Southwest Airlines 50,000 Points Sign-Up Bonus Is Back
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here –Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Chase is once again offering an increased sign-up bonus of 50,000 points for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. The standard offer for this card is 40,000 miles after spending $1,000.
Here are the full details:
- 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening your account.
- 6,000 points after your Cardmember Anniversary.
- 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases made directly with the airline and on Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases.
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
In addition, you can earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 you spend on the card, up to 15,000 points annually. Finally, you'll receive 6,000 Rapid Rewards points each year on your account anniversary, which mostly offsets the $99 annual fee.
Southwest made some changes to the Rapid Rewards program earlier this year by introducing dynamic award pricing. However, the changes weren't drastic, and haven't largely affected the overall value. I list Rapid Rewards points at 1.3 cents apiece in my most recent valuations, so 50,000 points is worth at least $650. Southwest has been expanding its list of international destinations, so these points are increasingly useful even aside from domestic travel.
You can double the value of your Rapid Rewards points if you have the prized Southwest Companion Pass, which allows your companion to fly with you (almost) for free, even on award flights. To get the Companion Pass, you'll need to earn 110,000 points in a calendar year, and sign-up bonuses from co-branded credit cards count toward that mark. That means earning the bonus from the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card puts you almost half way toward Companion Pass status.
You can often find a similar offer for other co-branded Southwest cards, like the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card. Two of these bonuses in combination (plus points earned from a few flights or extra spending) offers a great shortcut to the Companion Pass. You can maximize the pass by earning it toward the beginning of the calendar year, but even if you earned it now, you'd have Companion Pass status through the end of 2016. Note that if you want to enjoy the pass through 2017, you'll need to wait a bit to sign up.
Chase offers these 50,000-point sign-up bonuses periodically, but they're unpredictable and usually only last for a few weeks. If the timing isn't right for you now, my guess is that you'll see them again, but possibly not until the end of 2015 or early 2016.
Check out these posts for more information on maximizing this offer and the Companion Pass:
- Southwest Companion Pass: 16 Things Every Flyer Should Know
- Benefits of Personal vs. Business Cards
- Using Marriott Flight + Hotel Awards for the Southwest Companion Pass
TPG featured card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees