Card guide · Southwest Rapid Rewards
Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority
Card guide overview
Southwest's mid-tier personal card and the highest-fee product in its three-card personal family, with A-List progress via spend, upgraded seating, and Companion Pass progress.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | Southwest Rapid Rewards | Airline Miles | Visa | $229 |
Closest alternatives
At a glance
The card in three decisions.
The Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority is Southwest's mid-tier personal card and the highest-fee product in its three-card personal family at $229. It earns 4X on Southwest purchases, 2X at gas stations and restaurants, and 1X everywhere else. The welcome bonus and card-earned points count toward Companion Pass qualification. The broader Southwest credit-card strategy is not simply holding multiple cards; it is staging eligible welcome bonuses so the qualifying points post in one calendar year. January is ideal for a bonus that will help earn the pass because Southwest requires the points to post to both the billing statement and Rapid Rewards account in the same calendar year, and a January posting gives the maximum runway. January is not required, but a later posting leaves less time to earn the pass and shortens the potential validity window. Plan the minimum-spend deadline, statement close, and Chase's processing time together rather than relying only on the purchase date. Chase's current Priority terms restrict the personal bonus if you have a current personal Southwest card or received a personal Southwest bonus within the last 24 months.
Compared with the $149 Premier, the Priority costs $80 more. The concrete upgrades are 4X rather than 3X on Southwest purchases, Preferred seat access at booking rather than within 48 hours, unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours, 2,500 rather than 1,500 A-List TQPs per $5,000 spent, and 7,500 rather than 6,000 anniversary points. Both cards share a first checked bag, Group 5 boarding, a 10,000-point Companion Pass boost each year, 25% back on inflight purchases, and no foreign transaction fees. The Priority is worth considering for Southwest loyalists who will use the seat and A-List upgrades; the Premier remains the better value if those features will not matter.
Best fit
Southwest loyalists who will use the Priority upgrades
The Priority is most defensible when you fly Southwest often enough to use Preferred seat access, Extra Legroom upgrades, and the 2,500-TQP A-List accelerator. The $80 premium over Premier is not compelling for occasional Southwest flyers.
Current timing
60K is below the 100K or Companion Pass + 40K maximum offers
Southwest periodically runs Companion Pass promotions. The difference between 60K and a Companion Pass + 40K promotion is worth thousands in flights.
Main watchout
The $80 premium over Premier is mainly for Southwest loyalists
The Priority's extra earning, seating, and A-List progress can be valuable, but the Premier may be enough if you will not fly Southwest often or pursue A-List status. Do not carry a balance to chase points or status.
Current and historical offer
60K is standard; 100K or Companion Pass + 40K have been tracked maximums.
We compare public points offers with public points offers. Referral, branch, targeted and mixed cash-plus-points offers are outside this ladder.
Timing assessment
60K is well below the tracked maximums—wait for a Companion Pass promotion if possible.
A Companion Pass promotion can be worth $3,000+ in companion flights. The current 60K offer is standard and unremarkable.
Why someone may still apply
Anniversary points, A-List progress, and upgraded seating provide immediate travel value.
If you have imminent Southwest travel and want the anniversary points, spend-your-way-to-A-List progress, and Companion Pass progress now, the ongoing benefits may justify applying at the standard offer.
Card benefits
Southwest-loyalist status progress and incremental travel perks.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among mid-tier airline cards—not labels supplied by Chase.
Tier 1 · Southwest-loyalist differentiators
Benefits that can define the decision for cardholders committed to Southwest, but are not general-travel perks.
A-List progress for Southwest loyalists
Earn 2,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually. This is a meaningful upgrade over Premier, which earns 1,500 TQPs per $5,000.
- The accelerator matters primarily if you fly enough Southwest to pursue A-List status.
- It is not a general travel benefit or a reason to pay $80 more if you rarely fly Southwest.
Know the limits: Tier 1 for Southwest loyalists who actively pursue A-List; Tier 2 or irrelevant for cardholders who will not fly Southwest frequently enough to use the status path.
Bonus points count toward Companion Pass qualification
The sign-up bonus and all spending points count toward the 135,000-point Companion Pass threshold (or 100 qualifying one-way flights). Companion Pass lets a designated companion fly with you for just taxes and fees on both paid and award tickets.
- Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the year earned plus the entire following calendar year.
- Points from card spend, bonus, anniversary points, and Rapid Rewards partners all count.
- No blackout dates and unlimited use—companion flies nearly free on every flight you take.
