Do you fly Southwest Airlines?
Do you want to earn free flights as well as hotel stays, gift cards and more including international flights?
Then read on for my Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card review and see if the card is good for you.
Let’s look at the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card:
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card is offering up a great bonus points offer!
You earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first three (3) months of opening your account. That equates to over $800 in Wanna Get Away® Fares (their rewards program) which can get you two free round-trip flights. So for a new member, you are potentially getting a bonus of 4 flights right off the bat. There may be government fees you have to pay that aren’t included (these can be as low as $10).
That’s a nice way to start off a card!
This card is part of Southwest Airline’s rewards program, Rapid Rewards®, rather than calling their points “airline miles.” You still redeem your points toward airline fares but you can also redeem the points for international travel to over 800 destinations on 50+ airline carriers; hotel stays at over 70,000 hotels worldwide; car rentals from major rental companies; gift card to some of your favorite brands (like Amazon.com, iTunes, The Home Depot, and more); and vacation packages.
How do you earn Rapid Rewards points?
You earn 2 points for every $1 spent on all Southwest Airlines and AirTran® purchases made with your card. You’ll also earn 2 points on all Southwest Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental partner purchases. You earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. See, you get to rack up points whenever you use your card.
Anniversary Bonus – Every year, on your anniversary, you earn 6,000 bonus points. That’s like $100 that can be redeemed for a Wanna Get Away fare.
Balance Transfer Bonus – You can earn 1 point for each $1 in balance transfers you make for up to 15,000 points. This has to be done within the first 90 days of opening your account. [Be aware there is a 3% balance transfer fee.]
Tier Qualifying Points Bonus – The Rapid Rewards program has different tiers (the higher the tier the better your benefits). Well, you can earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (to get you to the next tier up) for every $10,000 in purchases you make. You can potentially get up to 15,000 points this way (yes, that is a LOT of spending, but some people do it).
Other Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card Benefits
No Change Fees – If you’ve ever needed to change a flight for some reason you know how annoying it is to have to pay fees that end up being a large percentage of the ticket price. With Southwest Airlines there are no change fees if you need to change your flight.
Bags Fly Free – Your 1st and 2nd bags fly free. Compare this with many carriers that are charging fees just for your first bag.
No Blackout Dates, Points Don’t Expire, and Unlimited Rewards Seats – If there’s a seat on a flight that’s open then you can use your points for it. And the number of flights you can redeem is unlimited.
No Foreign Transaction Fees – If you travel internationally then you won’t be paying extra fees on your purchases just because you are oversees.
Summary
If you fly Southwest Airlines already, then having the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card gives you additional ways to earn Rapid Rewards points with your airline purchases and everyday purchases. The fact that you can also redeem points for international flights as well as for hotels and car rentals makes this a nice airline miles or a travel rewards card. Be aware there is a $99 annual fee for this card. If you use the card and don’t carry debt then the bonus points you earn may more than make up for the fee.
And of course you’re getting a juicy limited-time bonus that can get you two (2) round-trips flights!
Click Here for this and additional Airline & Frequent Flyer Credit Card Offers
*Always make sure you understand the terms of a credit card before you sign up. Terms for this card may change after this publishing.
I’d only get the southwest if you would fly enough to get a free flight once a year. Otherwise, the annual fee is a sticking point for me.
That seems reasonable. I’d think this card is for someone that flies Southwest Airlines with some frequency. Though even if it were every other year or so it could work out well for you.
The key to the fee is to make sure you are getting at least that much benefit and value from the card every year. If you can earn free flights and other items than it can be well-worth it.
Yes Glen I agree, this card is for frequent southwest fliers
But remember, frequent is relative. If you fly once a year then this may be worth it to you. Even less frequently as you can redeem your points in other ways besides flights or if you redeem your points for multiple flights.
I jet set across the country more than I care to mention. I would definitely eat this deal up! I love the credit card deals that are floating around out there. Makes flying a little less painful on the wallet.