Current offer

Earn 60,000 points

After spending $2,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer terms apply.

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The point.me verdict

4.5/5

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card is the top personal tier, and its edge is seats: a free preferred seat at booking plus a free extra-legroom seat within 48 hours of departure, which no other airline co-brand card offers. Add the free checked bag, A-List through spend, and a Companion Pass points boost. The $229 fee fits frequent flyers who skip premium fares.

What we love

  • Free preferred seat at time of booking, unique among airline co-brand cards
  • Free extra-legroom seat within 48 hours of departure when available
  • Free checked bag and group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 on the reservation
  • Earns A-List status and a Companion Pass qualifying-points boost through card spend

What we don't

  • $229 annual fee, the priciest personal Southwest card
  • Underwhelming everyday earning: 2x gas/dining outside Southwest, 1x on everything else
Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest Rapid Rewards points can only be used on Southwest-operated flights, since the airline does not maintain any partnerships with other carriers when it comes to award tickets. As a result, this program has a notable blind spot when it comes to travel outside the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, which limits its usefulness for members focused on international travel.

Rewards on this card

  • 4xSouthwest Airlines® purchasesIncludes flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards
  • 2xGas stations
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 1xAll other eligible purchases

Card Benefits

Discover the perks included with this card, on top of what you earn.

  • $430

    First Checked Bag Free

    First checked bag is free for the Cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.

  • $90

    Anniversary Points

    Receive 7,500 bonus points each year on your card anniversary.

  • $80

    Preferred Seat Selection

    Select a Preferred seat at booking at no additional charge, when available.

  • $50

    Priority Boarding (Group 5)

    Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5, giving earlier access to overhead bins.

Dollar values shown are estimates used to calculate the card’s first-year value, not the actual value of each benefit.

See what you’d earn

Set your monthly spend to see what you’d earn in year one, and what it’s worth.

Assumes caps apply per year and capped spend falls back to the base rate.

84,000 pts ≈ $1,008

Your first year in annual value