Know the limits: Companion Pass requires 135,000 qualifying points or 100 one-way flights in a calendar year. January is ideal for a qualifying bonus to post, but not mandatory; coordinate minimum-spend completion, statement closing, Chase processing, and actual Rapid Rewards posting so eligible points reach both accounts in the same calendar year.
Tier 2 · Priority upgrades and shared Southwest value
Benefits that add value over Premier or help regular Southwest flyers, but are not universally decisive.
10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year
Receive 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each cardmember anniversary year, helping you earn or renew Companion Pass status. This benefit is shared with the Premier and Plus, so it is not a Priority-only upgrade.
Useful for Companion Pass planning, but not Tier 1 on Priority because the annual boost is available across the Southwest personal-card family.
7,500 Anniversary points every year
Receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points each cardmember anniversary year—worth approximately $100 toward Southwest flights.
The grant is useful but modest; it is not the main reason to upgrade from Premier.
Pref Preferred seat at booking
Preferred seat selection at booking when available.
XL Unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades
Unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours of departure when available.
Tier 3 · Shared Southwest and card basics
Useful shared benefits and standard protections that do not distinguish Priority from Premier.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No issuer foreign-transaction fee on purchases abroad.
First checked bag free Bag benefit
First checked bag free for the cardmember and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation.
Group 5 boarding Boarding benefit
Group 5 boarding for the cardmember and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation.
Purchase protection and extended warranty Travel baseline
Coverage for eligible new purchases against damage or theft; extended warranty on eligible items.
Rental car coverage Travel baseline
Auto rental collision damage waiver; secondary coverage in the U.S.
Lost luggage reimbursement Travel baseline
Reimbursement for lost or damaged luggage on common carrier travel.
Comparison method: Mid-tier personal Southwest cards; official public pages reviewed in August 2026.
Earning rates
4X on Southwest, 2X on gas & restaurants; 1X everywhere else.
Rates shown are Southwest Rapid Rewards points per dollar on eligible purchases. Points count toward Companion Pass qualification.
Southwest Airlines purchases
Flights, inflight purchases, and Southwest Vacations packages.
Gas and restaurants
Earn 2 points per dollar on gas and restaurant purchases.
All other purchases
One point per dollar on purchases not eligible for a higher rate.
Credit interaction: Rapid Rewards points are estimated at ~1.3–1.5 cents each. The Priority combines the best earning, anniversary points, A-List progress, and upgraded seating in the Southwest lineup—making it the strongest card for frequent Southwest flyers chasing Companion Pass.
Southwest Rapid Rewards program
The largest domestic low-cost carrier with Companion Pass—one of the most valuable airline loyalty benefits.
Southwest Rapid Rewards is the loyalty program of Southwest Airlines. Points can be redeemed for Southwest-operated flights at a revenue-based rate (~1.3–1.5 cents per point). Points do not expire. The Companion Pass—earned at 135,000 qualifying points or 100 one-way flights per calendar year—is widely considered the best value in U.S. airline loyalty: a designated companion flies with you for just taxes and fees on every flight you take, both paid and award, for up to nearly two years when timed properly.
Key benefit
CompanionPass
Card points count toward the Companion Pass—one of the most valuable airline loyalty benefits.
Points earned from the sign-up bonus, card spend, and anniversary points all count toward the 135,000 qualifying-point Companion Pass threshold. Southwest terms require eligible card points to post to both the billing statement and Rapid Rewards account in the same calendar year. January is ideal, not mandatory: coordinate minimum-spend completion, statement closing, Chase processing, and actual Rapid Rewards posting. The 7,500 anniversary points and the 2,500-TQP A-List accelerator are Priority benefits, but the status accelerator matters mainly to Southwest loyalists.
Southwest focus cities
Where Southwest operates the most flights.
- Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Denver (DEN)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Houston Hobby (HOU)
Southwest Priority at a glance
What this card gets you.
- 4X on Southwest purchases
- 2X on gas & restaurants
- 7,500 anniversary points
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points/year
- 2,500 TQPs per $5,000 spent (A-List progress)
- Preferred seat at booking
- Unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours
- No foreign transaction fee
- First checked bag free (cardmember + up to 8 passengers)
- Group 5 boarding (cardmember + up to 8 passengers)
- Companion Pass progress
Southwest card family
How this card compares to other Southwest cards.
- Plus: $99 fee, no FTF, 2X Southwest/gas/grocery, 3,000 anniversary pts
- Premier: $149 fee, no FTF, 6,000 anniversary points
- Priority: $229 fee, no FTF, 7,500 anniversary pts
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: August 2, 2026
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