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There’s a great opportunity for cruisers to save a bunch of money on airfare (and baggage!) through a pair of travel rewards cards featuring fairly big welcome offers.
Southwest Airlines and Chase teamed up for 120,000 bonus points welcome offers on both their Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. (Their earning structures are different. We’ll cover that in a minute.)
Both require $15,000 of minimum spending within nine (9) months of being approved for card membership. Because each card earns at least 1X point per dollar spent, that means you’ll end up earning at least 135,000 points between your organic spending and the bonus (assuming you reach the $15k). And 135,000 points earned within a calendar year gets you the Southwest Companion Pass!
(You theoretically could get the card now and then wait until January to start spending.)
Why Would Cruisers Fly *Checks Notes* Southwest Airlines?!
The cattle-call style open seating policy, coach-only cabins, and absence of airline club lounges might not make Southwest your first choice for air travel.
I certainly don’t love taking Southwest for long flights. But one of my clients practically made it their official airline, so I’ve had to make due and survived just fine. (That said, I don’t like sitting in any airline’s coach section for long flights.)
But if you can get a Companion Pass (which is good on award travel—not just revenue tickets!), you can significantly reduce your airfare to/from port cities.
Plus, I’m sure you’ve heard (over and over and over) that each passenger can check two bags for free when flying Southwest. That right there can save you a chunk of change (even though they pretty much add some of it into the cost of the fare, but hey.)
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
You can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card membership. Then, earn an additional 40,000 points when you spend $15,000 within the first nine (9) months of being approved.
Points Earnings:
- 4X on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 3X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
- 2X on local transit and commuting purchases (including rideshare, passenger trains, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking lots and garages)
- 2X on social media and search engine advertising
- 2X on Internet, cable, and phone services
- 1X on all other eligible purchases
- Earn 9,000 bonus points every card membership anniversary year (beginning year two)
- Earn 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
- Four Upgraded Boardings (A1-A15) each year
- 365 inflight WiFi credits each year
- Earn 25% back in statement credit for inflight purchases
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit
- Unlimited tier qualifying points
- Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-list status for each $5,000 you spend
- $500 fee credit for points transfers each year
$199 annual fee. Read more and learn here how to apply for the Southwest Performance Business Card.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
With the Southwest Premier Business Card, you can earn 60,000 bonus points if you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved. Then, earn an additional 60,000 points when you spend $15,000 within the first nine (9) months of being approved.
- 3X on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
- 2X on on local transit and commuting purchases (including rideshare, passenger trains, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking lots and garages)
- 1X on all other eligible purchases
Travel Features:
- Earn 6,000 bonus points every card membership anniversary year (beginning year two)
- Earn 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
- Two (2) EarlyBird Check-Ins each year
- Earn 25% back in statement credit for inflight purchases
- Unlimited tier qualifying points
- Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-list status for each $5,000 you spend
- $500 fee credit for points transfers each year
$99 annual fee. Read more and learn here how to apply for the Southwest Premier Business Card.
Is One of the Cards “Better” Than the Other?
Yes.
The Southwest Performance Business Card runs circles around the Southwest Premier Business Card. Sure, its annual fee is $100 more. But as someone who’s flown plenty of Southwest long- and short-haul flights into what is now three decades, I’m confident telling you that the hundred-dollar difference easily covers itself.
Consider that the Southwest Performance Business Card features:
- Four Upgraded Boardings (A1-A15) each year
- The Premier offers two EarlyBird Check-ins which isn’t nearly as good
- 9,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points each anniversary year
- The Premier gives cardholders 6,000 each anniversary year
- 365 inflight WiFi credits each years
- There are none on the Premier
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit
- This is not offered on the Premier
- Better points earning
- The Southwest Performance Business Card earns 4X on Southwest purchases (vs. the Southwest Premier Business Card‘s 3X). Plus, it offers more bonus points categories such as social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable, and phone services.
The four Upgraded Boardings can help make your trip to/from the cruise more comfortable — and score you an exit row or bulkhead seat. Plus, the WiFi credits are great, too.
Time to Set Sail!
The Southwest Performance Business Card and Southwest Premier Business Card both feature welcome offers giving new members the opportunity to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. The Southwest Performance Business Card is the better of the two because it offers better overall benefits and points earnings.
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Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I live in CA and I don’t care if it’s a 2 hour flight on SWA. It’s easy as they have hourly (or more) flights up and down the coast (in the SF Bay Area, three airports, in LA, all the airports) and it’s easy to switch flights or airports without a major issue … DEN, PHX, SEA, Portland, Vegas and SLC is about that – all within a 2 hour flight with not much fuss. Show up, you’re herded in, they push away.