The
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a good credit card for high-spending Rapid Rewards members who want to quickly earn free flights on Southwest Airlines and enjoy a variety of frequent flyer benefits. The Priority Card’s
$149 annual fee might scare some would-be applicants away. But people who travel often could easily earn well over $2,000 in net rewards value in just two years with the Southwest Priority Card.
Some of the Priority Card’s best features include a $75 Southwest credit each year, 7,500 bonus points after each account anniversary, four Southwest flight upgrades per year, and 25% off in-flight drinks and Wi-Fi.
But perhaps the most eye-catching aspect of the offer – an initial bonus of
50,000 points – is currently available with several
Southwest Airlines credit cards. Keep that in mind as you compare offers.
Below, we’ll lay out the biggest pros and cons of the Southwest Priority Card to help you decide whether or not it will be worth the money in your situation.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card Review Highlights:Big Initial Bonus. The Southwest Priority Card gives a
50,000 points. New cardholders who spend
$1,000 within
3 months of opening an account get it.
Initial bonuses on credit cards average about
31,964 points/miles or
$228 cash back, according to WalletHub’s latest
Credit Card Landscape Report. For context, the Southwest Priority Card’s bonus points are worth about
$695 in Southwest airfare, on average, per our calculations.
High Annual Fee. The Southwest Priority Card’s annual fee is
$149. That’s the highest annual fee among the current Southwest credit card offers. It also means the Priority Card is about
seven times more expensive than the average credit card.
Ongoing Bonus Points on Rapid Rewards Purchases. Southwest Priority cardholders earn 3 points per $1 spent through Southwest Airlines and 2 points per $1 spent with its Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners. That’s worth about 2.78% – 4.17% cash back when points are redeemed for Southwest airfare. All other purchases get you 1 point per $1 spent, or roughly 1.39% back, except for local transit and commuting (including rideshare), internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming, which get 2 points per $1 (or roughly 2.78%).
Annual Loyalty Bonuses. Southwest Priority users automatically get statement credits to cover the first $75 they spend through Southwest Airlines each year. Plus, after each account anniversary, cardholders get 7,500 bonus points - worth about
$104.3. Those yearly bonuses go a long way toward making the Priority Card worth the cost.
Lots of Benefits. The Southwest Priority Card’s benefits include reimbursement for up to four upgrades on Southwest flights each year, two free checked bags each flight, and 25% back on in-flight Wi-Fi and drinks. Southwest Airlines does not have assigned seats, so upgraded boarding (which puts you at the front of the line) gives you the chance to pick the seat you want and stow your carry-on without hassle. Normally, upgraded boarding costs $30 - $50, depending on the itinerary, so this is a good value.
Making purchases with the Southwest Priority Card also enables cardholders to earn points toward qualifying for Southwest’s Companion Pass.
Opportunity for a Southwest Priority Card Upgrade. If you have the
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or the
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you might be able to upgrade to the Priority Card without applying all over again.
You can see how the Southwest Priority Card stacks up vs. the Southwest Premier and Plus cards
from this comparison. We also recommend checking out our in-depth review of all the
Southwest credit card offers available now.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.