I’ve resided in the U.S. for nearly ten years, and one of the most prominent opinions I hear from travelers concerns Southwest Airlines. It appears that the only individuals more outspoken than the airline’s critics are its devoted supporters.
I believe there are strong points to be made for both perspectives. For a long time, I was not a fan of Southwest, especially during my time residing here, but my opinion changed once I acquired one of their cobranded credit cards.
At TPG, we recommend credit cards based on the value they provide to our readers. An airline credit card can enhance your travel experience and help you save money.
Currently, the airline’s trio of personal cards — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card — are presenting an attractive welcome bonus. By applying before June 26, you have the opportunity to earn 85,000 points after incurring $3,000 in expenses within the first three months from the account opening.
If you reside close to an airport where Southwest operates, obtaining one of its credit cards could be beneficial. This is the story of how I became a Southwest enthusiast after acquiring the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card in 2023.
Extensive network of domestic routes
Firstly, Southwest boasts a widespread domestic network, facilitating convenient travel across the nation.
The airline boasts a significant presence across the eastern United States, Texas, and California, serving a substantial segment of the nation’s population. Additionally, it operates flights to Hawaii as well as various locations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Given that I reside in Austin, Southwest is a convenient option for me since it handles nearly 40% of the airport’s flights. Additionally, it’s a quick trip to Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), which are Southwest’s fifth- and seventh-largest hubs, respectively, making it easy to connect to various destinations within the airline’s network.
Unparalleled flexibility
Southwest takes pride in not charging any fees for cancellations or changes, making it beneficial for award travelers and those with last-minute plan changes.
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For example: This summer, I am escaping the heat in Texas by spending June in Chicago, July in Europe, and August in another location within the U.S. I’m still undecided about where I want to be during my last month, so I have reserved several Southwest reward flights to either Chicago or Portland, Maine.
I have the flexibility to cancel any flight up to 10 minutes before departure, which is an exceptionally generous policy, allowing me to modify my travel plans as they become more concrete.
Easy-to-redeem flights
My goal is to obtain a minimum of 2 cents in value for each frequent flyer point or mile I redeem in different programs. This value is roughly what we estimate for the major issuers’ currencies, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Capital One miles.
Southwest Rapid Rewards points have a consistent redemption value of 1.3-1.5 cents per point, which may not provide exceptional value since the rate is linked to the ticket price. Nonetheless, it is straightforward, and I appreciate the certainty of receiving roughly the same value for my Southwest points regardless of the flight I choose.
Priority boarding
One of the primary complaints travelers have when flying with Southwest is the lack of certainty regarding their seat assignment. The airline operates with an open-seating policy, meaning seats are not preassigned. Nonetheless, every Southwest credit card offers passengers the opportunity to board a specified number of flights early each year.
The basic Plus card, Premier card, and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card all provide two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually. These enable you to automatically secure your boarding position 36 hours prior to your flight and eliminate the need to check in exactly 24 hours before departure.
The top-level Priority and Performance Business cards provide four enhanced boardings annually. This benefit is particularly useful to me because, even if I don’t check in exactly 24 hours before the flight, I can still secure an A1-A15 boarding position (subject to availability). This greatly improves my chances of getting one of the prime seats on the aircraft.
Frequent sales
Southwest tends to be quite generous with its flash sales for both cash bookings and award flights.
Typically, the flights I reserve with Southwest range from 10,000 to 15,000 points each. Yet, by regularly checking the Southwest website and app, along with deal alerts on TPG, I frequently manage to secure discounts on new reservations — and even on those I’ve already made.
For instance, I initially reserved one of my flights to Portland, as mentioned earlier, for 8,021 points and $5.60 in taxes. A week later, Southwest launched its 50%-off birthday sale. The route and date I had reserved qualified for the discount, so I canceled my original booking and promptly rebooked it at the reduced rate, saving nearly 4,000 points for a future flight.
Bonus anniversary points
Besides the generous 80,000-point welcome bonus I got after opening my Performance Business card and meeting the minimum spending requirement, I believe it’s worthwhile to keep a Southwest card in subsequent years — especially if you fly Southwest several times a year.
Beyond all the previously mentioned benefits, I am awarded 9,000 bonus anniversary points every year I maintain the card. According to TPG’s June 2024 valuations, these points hold a value of $117. This amount offsets more than half of the card’s $199 annual fee.
The remaining four cards provide 3,000-7,500 bonus points on their anniversary. Based on our estimates, these points account for 56%-79% of the annual fee, varying by the specific card you possess.
Related: How to determine if paying an annual fee for a credit card is worthwhile
Bottom line
Sometimes, it’s essential to acknowledge when you’ve been mistaken and make amends. I am thrilled that I finally applied for a Southwest credit card, as it has turned out to be extremely beneficial for booking flexible flights and enhancing my travel experience with Southwest.
If you’re considering applying for one of the three personal Southwest cards, try to secure a bonus of at least 75,000 points. For those seeking a Companion Pass, the ideal application period is February-March, as the issuer usually offers bonus points plus a temporary Companion Pass, or during the last quarter of the year to optimize points accumulation for the Companion Pass in the subsequent year. If your goal is purely to earn bonus points, the optimal time to apply is during May-June.
If you’re considering applying for a Southwest business card, the welcome bonuses are relatively stable. Therefore, I suggest applying if you have the opportunity to earn 60,000 points with the Premier Business card or 80,000 points with the Performance Business card.
To gain further insight, check out our comprehensive reviews of the Southwest cards, listed from the lowest to the highest annual fee: Plus, Premier, Priority, Premier Business, and Performance Business cards.
Submit your application here: Southwest Plus
Discover additional information: Southwest Premier
Submit your application here: Southwest Priority
Submit your application now: Southwest Premier Business
Submit your application to Southwest Performance Business here.
Related: A comparison of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier, and Plus credit cards.