two, this new perk will cover not just the cardholder but also up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation. It will apply to Basic, Choice (Wanna Get Away Plus), and Choice Preferred (Anytime) fares. Choice Extra (Business Select) tickets will include two free checked bags as part of the fare.
Even better, this benefit will apply to all Southwest credit cards, including the $69 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees).
One thing we still don’t know is how much Southwest will charge for that first checked bag. But if you plan to check a bag on Southwest even a few times a year, the Southwest Plus Card (or any Rapid Rewards card for that matter) could easily pay for itself.
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Pick a seat at no cost
Assigned seating is coming to Southwest, and you’ll have three ways to avoid getting stuck in a middle seat: earn A-List or A-List Preferred elite status, purchase a non-basic fare, or hold a Rapid Rewards credit card.
It’s not exactly clear when assigned seating will officially launch, but Southwest estimates it will begin assigning seats in the third quarter of 2025 for flights taking off in early 2026. This will coincide with brand-new cabins.
This long runway gives you plenty of time to brush up on how the new seat selection benefits, which vary depending on which card you have, can impact your future travels.
| Card Name | Seating Benefits |
|---|---|
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees) and Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Business Credit Card | Select a Standard seat within 48 hours of departure on any fare, when available. |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees) | Select a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours of departure on any fare, when available. |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees) and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees) | Select a Standard or Preferred seat at booking on any fare and/or upgrade to Extra Legroom within 48 hours of departure, when available. |
Complimentary early boarding
Last but not least, a new complimentary early boarding benefit is coming to the Southwest credit card lineup. Like the new seat selection perk, this one won’t roll out until Southwest formally introduces assigned seating.
When that happens, Rapid Rewards cardholders will have boarding positions automatically reserved for themselves and other passengers on the same reservation, even if they’re flying on a basic fare. Unfortunately, details beyond that are still slim.
But what's interesting about this is that two Southwest credit cards, including the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), already include an annual allotment of Upgraded Boardings. Right now, it’s unclear whether the new early boarding benefit will replace Upgraded Boarding or if both will coexist in some form.
Final Thoughts
Southwest Airlines has taken a lot of heat in recent months for its planned policy and operational changes. The traveling public isn't thrilled about the elimination of the “Bags Fly Free” policy, the introduction of basic fares, or the move to seating assignments.
But if you flew Southwest before these changes were announced — and plan to keep flying after they roll out — a Rapid Rewards credit card will be a key to saving money and making the new Southwest experience a little better. And really, that’s the whole point of a co-branded airline credit card, isn’t it?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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