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Chase’s Southwest Airlines credit card portfolio has elevated offers right now to consider. They’re really interesting because instead of more points, they’re offering statement credits which are essentially spending rebates – real money.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card This is the premium Southwest Airlines co-brand card really designed for folks who fly Southwest — it makes Southwest travel better, and spending helps earn both A-List status and a Companion Pass®.
The card has an offer to earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.
This $149 annual fee card provides a $75 Southwest® travel credit each year; 25% back on in-flight drinks, WiFi, messaging, and movies; and 4 upgraded boardings per year when available (when A1-15 boarding positions are offered at the gate, buy it and you’ll receive a statement credit for the charge); and 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card The card has an offer to earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.
Ongoing category bonus spend: Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases; Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare; earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming; Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
You earn 3,000 anniversary points each year, a nice incentive to keep the card. And all points earned count towards Companion Pass®.
Southwest cards are a long-time favorite of mine because their initial bonus offers and ongoing spend counts towards the airline’s companion pass, which is probably the most valuable perk in travel with published details for qualifying. That’s the reason I’d probably prefer bigger point bonuses rather than statement credits. But outside of that narrow purpose, many customers will prefer being offered real money as a bonus.
My view is that airline cards are for the benefits, rather than ongoing spend, and the best time to get one is during elevated limited time initial bonus offers like what they’re offering right now.
It seems crazy to me. Why not just give customers a free card. No annual fee. Add a few perks to get people to keep it in their wallet and spend more. I know that a lot of people who read this blog are interested in miles and points, including me. But, I bet a lot of others would like to keep it simple and not feel like it is a shell game that they have to waste a lot of thought and time on.