5 Credit Cards that Can Earn You BOGO flights
NEW UPDATES INCLUDED! Southwest Airlines is a favorite airline for many because of flexible points, no blockout dates, and easy-to-book flights. Our family flew Southwest Airlines on over 30 round-trip flights this last year. We also didn’t pay full price for any of them!
There have been many changes with Southwest Airlines, from charging for bags, seats, and benefits, but I have updated and provided fresh insight to help you still save money and travel often.
HOW?
By using points to book our flights, we also earn the Southwest Companion Pass. Those two things together allowed us to travel a lot as a family and only pay taxes and fees on our flights.
What is the Southwest Companion Pass? A Quick Overview
- Earn this pass through points or flying so many flights with Southwest
- Book a companion to fly with you for free
- You only pay taxes and fees for the companion
- You can add them to any flight you book for yourself
- You get this pass for the remainder of the year, you earn it, and the following year
- This can save families lots of money on flights by earning this pass
- Grab my FREE Southwest Companion Guide to learn all the steps and strategies. (Yes, it’s free. I just ask that you use my credit card links when following this strategy, so I can still earn something for my business.)
My husband and I both have the companion pass, so our kids fly free!
We try to maximize flights when we have this pass. You can learn all the different strategies and ways to earn this pass through my Southwest Companion Pass Guide. It walks you through all the questions, the process, and how to earn this pass for just you or you and your spouse.
The Southwest Credit Cards
There are personal credit cards and business credit cards. These offers do change throughout the year, so keep checking this page to find the current offers that you might want to grab.
Again, thank you for using my card links anytime you decide to grab a credit card. I am an affiliate to many of these, and it allows me to earn something while putting out all this great traveling money-saving content for you! Please know I am truly grateful!
Southwest Personal Cards
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Southwest Business Credit Cards
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
- 50,000 points after a $1,000 spend in the first 3 months
- The lowest annual fee for Southwest cards is $99
- First Checked Bag Free up to 8 people on your reservation
- Complimentary Standard Seat- Select your standard seat 48 hours before departure
- 10% off promo code each year (excludes basic fare)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Group 5 boarding
- 3,000 points every anniversary
- Learn More about the OfferHERE
My Take: If I have to open a Southwest personal credit card, this is usually the one I go for. The annual fee is the lowest, and it still has some perks. The other two personal cards come with some more benefits with Southwest, but I usually get those with my Southwest business card. If you want a card with more benefits, then consider one of the other cards. Always check the cards for the highest offer to make sure you are getting the most points when applying for a card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
- 50,000 points after a $1,000 spend in the first 3 months
- Higher annual fee of $149
- 6,000-anniversary points
- First Checked Bag Free up to 8 people on your reservation
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1,500 tier qualifying points for A-list status every $5,000 spent
- Complimentary Preferred Seat- Select your seat 48 hours before departure
- 15% off promo code each year (excludes basic fare)
- Learn More about the OfferHERE
My Take: If you want to work towards A-list status with Southwest, consider getting this personal card over the lower annual fee card. This card will help you earn points for your status. Every $5,000 will earn you 1,500 points. This card also earns more anniversary points. Your yearly discount promo code is a little higher, and you also get a complimentary preferred seat instead of a standard seat if there is availability 48 hours prior to the flight.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
- 50,000 points after a $1,000 spend in the first 1 months
- The highest annual fee on a personal card is $229
- Complimentary Preferred seat at booking
- Extra Legroom seat Upgrade-when available
- 7,500 anniversary points
- First Checked Bag Free up to 8 people on your reservation
- 2,500 tier qualifying points after $5,000 spend to earn A-list status
- Learn More about the OfferHERE
My Take: Yes, it has a higher annual fee, but can you get the money out of the fee is the question you should always ask yourself. There are seat perks with this card. At the time of booking, you get a complimentary Preferred seat as long as it is available. There is also the possibility of the extra legroom upgrade 48 hours prior to departure. If you desire leg room, this could be a card for you! You also earn more anniversary points and earn more points on your Southwest purchases. If you will use the perks, consider the card, but if you won’t, then go for the lower annual fee version of this card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
- Earns the most points for the welcome bonus
- 80,000 rapid reward points after $5,000 spend in the first 3 months
- Preferred Seat selection at the time of booking
- Upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours Prior to departure, if available
- First checked bag is free for you and up to 8 people on your reservation
- 9,000 points every anniversary
- 4x on Southwest Purchases
- 2x on Gas and Restaurants, no limit on how much you can earn in that category
- Up to $120 TSA/Global Entry credit
- Unlimited tier qualifying points
- Earn 2,500 tier-qualifying points after spending $5,000
- No Foreign Transaction fees
- Highest annual fee $299
- Learn More about the OfferHERE
My Take: If a guaranteed Preferred seat is something you want when flying Southwest, this card may be the one for you. You will be saving money with your seat selection and could also get upgraded to Extra legroom as well. The wifi credit on this card is going away with the new card update, which I used a lot with this card. This card also earns you more points than the Premier Business card. If you find value in the seat savings and will also redeem the TSA credit, then the annual fee could be covered with seat and bag savings.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- 60,000 rapid reward points after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months
- Lower annual fee for business cards at $149 a year
- First Checked Bag Free up to 8 people on your reservation
- Complimentary Preferred seat within 48 hours before departure (if available)
- Annual 15% Flight Discount Promo Code
- Earn 2,000 tier points after $5,000 spend, helping you earn A-list status
- No Foreign transaction fees
- Group 5 Boarding
- 6,000 points every Anniversary
- 2x points on Gas and Restaurants up to $8,000 a year
- Learn More about the OfferHERE
My Take: If you need a business card but really struggle with the annual fee cost, this is going to be the lowest one. It doesn’t have as many perks. The other business card allows you to book a Preferred seat at booking, and this card has you wait until 48 hours prior to your departure, and there is no guarantee. If confirming your preferred seat is important, then go with the Performance card. If again, if your goal is to keep annual fee costs down, you might want to go with this one. The Performance card also offers more points with the welcome bonus, so if you are trying to get as many points as possible, that is something to consider.
Southwest Airlines has so much flexibility with booking flights, and if they fly out of your home airport, you may want to consider earning the Southwest Companion Pass or getting one of these credit card offers.
Remember, though, if you want more flexibility with your points and don’t want to be locked into just Southwest points, I would recommend going with Chase Ultimate Rewards points because those are flexible and can be transferred to hotels like World of Hyatt and Marriott, as well as Southwest Airlines or United, to name a few.