Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

I don't have the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card myself, but it's the personal Southwest card for people who fly Southwest often enough to actually use its seating perks. Complimentary Preferred seat selection at booking and unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours of departure are real, recurring conveniences if you're a regular flyer — not just a once-a-year sign-up bonus you forget about. Add in 4X on Southwest purchases and 7,500 anniversary points every year, and reviewers generally agree it earns its $229 fee back for frequent flyers faster than you'd expect.

Where it makes less sense is for occasional travelers. If you're only flying Southwest a couple times a year, you're paying a premium for seating perks you won't use often enough to offset the fee — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the better fit there, especially as the personal half of a Companion Pass strategy. But for a Southwest-loyal family that flies regularly, this is the personal card most reviewers point to as the strongest all-around option in the lineup. If you're working toward the Companion Pass, check out our Companion Pass guide for how cards like this one fit into the strategy.

The Priority card's welcome bonus has generally run in the 50,000–60,000 point range, positioning it as a step up from the Plus and Premier cards' typical offers, in line with its higher annual fee and stronger perks. Chase periodically runs elevated versions on Southwest's personal cards, so it's worth checking the current offer against this baseline before applying.