The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card occupies an interesting position in the lineup of Southwest Airlines co-branded cards. It isn’t loaded with luxury travel benefits, airport lounge access or premium statement credits. Instead, it focuses on the things many Southwest travelers actually care about: free checked bags, annual bonus points and a straightforward path to earning more Rapid Rewards points. And it offers those for a reasonable cost.
With a $99 annual fee, the Plus Card is the most affordable Southwest consumer credit card that still offers a robust package of airline-specific perks. For occasional Southwest flyers, it can be one of the easiest airline credit cards to justify keeping year after year.
I’ve been a Southwest Rapid Rewards member since 2000 and have flown Southwest 117 times over the years. While I regularly fly a variety of airlines, I’ve always appreciated Southwest’s straightforward approach to loyalty, customer-friendly policies and extensive domestic network.
Below, I’ll break down how the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card works in the real world and whether it deserves a place in your wallet.
The Plus Card is best understood as Southwest’s entry-level consumer credit card. It offers a combination of rewards earnings, annual bonus points and travel perks designed for travelers who fly Southwest a few times a year but don’t necessarily want to pay for a premium card.
