Is upgrading to the Southwest Priority Card worth it?

With a slew of benefits, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is arguably the best Southwest personal credit card — even with its high $149 annual fee. Frequent travelers should be able to make good use of the travel credit plus the upgraded boardings and annual bonus make it easy to recover the fee.



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It is worth upgrading to the Southwest Priority Card if you are a frequent flyer with the airline and can afford the $149 annual fee. The card gives people with at least good credit access to perks like a yearly travel credit and free upgraded boarding.

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Southwest Priority Card Benefits
  • Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. ...
  • Upgraded Boarding on Southwest Flights. ...
  • $75 Annual Travel Credit. ...
  • 7,500 Anniversary Bonus Points. ...
  • Tier Qualifying Points. ...
  • Earn the Southwest Companion Pass Faster. ...
  • Save on Inflight Purchases. ...
  • Complimentary DoorDash DashPass.


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Here's how you can maximize benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
  1. Apply when the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card bonus is high.
  2. Use your $75 Southwest annual travel credit.
  3. Renew your card to receive 7,500 anniversary bonus points.
  4. Take advantage of 4 upgraded boardings.


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All their cards require you to have anywhere from a good to excellent FICO® Score (670 upwards). In addition to this, they also look at your employment and payment history, as well as your debt-to-income ratio. So, while having a good credit score does not guarantee approval, it definitely increases your chances.

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No, personal Southwest credit cards don't provide a credit for TSA PreCheck. Many travel cards offer an up to $100 statement credit every four years to cover your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. Several premium travel cards also provide an additional credit to cover an annual CLEAR membership fee as well.

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If you have the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, you'll get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years as a reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. The other Southwest credit cards do not offer this reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Pre.

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New for 2022, EarlyBird Check-In is included with the purchase of an Anytime fare. Customers who purchase an Anytime fare will automatically be checked in to their flight 36 hours prior to scheduled departure—that's 12 hours before our traditional 24-hour check-in.

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Although Southwest priority boarding isn't based on the cabin class you fly, you can get the perk by:
  1. Purchasing EarlyBird Check-In or Upgraded Boarding.
  2. Carrying a credit card that offers priority boarding benefits.
  3. Purchasing a higher fare ticket.
  4. Being an elite member.


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Customers can add EarlyBird Check-In to their reservation up to 36 hours prior to a flight's scheduled departure, when it is available. Upgraded Boarding guarantees an A1-A15 boarding position and, when available, can be added to a reservation up to 30 minutes before a flight's scheduled departure.

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If you were to upgrade your current card, there would be little impact to the credit history of the account. Increasing your credit limit may decrease your credit utilization percentage, which in turn could raise your score a few points.

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Re: No TSA Precheck on Boarding Pass Verify your PreCheck is not expired, you need to renew it every 5 years. Verify the name on the reservation matches your PreCheck name exactly, including middle name. PreCheck is never guaranteed. TSA may not always issue the PreCheck authorization.

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Is TSA PreCheck Free for Seniors? TSA PreCheck is not free for seniors and there are no senior discounts applicable to the $78 application fee.

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You need a credit score of 700 or higher to get a Southwest Airlines credit card, as at least good credit is required for approval. If your credit score is below the threshold, it's best to wait and apply after you meet the credit score requirement. You can check your credit score for free, right here on WalletHub.

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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (annual fee: $199): Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll also earn a 9,000-point bonus each year on your card anniversary.

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Customers with eligible reservations may check in online at www.southwest.com or using the Southwest® app available here. Once you have checked in for your flight, you can print your boarding pass online, download via the Southwest app, or choose to receive a text.

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Re: Saving Seats Unfortunately, there's no policy to enforce. Officially, Southwest has no policy for or against seat saving, and in practice actively allows it. Reps will even suggest that passengers save seats for later boarding companions.

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60,000 Southwest points are worth around $798 when redeemed for airfare. While Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points are most valuable when redeemed for Travel, they're also redeemable for gift cards, hotel stays, merchandise, and more.

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