Southwest Airlines and JP Morgan Chase have announced a new premium rewards card that features a number of new benefits for members. The new product, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card, is available to applicants immediately.
The card joins two pre-existing Southwest credit cards – the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier – as the highest-end entry in the portfolio.
The Priority Card offers several unique benefits, including 7,500 bonus anniversary points each year, up to four Upgraded Boarding certificates each year, $75 in annual Southwest travel credits, and 20 percent back on in-flight purchases.
In addition to the new features, the Southwest Priority Card will feature similar benefits to the Premier card, including 2x points earned on each dollar spent with Southwest, and 1x point on everything else, no foreign transaction fees, and the ability to earn 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $10,000 spent each year.
"We think the new Priority card will be perfect for our customers seeking to experience all that Southwest has to offer, especially as we look to launch service to Hawaii very soon," said Ryan Green, Southwest Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
The card’s annual fee is $149 compared to the $99 Rapid Rewards Premier card. However, the card offers ways for customers to earn up to 65,000 free points annually.
For a limited time, the Priority Card is offering a sign-up bonus of up to 65,000 Rapid Rewards points — 40,000 after spending $1,000 in the first three months, and 25,000 after spending $15,000 total within the first year — the highest-ever bonus on a Southwest credit card.