Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

The Plus is the cheapest way into Southwest's card lineup at $99 a year, and the recurring perks are what justify it: 3,000 anniversary points, 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year, a 10% flight promo code, and a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers on the same reservation. Chase ran the signup bonus up to 80,000 points in late May before pulling it back to 50,000 after $1,000 of spend in the first three months on July 3, so the current offer sits at the low end of where this card has been. Earning is modest: 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, 2 points at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 each year, and 1 point on everything else. It lands at #14 on our Best Airline Credit Cards list, which is about right for a card whose value is in the annual perks rather than the spend rates. Add up to $120 in yearly Instacart credits and a complimentary DashPass year if you will actually use them; if you rarely fly Southwest, nothing here earns enough to carry the fee.