Southwest recently revamped its Rapid Rewards credit cards, changing fees and benefits across the board. If you’re asking “Which Southwest Credit Card is Best?” this guide cuts through the noise into one clear deciding question so you can choose the right personal or business card without spending hours comparing features.

Table of Contents

• Quick Summary: The New Lineup
• The Benefits That Matter (and the Ones I’d Ignore)
• The One Question That Answers “Which Southwest Credit Card is Best?”
• Business Cards: Which to Choose?
• Card Limits and Combinations
• What About Southwest A-List Status?
• Keep or Cancel After Year One?
• My Take and Final Verdict

Quick Summary: The New Lineup

• Personal cards: Plus ($99), Premier ($149), Priority ($229)
• Business cards: Premier Business ($149), Performance Business ($299)
• All personal cards now include: one free checked bag per passenger (up to 8 people on your reservation), Group 5 boarding, and seat selection 48 hours before departure in standard or preferred sections.

The Benefits That Matter (and the Ones I’d Ignore)

Before deciding “Which Southwest Credit Card is Best?” it helps to strip away marketing fluff. Three shared benefits (checked bag, boarding, early seat choice) are useful, but they’re identical across the personal cards—so they won’t determine which card you pick.

Benefits to de-emphasize

• Bonus categories like gas and dining: If you can, put those purchases on flexible, transferable points cards (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred) and transfer points to Southwest when you need them.
• 10%–15% flight discounts on the Plus and Premier cards: Nice in theory, but if you book the cheapest basic fares (which I do), the discount doesn’t cover that fare class and you have to jump to the Choice fare class or higher. These fares are much more than 10-15% above the Basic fare. If you mostly book with points, the discount is even less compelling.

The One Question That Answers “Which Southwest Credit Card is Best?”

It really comes down to a single question: do you value extra legroom?

If your goal is cheapest route to Companion Pass

Get the Southwest Plus ($99). It has the lowest annual fee and gets you the essentials to help earn the Companion Pass with minimal cost. If your primary objective is Companion Pass optimization, this is the no-brainer pick.

If you want comfort and a chance at extra legroom

Get the Southwest Priority ($229). This card gives unlimited upgrades to Extra Legroom seats (up to five more inches). Caveat: you can only upgrade to extra legroom seats within 48 hours of departure. Popular routes may sell out before then, so test it on your frequent routes.

Card to skip

Southwest Premier ($149) sits in the middle and doesn’t offer enough to justify its fee for most people. You’re better off choosing Plus (save money) or Priority (pay more for legroom).

Business Cards: Which to Choose?

The same logic applies to business cards. If you already hold the personal Priority (the one with extra legroom upgrades), getting the top-tier Performance Business card is usually unnecessary.

• If you want to save fees but still get a decent bonus and benefits, pair a personal Priority (or Plus) with the Premier Business. It saves you about $150/year vs Performance Business.
• The Performance Business card makes sense only if you’re maximizing sign-up bonuses and if you’re trying to get the bonuses for both Premier and Performance Business cards to chase Companion Pass qualifying points.

Card Limits and Combinations

• You can only hold one Southwest personal card at a time (choose Plus, Premier, or Priority).
• You may be approved to hold both Southwest business cards at the same time, and you can combine personal + business cards for bonus strategies (subject to approvals).

What About Southwest A-List Status?

A-List status can be earned via tier-qualifying points. You earn 2,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent on eligible cards (all cards except the Plus). To reach A-List, you need 35,000 tier qualifying points. For most casual travelers, trying to earn status through credit card spend isn’t worth it – your money often performs better on transferable-point cards.

Keep or Cancel After Year One?

Deciding whether to keep the card after the first year depends on how much value you get from the perks:

• Anniversary points: The Plus gives 3,000 points (small but useful), Premier gives 6,000 points, and the Priority card gives 7,500 points.
• Do you check bags? If yes, keep the card—the checked bag savings alone can often offset the annual fee.
• Carry-on only? Ask yourself: is Group 5 boarding and early seat selection worth the annual fee to you? If not, it’s reasonable to cancel after the first year.

If you cancel, wait until after your first full year to avoid risking any issues with bonus points or retroactive clawbacks. When canceling, ask about retention offers—sometimes points or statement credits are available. I wait until the annual fee first posts onto my account, and once it’s canceled, the fee will be canceled out; I prioritize canceling the card within 30 days of the fee posting.

My Take and Final Verdict

If you’re still wondering “Which Southwest Credit Card is Best?” here’s the short answer:

1. Get the Southwest Plus ($99) if your priority is Companion Pass or minimizing fees.
2. Get the Southwest Priority ($229) if extra legroom and comfort are important and you’ll use the upgrades.
3. Avoid the Southwest Premier ($149).

For business owners: pair a personal Priority or Plus with the Premier Business card unless you’re deliberately maximizing multiple business sign-up bonuses—then consider Performance Business as part of a strategy.