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The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a lesser-known airline co-branded credit card. But if you are a frequent flyer of Southwest, want the Companion Pass for your travels, and enjoy redeeming Rapid Rewards points, this card is worth checking out!
While the card doesn't have the luxury perks other airline cards might have, one of its key perks is its ability to help you earn a Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, the anniversary bonus points alone nearly offset the $99 annual fee, making it a card worth considering for the long term if you're a Rapid Rewards enthusiast.
Here's everything you need to know about the Southwest Premier Card.
- 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
Page Contents
Southwest Premier Card Pros
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest purchases.
- Receive 6,000 bonus points each year on your cardmember anniversary.
- Each point earned on the card counts towards Companion Pass qualification.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Southwest Premier Card Cons
- Niche earning categories make it a poor choice as an everyday credit card.
- Points aren't transferrable to other airlines, and Southwest currently has no airline partners.
- Chase's 5/24 rule can be restrictive to new applicants.
Southwest Premier Card Welcome Bonus
Applicants for the Southwest Premier Card can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Over the past few years, Chase has offered various welcome bonuses for the card, ranging between 30,000 and 100,000 bonus points with qualifying spending activity. In some instances, in addition to a complimentary Companion Pass, offers have also included a promo code for 30% off flights booked on the airline's website.
Southwest Premier Card Benefits
Compared to other airline credit cards, the Southwest Premier Card is mostly focused on perks that are closely associated with Southwest rather than other perks as part of your travel experience. Here's a rundown of its perks.
Anniversary points
After paying the card's annual fee each year, you'll receive 6,000 bonus points. Based on recent AwardWallet user redemptions, these points are worth just over $90. This perk alone nearly offsets the card's $99 annual fee each year.
As a cardholder, you'll also receive a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points each year, which is a huge perk for those who want to inch closer to the annual 135,000-point threshold to unlock this lucrative travel benefit.
All points count towards Companion Pass
Southwest's Companion Pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you for just the taxes and fees each time you purchase a flight or redeem Rapid Rewards to book it. With the Southwest Premier Card, each point you earn with the card counts towards your Companion Pass qualification.
To qualify for the Companion Pass, you will need to fly on 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points within a calendar year. You'll then earn the Companion Pass for the rest of the year plus the entire ensuing calendar year. If this is a perk you value, this card can help you earn it faster.
Unlimited tier qualifying points (TQPs)
For every $10,000 you spend on the card, you will earn 1,500 TQPs towards A-List status. A-List status starts at 25 one-way qualifying flights or 35,000 TQPs. With spending alone, earning A-List from this card might be challenging, but if you're a frequent flyer of Southwest, you're likely earning A-List anyway. Plus, award flights now count towards A-List status.
A-List status offers priority benefits, increased member earnings, same-day changes, and standby status on flights. For those who fly Southwest with extreme frequency, A-List will become far more valuable than it would be for those who only fly the airline infrequently.
Related: Southwest Details Changes Coming to A-List Status: How Assigned Seats Will Work
EarlyBird Check-In
Cardholders receive two Southwest EarlyBird Check-Ins per year. With EarlyBird, you'll be automatically checked in before the traditional 24 hours before departure, providing a better boarding position than fighting the hoards of flyers on your flight.
This benefit could provide more value on longer flights, such as between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii, as you could snag an exit row seat offering extra legroom when boarding begins. Cost-wise, EarlyBird Check-In starts at $15, so this isn't a benefit with a high price tag. However, this and the bonus points overcome the card's annual fee without factoring in other perks.
Inflight purchase savings
Cardmembers can enjoy a 25% rebate on all inflight purchases made using the card. This benefit applies to items like alcoholic beverages, which typically cost up to$7, and inflight Wi-Fi, priced at $8 per flight.
It’s worth noting that Southwest already offers complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic drinks on its flights. The airline does not sell full meals, so if you’re flying long routes, such as those to Hawaii, you may want to plan ahead and bring food onboard.
Additionally, travelers with A-List Preferred status (Southwest's top-tier elite level) receive two free alcoholic drinks per flight and complimentary Wi-Fi as part of their elite perks — reducing the need to rely on this card benefit in some cases.
No foreign transaction fees
When you travel abroad, feel free to use your Southwest Premier Card. You won't pay any foreign transaction fees, which is a helpful perk of Southwest's plentiful coverage of leisure destinations in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Travel and purchase protection
Cardholders can also leverage a few travel and purchase protection benefits. Here's an overview of what you'll find on the Southwest Premier Card:
For policy particulars, please refer to your card's Guide to Benefits.
Southwest Premier Card Earning Rates
The Southwest Premier Card isn't exactly known for being a credit card product with intriguing earning rates. That isn't to say that the card is lackluster, but you should prioritize flying Southwest multiple times yearly to see any noticeable return on your spending, which is a good reason for holding any airline credit card.
Here are the card's earning rates:
- 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
Redeeming Points With the Southwest Premier Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards points are only redeemable on Southwest flights, and they don't expire. The airline doesn't have any partners, so bear this in mind before you apply for the card and soon find yourself with a stash of Rapid Rewards points that you thought had additional redemption options. I wouldn't recommend applying for this card if your home airport isn't served by Southwest, for example.
Southwest mostly employs a mostly-fixed-value pricing model, so the value obtained from your points won't waiver much from the average value of 1.52¢ apiece.
Just note that you'll need more points when cash prices are higher, so date flexibility is key when redeeming your Rapid Rewards points. You should also look for cheaper flights to get the most out of your points; this way, you can book more of them.
Southwest award fares are also 100% refundable if you cancel at least ten minutes before your flight's scheduled departure. If your plans change or you reprice your award and find a cheaper rate, you can cancel and/or rebook. It's one of the many things we love about the Rapid Rewards program.
Related: A Complete Guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards
Application Restrictions
Chase issues the Southwest Premier Card, which means the card is subject to the infamous 5/24 rule. If you're unfamiliar with the rule, Chase generally will not approve your application for a new card if you have opened five or more credit cards in the previous 24 months (across all banks).
Additionally, Chase doesn't tend to approve applications for more than two credit cards in a 30-day period. The card's fine print also includes this disclaimer:
“The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.”
If you currently hold another Southwest personal credit card or earned a welcome bonus on one in the past 24 months, you won't be eligible for this bonus.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Southwest Premier Card
The Southwest Premier Card offers decent value to Southwest loyalists. If you don't consider yourself among this crowd, you'd be wise to weigh other credit card options. Here are a few options to consider:
- If you want a Southwest card with a lower annual fee, consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card with a $69 annual fee. You'll get 3,000 anniversary bonus points, 2X on all Southwest purchases, and still enjoy two EarlyBird Check-Ins. More details are in our Southwest Plus Card review.
- If you want points you can use for more than Southwest flights, look into the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It earns points that can transfer to Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio but also can be used with a dozen other airline and hotel partners. This card also has more compelling earning categories and provides a longer list of benefits, though your earnings won't count toward the Companion Pass. Check out our full Sapphire Preferred review for more details.
- If you want to earn miles that can take you to more places, check out the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. This card offers an array of perks when you fly with American Airlines, and a sizable welcome offer allows you access to AA's award network that can take you almost anywhere on the map. Plus, spending on this card counts toward American Airlines elite status. Our full AA Platinum Select review has more information.
- 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
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at restaurants
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at gas stations
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Current Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card Offers
Bottom Line
The Southwest Premier Card may not have as many perks as other airline cards. Despite this, it can help you earn A-List status and the Companion Pass and provides ongoing value through bonus Rapid Rewards points each year — just enough perks to justify its $99 annual fee and keep the card in your wallet.
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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