Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority

Earning

Right column: value per $ at travel valuation (1.4¢/pt). Near-fixed value ~1.3-1.4¢ on Wanna Get Away fares.

Credits

None.

Benefits

• Free first checked bag — First standard checked bag free for the Cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation (Rapid Rewards number must be on the booking).
• Group 5 boarding — Cardmember and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation board no later than Group 5 under Southwest's assigned-seating boarding (flights operating from Jan 27, 2026).
• Preferred or Standard seat selection at booking — Select a Preferred or Standard seat at booking at no additional charge, when available, for the Cardmember and up to 8 passengers (flights in 2026 and beyond).
• Unlimited Extra Legroom seat upgrades — Unlimited complimentary upgrades to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available (Priority-exclusive among consumer cards; flights in 2026+).
• 7,500 anniversary points — 7,500 bonus points each account anniversary year.
• 2,500 TQPs per $5,000 spent — Earn 2,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List (35,000 TQPs) / A-List Preferred status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually, no cap (raised from 1,500 in July 2025).
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost — One boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year (deposited by Jan 31 or within 30 days of opening). Counts toward the 135,000-point Companion Pass threshold; not redeemable as points.
• 25% back on inflight purchases — 25% back as a statement credit on inflight drinks and WiFi bought with the card; credit posts the same day as the purchase.
• No foreign transaction fees
• DashPass and Instacart+ trials — 12 months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass (activate 2/1/2025-12/31/2027, auto-renews at the then-current rate) plus up to $10 off one non-restaurant DoorDash order each calendar quarter through 12/31/2027; 3 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by 12/31/2027, auto-renews at $99/yr) with a $10 Instacart credit each month while enrolled.
• Rapid Rewards Access Events — Use points on curated Cardmember-only experiences and events.
• Pay Yourself Back — Redeem points as statement credits against eligible purchases made in the last 90 days.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver (secondary) — Secondary coverage for theft/damage on U.S. rentals (primary outside the U.S.), up to $60,000, rentals up to 31 days, when the whole rental is paid with the card or points and the rental company's CDW is declined.
• Purchase protection — New purchases covered 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per item and $50,000 per account (90 days for NY residents).
• Extended warranty — Adds one year to eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less (up to $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account).
• Baggage delay insurance — Up to $100 per day for up to 3 days for essentials when checked bags are delayed more than 6 hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement — Up to $3,000 per covered traveler for lost or damaged checked or carry-on bags ($2,000 per bag / $10,000 per trip for NY residents).
• Travel accident insurance — Accidental death or dismemberment coverage up to $500,000 on covered trips paid with the card.
• Roadside dispatch — Pay-per-use roadside dispatch plus travel and emergency assistance services (service costs are not covered).

Protections

Notes

Top-tier Southwest consumer card (Visa Signature). July 24, 2025 refresh: annual fee $149 -> $229 (existing cardholders from 2026 renewals); Southwest purchases raised from 3X to 4X; added uncapped 2X at gas stations and restaurants; free first checked bag for Cardmember + 8, Group 5 boarding, Preferred/Standard seat selection at booking and unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours (flights in 2026+); TQPs raised from 1,500 to 2,500 per $5,000. REMOVED effective 12/31/2025: the $75 annual Southwest travel credit, the 4 Upgraded Boardings per year, the $500/yr points-transfer fee credit, inflight WiFi credits, 4X on Southwest Cruises, 2X on Rapid Rewards Hotels and car rental partners, internet/cable/phone/select streaming, and local transit/commuting. So there are no statement credits left on this card beyond the 25% inflight rebate. Unlike Plus/Premier, Priority gets NO anniversary flight promo code (Southwest cardmember-benefits page, Chase's card page, AwardWallet Feb 2026); US Credit Card Guide's mention of a 15% code conflicts and appears to be an error. Kept: 7,500 anniversary points, 10,000 CP boost, 25% inflight rebate, Rapid Rewards Access events. Lyft 5X runs through 12/31/2027. Companion Pass: 135,000 qualifying points (or 100 qualifying one-way flights) in a calendar year; the card's 10,000-point boost (deposited by Jan 31 each calendar year, or within 30 days of account opening) cuts that to 125,000, and all points earned on the card count. Temporary promos seen Sept 2026: registered cardholders earn 2x Companion Pass-qualifying (non-redeemable) points on hotel/lodging spend 7/1-9/30/2026 capped at 10,000 bonus points, and a targeted 30% bonus-points spend offer through 9/30/2026. Application rules: Chase 5/24; only one Southwest personal card at a time and no bonus if you received one on any Southwest personal card in the past 24 months. Trip cancellation/interruption and trip delay coverage are NOT listed on Chase's page for this card.

Verified 2026-09-08 · confidence high · sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18