Look, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card is perfectly fine if you fly Southwest a couple times a year and want some basic perks without overthinking it. The thing is, for just $80 more annually, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card gives you way better benefits like upgraded boarding and same-day flight changes. Unless you're trying to save that extra $80, you're probably better off going with the Priority card instead.
Look, I’m going to be honest with you right up front – the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card is the definition of “meh.” It’s not bad, it’s not amazing, it’s just… there. And honestly? For some people, that’s exactly what they need.
The thing is, this card sits in a weird spot
If you’re someone who flies Southwest once or twice a year and wants to dip your toes into the Southwest ecosystem without going all-in, this might actually work for you. But if you’re looking for something that’ll blow your mind you should check out the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Here’s what you get for the $149 annual fee:
- 3X points on Southwest purchases
- 2x points at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year.
- 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
- 1X points on everything else
- 6,000 anniversary points each year
- EarlyBird Check-In® for each flight
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
So who should get this card?
If you’re the type of person that:
- Flies Southwest 1-3 times per year
- Wants some basic perks without paying Priority card prices
- Values simplicity over optimization
- Likes having a Southwest-branded card for the psychological benefit
Then yeah, this could work for you.
The bottom line
The Premier card is fine. But in a world where you can get the Priority card for $80 more, “fine” might not be enough.
Current Bonus
60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.