Southwest Airlines offers three different personal credit cards with Chase: the premium Priority card, the mid-tier Premier card, and the entry-level Plus card. Historically positioned as a no-frills option, the Plus Card is undergoing a significant upgrade—both in terms of cost and benefits.
If you’re considering applying for the Southwest Plus Card (or any Chase Southwest card), we’d appreciate it if you used our referral link. We earn Southwest points with each sign-up, which helps us keep Your Mileage May Vary HQ running strong.
Annual Fee
$99 for new applicants. Current cardholders will see a price increase in 2026. Chase will provide more information about the exact timing.
Sign-Up Bonus
New cardholders can earn a welcome bonus after meeting the minimum spending requirement in the first few months. Offers change frequently—check the application page for the current bonus. If you’re applying, here’s my updated referral link: Apply here
You generally won’t qualify for a new-cardmember bonus if you currently have a Southwest personal card or earned a bonus on a Southwest personal card in the last 24 months.
(Business cards and employee cards follow different rules.)
This card is also subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule.
Earning Points
- 2X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- 2X points at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per year (then 1X)
- 1X point on all other purchases
Card Benefits (What You Get)
This is where the card has undergone significant changes—especially in response to Southwest’s new fee structure and the rollout of assigned seating.
Checked Bag Benefit – New in 2025
As of May 28, 2025, Southwest no longer offers two free checked bags to all passengers. Instead:
- The Southwest Plus Card provides one free checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. (Your Rapid Rewards number must be on the reservation.)
- Without this benefit (or qualifying status/fare), Southwest charges $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second.
For a family of four, this could save up to $280 on a roundtrip ($35 per bag, per trip).
Seat Selection & Boarding – For flights with assigned seating (2026 rollout)
- Complimentary Standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure (when available) for the cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation
- Group 5 boarding for the cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation
In short, you should be able to select a Standard seat for free within 48 hours of departure (when available) and board no later than Group 5.
Ongoing Perks
- 10% flight discount promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary (excludes Basic fare)
- 3,000 anniversary points each year
- 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year
- 25% back on in-flight purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
The points you earn are posted directly to your Rapid Rewards account. Southwest no longer publishes a set value for points, but they typically fall in the 1.3–1.4 cents per point range.
The good news:
- No blackout dates
- Point prices directly correlate with cash fares
- Fully refundable with no change or cancellation fees
Final Thought
The Southwest Plus Card has picked up a few perks that fit the “New Southwest,” including a free checked bag and Group 5 boarding. But the trade-offs are real. Losing EarlyBird Check-In credits and seeing the earning structure narrow in 2026 makes the card less compelling for everyday spending than it used to be.
That said, the $99 annual fee is still fairly modest for an airline card. And if you’re an occasional Southwest flyer, the math can still work—especially if the card helps you avoid baggage fees and gives you a path to a decent seat without paying extra. Even if seat selection only opens within 48 hours of departure, it’s a familiar kind of “set an alarm” benefit—not that different from the old days of checking in exactly 24 hours before your flight to improve your boarding position.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
