Want a bunch of Southwest points and a big discount on some Southwest flights this summer or fall – or next year? You're in luck.
Chase and Southwest just rolled out a unique new offer on all three of their personal Rapids Rewards credit cards: You can now earn 6 0,000 Rapid Rewards points and a 30% off promo code for travel with Southwest Airlines after you spend $3,000 within the first three months. You've got a month to mull things over : These limited-time offers are set to expire on June 26.
Those aren't the biggest points bonuses we've seen from Southwest – we've seen them go as high 75,000 points in the past. But a promo code for 30% off Southwest flights is brand new … and while it's a one-time discount, you can typically use Southwest promo codes for up to eight travelers. If you can use this promo code for a big group trip on Southwest over the next year or so, it could easily make this latest Southwest credit card offer the best yet.
You should get that discount code within eight weeks of meeting the spending requirement, though it could process much faster. It's good for a 30% discount on any one-way or roundtrip Southwest booking, whether you book the cheapest Wanna Get Away fare or a top-tier Business Select fare. It's unclear if award tickets booked with Southwest Rapid Rewards you'll have all the way until Oct. 31, 2024 to use it.
No matter which Southwest card you choose, this welcome bonus and promo code is on the table. While many travelers have understandably soured on Southwest after its historic holiday meltdown , this offer is worth considering.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about these Southwest credit card offers.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Earn 60,000 points and a 30% off promo code for travel via Southwest Airlines after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.
Anniversary Bonus: Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you will receive 3,000 Rapid Rewards points.
Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on purchases with Southwest Airlines and its hotel and rental car partners.
Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshares like Uber and Lyft. You’ll also earn 2x points per dollar spent on internet/cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases.
Earn 1x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
Get 2 Early Bird check-ins each year.
Chase 5/24 Rule: The card will be subject to the Chase 5/24 rule , so you may not be approved for the card depending on how many credit cards you’ve opened in the last two years.
Annual Fee: The card has an annual fee of $69 , which is not waived for the first year of card membership.
Click Here to get more details on the Southwest Plus Credit Card.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points and a 30% off promo code for travel via Southwest Airlines after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.
Anniversary Bonus: Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you will receive 6,000 Rapid Rewards points.
Earn 3x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on purchases with Southwest Airlines.
Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshares like Uber and Lyft. You’ll also earn 2x points per dollar spent on internet/cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases.
Earn 1x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
25% Back on In-Flight Purchases: Receive 25% back via statement credits for in-flight purchases. This can be used for drinks, movies, and purchasing Wi-Fi and messaging.
Get 2 Early Bird check-ins each year.
No foreign transaction fees
Chase 5/24 Rule: The card will be subject to the Chase 5/24 rule , so you may not be approved for the card depending on how many credit cards you’ve opened in the last two years.
Annual Fee: The card has an annual fee of $99, which is not waived for the first year of card membership.
Click Here to get more details on the Southwest Premier Credit Card.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points and a 30% off promo code for travel via Southwest Airlines after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.
Anniversary Bonus: Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you will receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points.
Priority Boarding: Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you will receive four upgraded boarding positions. Simply purchase an upgrade on the day of your travel with the Priority card. You’ll receive a boarding number between A1 and A15, and be reimbursed via statement credit within eight weeks.
Annual Travel Credit: Receive an annual travel credit of $75 to use on Southwest Airlines flights.
25% Back on In-Flight Purchases: Receive 25% back via statement credits for in-flight purchases. This can be used for drinks, movies, and purchasing Wi-Fi and messaging.
Earn 3x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on purchases with Southwest Airlines.
Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshares like Uber and Lyft. You’ll also earn 2x points per dollar spent on internet/cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases.
Earn 1x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
Unlimited Tier Qualifying Points can be earned towards A-List status each year.
Chase 5/24 Rule: The card will be subject to the Chase 5/24 rule , so you may not be approved for the card depending on how many credit cards you’ve opened in the last two years.
Annual Fee: The card has an annual fee of $149 , which is not waived for the first year of card membership.
Click Here to learn more about the Southwest Priority Credit Card.
Just How Good is This Offer?
This offer is unlike any other we've ever seen – not just on Southwest credit cards, but from any major airline. And it has the potential to be quite lucrative for Southwest flyers.
Southwest's Rapid Rewards program may not get you a business class seat on an international flight, but the points are some of the easiest to use and can be especially valuable for families. How many points you need is tied directly to the cash price: The lower the cost, the fewer points you'll need – it's that simple. And that means there are no blackout dates – you can always use your points.
That means you shouldn't have a hard time putting this Southwest bonus to use. But this new 30% off promo code might be even better.
Just how much the promo code will save you depends on how expensive of a flight you book, of course. But assuming you can use it to book for four, six, or eight passengers, it could be incredibly lucrative.
Let's use a family of four flying from Omaha (OMA) to Orlando (MCO) as an example: Cash prices on this route are $436 per passenger. The promo code only applies to the base fare – not taxes and fees.
Once we remove the taxes and fees, you're left with a price of roughly $378 per passenger. Factor in this 30% off promo code for all four passengers, our hypothetical family of four could save more than $450 on these flights. Not bad!
When you combine the savings from this promo code with the value of the points, it adds up to be a welcome offer that could easily be worth $1,200 or much more. That's a pretty significant offer and one that's definitely worth your attention if flying Southwest is in your future.
Read more: Our Complete Guide to Southwest Airlines
What to Know Before You Apply
There are some considerations to work through before you apply. And the first comes down to whether you're even eligible to open one of these Chase Southwest cards.
Chase only lets you hold one Southwest personal credit card at a time. That means if you already have one Southwest credit card open, you will not be approved for a second card. On top of that, these welcome bonuses are not available if you have earned a welcome bonus on any of the three Southwest Airlines personal credit cards in the past 24 months (or two years).
And of course, these cards are also subjected to the dreaded Chase 5/24 rule , so getting approved for one of these cards may be difficult depending on how many credit cards (from any bank, not just Chase) you’ve opened in the last 24 months. If you've opened five or more five credit cards with any bank in that time span, you will not be approved for Chase credit cards, regardless of your credit score or history with Chase bank.
But if you are eligible, these Southwest credit cards are easily among the best credit cards you can get if you are under the Chase 5/24 rule . That’s especially true with this new offer to earn a Companion Pass for the first year.
Open a card, meet the minimum spending requirement, and voila – you've got 50,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points. Keep in mind, though: Credit cards are serious business. If you can't afford to charge and immediately pay off $1,000 within three months, it isn't worth digging yourself into debt.
Read more: The Master Guide to the Southwest Companion Pass
Pair with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve
All three of these Southwest credit cards make great companions to either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . That’s because Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account on a 1:1 basis, meaning 1,000 Chase points get you 1,000 Southwest Rapid Reward points. And those transfers are instant.
You can even transfer these points to Southwest to book one ticket to use with your Companion pass, paying just the taxes and fees on both tickets. It’s a great deal.
Click Here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Click Here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Bottom Line
Chase and Southwest are out with an offer to earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points and a 30% off promo code for travel on Southwest Airlines after you spend $3,000 in the first three months of card membership on any of the Southwest personal credit cards. While a big stash of Southwest points never hurts – especially since they count toward earning a Companion pass – the real value here is the one-time 30% discount code.
Use that wisely and you can come out way, way ahead.
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