With Southwest's shift to assigned seating for flights starting January 27th, 2026 the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has become way more valuable than it used to be. If you're a regular Southwest flyer, this top-tier card offers something the other Southwest cards simply can't match – and I'll explain exactly why this matters.
Now here's the thing – this is where this card really separates itself from the Plus and Premier cards. The Priority card lets you select a Preferred seat at booking, at no additional charge, when available. And so you're not scrambling at check-in or hoping something decent is still available.
Let me show you how the earning works:
One thing to note is that these earning rates are pretty solid for where Southwest flyers actually spend their money.
Now here's where the real value comes in. Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation get their first checked bag free. And so each bag normally costs $35, which adds up quickly.
You also get Group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation, giving you earlier access to overhead bins. Plus there are no foreign transaction fees, which is great if you're traveling internationally.
Let's break this down with real numbers. Each checked bag costs $35, so if you're checking bags on just 4 round-trip flights per year – that's 8 bags total – you've already covered $280 in bag fees. That's more than the $229 annual fee right there.
And so when you add in the value of preferred seating (for flights starting January 27th, 2026), which would cost you around $20+ per flight if you purchased it separately, frequent flyers can easily justify this card. For example, if you take 6 Southwest flights per year and check a bag each time, you're looking at $210 in bag fees plus $120 in seating fees – that's $330 in value.
For families, the math gets even better since the checked bag benefit extends to 8 additional passengers. A family of four taking two trips per year would save $560 in bag fees alone. I mean, that pretty much pays for the card twice over.
The thing is, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is hands-down the card to have if you're a frequent Southwest flyer. The preferred seating at booking – which you can't get with the Plus or Premier cards – completely transforms your Southwest experience now that they do assigned seating.
And so when you combine that with the generous bag fee savings and solid earning rates, this card more than pays for itself if you fly Southwest enough. The $229 annual fee might seem steep, but for loyal Southwest customers, it's an investment that enhances every single flight.
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