Southwest Credit Card Review: Free Flight Offer

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card - FREE FLIGHT NOW! Earn a FREE FLIGHT after your first purchase Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary that can be redeemed for a $50 Wanna Get Away® Fare Now you can redeem for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more. Earn unlimited FREE FLIGHTS - 2 Points per $1 Spent on Southwest Purchases and 1 Point per $1 Spent on EVERYTHING else Your Bags Fly FREE! No Blackout Dates, Points Dont Expire, and Unlimited Reward Seats! No Change fees if you need to change your flight, you wont be charged a fee September 11th Security Fee Applies Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee - - 15.24% (Variable) $69

Southwest Airlines is the biggest domestic carrier in the United States, which means that you can find a flight to pretty much any major city in the country at a great price. The company flies to about 97 destinations in 42 states, but their international reach is limited.

Southwest is slowly starting to expand into the international market, so there are also some good vacation destinations for people who want to get away.

Southwest recent purchased Airtran and through this partnership will offer flights to Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Card members can also redeem points for international flights through Southwest’s international partners. A large number of points are necessary, however, to book a free flight.

Rewards: earn flights faster

The best feature about the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus card is that you will earn flights right away. As soon as you sign up you will receive enough points for a free roundtrip flight through Southwest.

Cardmembers can potentially collect points fairly quickly, as they earn 1 point for every dollar spent on purchases. Card members can also earn 2 points for every dollar on flights purchased through Southwest Airlines and for car rentals and hotel stays from companies partnered with Southwest.

The points never expire (as long as you have flight or partner earning activity every 24 months) and there is no limit to how many points a member can earn on purchases. There are also no blackout dates.

Not only can the points be redeemed for flights, but members can also use them to purchase vacation packages and car rentals through Southwest and its partners.

Interest rates and fees

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus card has a purchase APR (annual percentage rate) of 15.24%, which is similar to the rates of other travel cards offered by Chase.

At 15.24%, the balance transfer interest rate is comparable to the rates of other travel cards on the market. Cash advances have an APR of 19.24% with this card, and the penalty APR is 29.99%. The penalty APR is easily avoidable, however, if members make their minimum payments on time and don’t exceed their credit limit.

Another big advantage of this card is its annual fee of $69, which is low compared to the fees of other travel cards.

Benefits: Good Perks

The biggest perk of the Southwest card is that cardholders don’t have to wait to before they see their points add up. After their first purchase with the card, they will receive 25,000 points, which are redeemable for one roundtrip flight to domestic destinations.

Another big bonus is that members receive 3,000 points a year on the anniversary of their membership, which can be redeemed for a $50 “Wanna Get Away Fare.”

A cardholder can check their first two bags for free, which is a handy discount for frequent fliers. If you need to change your domestic flight booked on points, you can also do that without incurring any penalties aside from the difference in airfare.

Pros

• One roundtrip ticket when you make your first purchase
  
• Earn 3,000 “anniversary” points every year
  
• First two checked bags fly free
  
• No charge for changing flights

Cons

• Annual Fee of $69; although it is lower than some other cards, it is still a negative
  
• Although customers can book through international partners, it takes a lot of points to fly to other countries

Bottom Line

This is definitely a good card for people who spend a lot of time flying around the country. Although there is an annual fee for the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Visa Credit Card, the potential savings are worth it.