Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card review: Full details – The Points Guy

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card overview

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) is the most rewarding of Southwest Airlines’ personal credit cards. It includes a $229 annual fee and 7,500 anniversary bonus points. With the most benefits of any of the card offerings, this is the card to get if you’re a Southwest loyalist. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Southwest Airlines has gained legions of fans, largely due to its previous flexible change/cancellation policies and offering two free checked bags for all passengers.

The airline, however, is in the middle of sweeping changes, including an updated boarding process starting in January 2026 and bags no longer flying free.

Unlike other airlines, Southwest doesn’t offer lounges, but it plans to implement premium cabins and has started retrofitting planes to include seats with extra legroom.

But it does offer a full suite of cobranded credit cards to help frequent flyers fulfill their Southwest travel goals. These cards were recently refreshed, introducing a wide variety of changes.

This includes the Southwest Priority card, which has added more perks aimed at making the Southwest travel experience more pleasant and has changed bonus category earning rates. However, with this comes an unfortunate over 40% annual fee increase to $229.

This card won the Best Airline Cobranded Credit Card award in the 2024 TPG Awards, but with the new changes, only time will tell if it will take home the crown again this year.

The Southwest Priority card has a recommended credit score of 670 or above and is the most premium personal credit card in the Southwest lineup.

But are its benefits valuable enough to warrant the $229 annual fee, and is now the right time for you to apply? Let’s find out.

Southwest Priority Credit Card pros and cons

Southwest Priority Credit Card welcome offer

New Southwest Priority cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first five months from account opening. This offer ends Sept 17.

According to TPG’s July 2025 valuations, the 100,000 points included in this welcome offer are worth $1,400.

This matches the best welcome offer we’ve seen on this card that doesn’t include a Companion Pass, and it requires $8,000 less in minimum spending.

Your bonus preference should determine whether you apply for this card now or not; however, if the Companion Pass doesn’t interest you, this is an excellent offer to take advantage of. Know, though, that you may have the chance to earn the welcome bonus and a Companion Pass (depending on how much you spend) since you’d be 114,000* points closer to the 135,000 points needed to earn a Companion Pass.

*This total is based on the 100,000 points you’d earn from the welcome bonus, plus an additional 4,000 points you’d receive from the spending requirement and the 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost you’d also earn.

Note that Southwest cards are subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months (from all banks, not just Chase), you may not be approved.

Additionally, you can’t open a new personal Southwest card if you have one open. You also won’t be able to get a new welcome bonus from a personal Southwest card if you’ve received one in the past 24 months.

Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest Priority Credit Card benefits

The Southwest Priority card offers the following benefits, many of which can help offset the annual fee. Most benefits will make the day-of-travel experience much more enjoyable. It’s important to note that current cardholders will receive all their current benefits until Dec. 31.

Cardholders receive:

• Anniversary bonus: On your card anniversary each year, you’ll receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points, worth $105 based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations.
• Annual Southwest travel credit: During each cardmember year, you’ll receive a $75 travel credit that can be used on most Southwest purchases, including tickets (excluding upgraded boardings and inflight purchases; this credit will end Dec. 31).
• Two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually: These EarlyBird Check-Ins can cost as much $99 (ends Dec. 31).
• Four upgraded boardings per year: For flights operating in 2025, you’ll have the ability to upgrade your boarding up to four times (ends Dec. 31).
• Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. (A standard first checked bag costs $35, which would save a family of four $280 on a round-trip itinerary.)
• Group 5 priority boarding (for 2026 and beyond): If you have A-list status, you can board with an earlier group.
• Preferred seat selection at booking: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select preferred seating at the time of booking.
• Unlimited extra-legroom upgrades: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select extra-legroom seats within 48 hours prior to departure. This arguably is the most valuable perk provided by the card, as most domestic airlines only offer complimentary extra-legroom seating to their elite members or require a hefty spending amount on a cobranded card.
• 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
• Tier qualifying points boost: Earn 2,500 tier qualifying points that count toward A-List and A-List Preferred status for every $5,000 you spend in a calendar year.
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost annually: Cardholders receive 10,000 points toward a Companion Pass each year.

In addition to the Southwest-specific benefits, the card comes with lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, extended warranty protection and purchase protection.

The card also carries no foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good choice for spending abroad.

