Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

The Plus is the entry point to Southwest's cobranded lineup, and its real draw is the 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points deposited each year, which shortens the path to a Companion Pass for a $99 annual fee. You also get 3,000 anniversary points, a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers on the same reservation, a 10% flight discount code each year, 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi, and no foreign transaction fees. Earn rates are modest: 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and on gas and groceries up to $5,000 a year, then 1x on everything else, so this isn't a card to put heavy spend on. Timing matters right now, because the signup bonus climbed to 80,000 points in late May and fell back to 50,000 after $1,000 of spend in July, which is the offer on the table today. It ranks ninth on our best airline cards list, a fair reflection of a card that earns its keep through Southwest perks rather than points.