Southwest Airlines is unlike any other. The carrier with a cult following has different rules, a different fare structure, and different perks than just about any other airline in the world. Now, there’s a BEST ever offer on a brand new Chase Southwest Airlines credit card.
Southwest has unveiled the Rapid Rewards Performance Business card which sets a new bar for Southwest credit card perks. For starters, the welcome offer awards you with 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 within the first three months of card opening.
But that’s just the beginning. This credit card also comes with many extras including:
- 4 upgraded boardings each year (at the gate or ticket counter on day of travel)
- Up to $100 credit towards TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry
- Wi-Fi credit (365 Wi-Fi credits, which means you can fly every day on Southwest and have free Wi-Fi)
- Unlimited cards for employees
Want Southwest Rapid Rewards points for just for holding the card?
Yes, please! With the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card, you’ll also get 9,000 Rapid Reward points after your cardmember anniversary.
Is the Annual Fee Worth It?
Yes. Although the $199 annual fee is the highest you’ll pay for any Southwest credit card, it’s worth it for the benefits that come with the card. The 80,000 points you receive is close to the 125,000 points you need to receive a Southwest Companion pass.
In the past, I’ve had the Southwest Companion Pass so I can vouch for saving way more than $199 a year on my Southwest flights.
Here are the points earnings on the card:
- Earn 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- Earn 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases
How Much Are Southwest Rapid Reward Points Worth?
Southwest has a revenue based frequent flyer program, and Wanna Get Away fares are worth about 1.3 cents per Rapid Rewards point. Southwest has a very generous change and cancellation policy even with its cheapest fares.
If you do the math, those 80,000 points can potentially be worth more that $1,000 in airfare on Southwest. Even better, if you have the Southwest Companion Pass (or once you earn it), you can potentially get twice as much value as that.
Final Thoughts
One of the most fun things about Southwest is all the bizarre quirks and benefits that, if in the know, can do great things for even the most casual Southwest flyers. Many of those benefits that open up Southwest’s LUV machine come from holding a Southwest co-branded credit card. This newest Southwest credit card is the Cadillac of them all.
Even though my LUV affair with Southwest started late in life, these days I fly Southwest just about as often as any other domestic carrier. I can never get enough Southwest Rapid Reward points because when cash prices for tickets seem too high, I’ll always opt for using my Rapid Rewards stash. I’m continually impressed by Southwest’s consistency and quirkiness, and I always find myself learning more things to LUV about America’s original discount carrier.
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4 comments
hello Shelli, my wife just got this Southwest business card and we were prompted about a sale. the flight i selected on the calendar had payment options of either US dollars or points. The cost of the flight was either $130 dollars or roughly 5,000 points plus a 34 dollar fee. Am i understanding this right because extrapolating using your 1.3 cent valuation for points would make the cost $65 dollars if paid with points? Am i missing something?
Hi Marc, I think something is off in your calculations. Is the flight RT or one way? What is the 34$ fee for? If you could tell me the itinerary, I can check on it and perhaps provide a better answer to your question. Thanks for reading!
Hey Shelli: Clicked on the LINK in your article and it sent me to another site (cardratings.com) and it shows a 70,000 bonus once spending $5,000….Went directly to the Chase Site and hit the Southwest Business cards and it shows 70,000 too. Did that 80,000 come and go that quick??? If so any estimate when it will be back?? I really want that companion pass and with the new requirements for 2020 those 10,000 points make a difference! Thanks in advance for your help
Hi Doug, This was an offer that was available from early summer through 10/16/19. Since it was around for so many months, I wouldn’t expect it to return until sometime in 2020. But you never know.