Related: How to get airline elite status

Earning points with the Southwest Priority Credit Card

Here’s what you’ll earn with the Southwest Priority card:

• New: 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases (5.6% return based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations)
• New: 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants (2.8% return)
• 2 points per dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (2.8% return; ends Dec. 31)
• 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing apps (2.8% return; ends Dec. 31)
• 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services and select streaming purchases (2.8% return; ends Dec. 31)
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (1.4% return)

It’s important to note that current cardholders will receive the current and new earning rates until Dec. 31.

This airline credit card offers a wider variety of bonus categories than other airline credit cards; however, many of these bonus categories will be removed at the end of the year. You may be better suited with other top travel cards, as their earnings can be even more lucrative.

You’ll earn 5.6% back on Southwest purchases and 2.8% back on select purchases (according to TPG’s July 2025 valuations), which are not bad rates of return for a cobranded credit card. The addition of gas and grocery as a bonus category is a welcome addition and beneficial for those who plan to put a bulk of their everyday spending on the card.

However, this may not be the best Southwest card for you if you don’t book Southwest flights often or prefer to use other portals for hotel and rental car bookings.

Related: Best rewards credit cards

Redeeming points with the Southwest Priority Credit Card

Redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points with the Southwest Priority card is very straightforward.

Southwest award prices are directly tied to the cash value of the ticket, meaning the number of points you need for a flight will fluctuate, but you’ll rarely encounter times when you can’t use your points. Plus, you can redeposit your award without penalty if your plans change.

While Southwest’s points won’t help you fly in first-class suites, they can provide great value.

For instance, you can fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW) for as few as 8,091 points one-way, depending on the time of year. Meanwhile, other airlines often charge 10,000 miles or even more (assuming you can find availability).

If you book during one of Southwest’s flash sales, you could score awards for less than 2,500 points one-way. You can even fly to fun destinations like Hawaii, Costa Rica and Mexico with your Southwest points.

For instance, Emily Thompson, a newsletter and partnerships editor at TPG, recently took advantage of one of these sales to book a round-trip ticket between Nashville International Airport (BNA) and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California for under 25,000 points.

Related: How to redeem your points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards program

Which cards compete with the Southwest Priority Credit Card?

Southwest Airlines offers three personal cards, so you can choose the one that fits you best.

• If you want Southwest benefits with a more modest fee: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is the mid-tier card in the Southwest lineup, with a $149 annual fee. Its benefits include preferred seat selection when available, one 15% promotional code each cardmember anniversary, 6,000 anniversary bonus points, a Companion Pass qualifying points boost perk and free checked bags. To learn more, read our full review of the Southwest Premier card.
• If you want a Southwest card with an even lower annual fee: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees) has a $99 annual fee and allows standard seat selection when available, provides one 10% promotional code each cardmember anniversary, offers 3,000 anniversary bonus points, includes a Companion Pass qualifying points boost perk and comes with free checked bags. To learn more, read our full review of the Southwest Plus card.
• If you want transferable points to use with Southwest and other airlines: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer 1:1 to Southwest and a wide range of other airlines for making flight redemptions. You’ll get numerous travel protections, a $50 annual hotel credit on hotel bookings made through Chase Travel℠ and robust earning categories for a $95 annual fee. To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.

For more options, check out our full list of travel credit cards.

Related: Companion Pass and bonus points: Comparing the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier and Plus credit cards

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Is the Southwest Priority Credit Card worth it?

If you fly Southwest at least a few times each year, you will come out ahead with the Southwest Priority card. Its everyday earning rates aren’t the most lucrative, but impressive built-in perks like preferred seat selection (when available), Group 5 boarding (for 2026 and beyond), free checked bags for you and eight travel companions, and anniversary bonus points make up for it. However, if you fly Southwest less often, you’ll likely prefer one of our other favorite airline cards.

Bottom line

The Southwest Priority card is the most rewarding of Southwest Airlines’ personal credit cards, allowing you to earn a good stash of points and get the most benefits of any of the airline’s offerings.

Despite the recent refresh and annual fee increase, this is still the best Southwest card for you if you fly the carrier often.

However, if you don’t fly Southwest often or want to keep your annual fee costs lower, you may want to opt for one of the other Southwest cobranded cards or a card that earns transferable rewards.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Related: How to pick the right travel credit card for you