Get up to 3x on purchases, upgraded boarding, and travel credits #CashNews.co

Frequent Southwest fliers can save on future trips by choosing the right airline credit card. One such option is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, which offers airline-specific perks, an impressive welcome offer, and an opportunity to earn elite status. If you’re shopping for a new credit card, here’s what to know about the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card, its benefits, and who it’s best for.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is an excellent mid-tier travel rewards card with plenty of perks. In addition to the benefits above, you can get 25% back on Southwest inflight purchases and reimbursement for up to four upgraded boardings on Southwest flights each year.

And if you’re interested in earning elite status, this card gives you 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent in a cardmember year. You get Southwest A-list status when you take 20 qualifying flights in a given year or earn 35,000 TQPs. This status gives you extra perks like priority boarding, earning bonuses, and more.

Meeting the minimum spend for the welcome bonus is the quickest way to rack up rewards with the Southwest Priority Card. For a limited time, you can earn 30,000 points and a Companion Pass after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership.

Beyond that, the card offers up to 3X points on your purchases. Southwest purchases will net you 3X points; you can earn 2X points on local transit, commuting, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services; 2X points with Rapid Rewards car rental and hotel partners; and 1X points on everything else. As a cardholder, you’ll also get 7,500 bonus points each cardmember anniversary.

Southwest offers little flexibility for reward redemptions, but this shouldn’t be an issue for frequent Southwest fliers. You can use your points for Southwest flights, though it may also offer other redemption opportunities periodically. Southwest often has flash sales, and you could score a low-cost award flight if you have some flexibility with travel dates.

Since you can typically only use your rewards for Southwest flights, this card doesn’t make sense unless you’re a loyal Southwest customer. It also has a $149 annual fee, which is higher than its lower-tier counterparts: the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Given the lack of flexibility with reward redemptions and the higher annual fee, the Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card could be ideal for frequent Southwest fliers. If this sounds like you, this card’s generous welcome offer and rewards rates could help lower your flight costs significantly.

• Opportunity to earn Southwest Companion Pass

• Can earn 1,500 TQPs for each $5,000 spent in a cardmember year

• Annual $75 Southwest travel credit

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card is part of the Visa card network, which means it’s widely accepted globally. The Visa payment network is available in 160+ countries around the world.

While you can use your card widely in your travels, keep the rewards categories in mind as you spend and consider packing a backup card. A card that offers flat-rate rewards on all your purchases or one with more general travel categories is likely a good option.

Chase issues the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, and you can pay your bill in a few different ways:

• Online via your Chase account

• By mail:
  Cardmember Services
  P.O. Box 6294
  Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294

• By phone: 1-800-436-7958

If you have questions about your card or need help with your account, the Chase customer service team is available through the following channels:

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card offers big benefits for Southwest loyalists, but it’s not the right card for everyone’s wallet. Here are three alternatives to consider if you’re exploring other options.

If you’re a frequent Southwest flyer but prefer a lower annual fee, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card could be a great fit. Offering an annual fee of just $69, a generous welcome offer, and up to 2X points on your purchases, this card has similar perks to its higher-tier counterpart with a lower annual cost.

Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is very popular — and for good reason. This card offers a welcome bonus valued at up to $750 when redeemed in the Chase travel portal. While it does have a modest annual fee, cardmembers get generous rewards, travel insurance, and hotel credits.

Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you’d prefer a card with no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth a look. While it’s marketed as a cash-back credit card, you actually earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your spending, just as you would with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The Freedom Unlimited also offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.

Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn.

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.