Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier

The Premier's case rests entirely on the Southwest ecosystem: 3x points on Southwest purchases, 6,000 anniversary points every year, and a 10,000-point Companion Pass qualifying boost that shortens the path to Southwest's best perk, all for a $149 annual fee. A free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers on the same reservation can cover that fee outright if you fly the airline as a family. Timing matters on the bonus: Chase ran it up to 85,000 points in late May and pulled it back to 55,000 points after $1,500 in three months on July 3, so the current offer sits at the low end of its recent range. Everyday earning is modest, with 2x on groceries and restaurants capped at the first $8,000 a year and 1x after that, so this is not a card to route general spending through. It lands at #3 on our Best Airline Credit Cards list, which is a fair read: strong if you fly Southwest often, unremarkable if you don't.