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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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How I scored an extra-legroom seat for (completely) free with this Southwest credit card perk
Rachel Craft is a travel writer at TPG. She's excited about introducing more people to the world of points & miles and helping fellow travel newbies make the most of their points.
June 1, 2026 • 8 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
A recent experience with a major airline cancellation led the author to reconsider a previously canceled airline card after receiving a retention offer covering the next year's fee.
The card provided complimentary access to extra-legroom seats for the author and companions, which proved valuable on a long flight.
Upgrading to extra-legroom seats was straightforward, though availability for groups was limited close to departure.
The author highlights that retention offers can make it worthwhile to keep a card for another year, especially if travel patterns change.
What to consider
Complimentary seat upgrades may be limited in availability, especially for groups seeking to sit together.
Extra-legroom and preferred seating benefits typically extend to the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
Retention offers, such as statement credits, are not guaranteed and may depend on individual circumstances.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed walkthrough of how to maximize complimentary seat upgrades and evaluate the value of retention offers for airline cards.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
As I wrote last year, major changes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) convinced me to cancel my card before the next annual fee came due in April. But when I called to cancel, Chase offered me a statement credit to cover the next annual fee — essentially giving me access to all the card’s benefits for another year at no cost.
I figured why not keep the card for another year to see how much I end up flying Southwest and how valuable the new credit card perks really are?
That was a month ago, and my Priority card has already come in handy. When United left me hanging on a recent work trip, Southwest was there for me, and the card scored me an extra-legroom seat on a five-and-a-half-hour flight — for free.
Before renewing my card, I had pretty much stopped flying Southwest. I wasn’t thrilled with the carrier’s sweeping changes or its credit card overhaul. And while I had consistently flown Southwest to visit my parents at least once a year over the last decade-plus, they recently moved to Asheville, North Carolina, an airport that Southwest doesn’t serve.
After so many years, it seemed my relationship with Southwest had reached its final destination.
LESLIE HARVEY/THE POINTS GUY
So, when I needed to travel from my home base in Denver to Fort Lauderdale for a work conference, I booked a nonstop flight on United (my go-to airline since Southwest's revamp). Then, a few weeks before the trip, United alerted me that they had canceled my afternoon flight and moved me to an evening flight — which would land at midnight the night before my conference.
Not wanting to be a zombie for my work event, I looked into other options. Luckily, Southwest had a direct flight that departed around the same time as my original flight. I gladly rebooked (and got a full refund from United because it had caused the schedule change).
This was enough to convince me to try Southwest again, and it gave me a chance to test out some of my card’s new perks. I hadn’t flown Southwest since the card update; I hadn’t even experienced the carrier’s new assigned seating policy yet.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card gives cardholders access to “preferred” seats (near the front of the plane) at booking. This might have gotten me to my conference hotel a few minutes earlier, but otherwise is not a perk that's generally worth much to me.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
What really interested me was the possibility of upgrading to an extra-legroom seat for free 48 hours before departure, another perk for cardholders. When Southwest announced its first-ever extra-legroom seats last year, complimentary upgrades were touted as one of the highlights of the Priority card, but I was skeptical that I'd actually be able to snag one.
To give myself the best chance, I logged into my Southwest account a little before the 48-hour mark so I’d be ready to upgrade as soon as possible.
When I checked the upgrade options five minutes before that, the seat map showed a handful of extra-legroom seats available, ranging in price from $78 to $84.
SOUTHWEST
When I checked again exactly 48 hours before departure, the price had dropped to zero. A couple of the extra-legroom seats were already gone, suggesting other passengers — probably cardholders or A-List members — had had the same idea as me.
SOUTHWEST
The upgrade process was simple. I clicked my seat of choice, an aisle seat in the emergency exit row, then followed the prompts to confirm the complimentary upgrade.
SOUTHWEST
What is this perk worth?
At only 5’2”, I don’t value extra legroom as much as some passengers. But I still appreciated the extra space on this four-hour flight, which ended up being closer to six hours due to a weather-induced ground stop in Denver.
Plus, my row had only two seats instead of three. If I had been traveling with my partner, I could have used this perk to get us an entire row to ourselves.
RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY
That’s because the Priority card’s preferred and extra-legroom seat benefits apply to cardholders and up to eight companions on the same reservation. You could save hundreds of dollars by leveraging this card to get free upgrades for your whole family — in theory.
I say that because, when I upgraded my seat at the 48-hour mark, there weren’t many extra-legroom seats available next to each other. There were a couple pairs, and the rest were lone middle seats.
So if you’re traveling with a group, you may have to choose between upgrading your seats and sitting together. If you often travel with a partner, however, your odds of scoring two extra-legroom seats together are much better.
On one hand, I was impressed with how easy it was to upgrade my seat for free. But will it be worth renewing my Priority card in 2027, at the new annual fee of $229?
That hinges on how much I end up flying Southwest this year.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
I’ll certainly be taking a closer look at Southwest when I book flights in the future. If the carrier serves my destination — and its network has been steadily growing, with new domestic routes and several international partners — I’ll be much more inclined to choose Southwest knowing I have a good shot at scoring extra legroom.
Chase’s offer seems to have done its job: It convinced me not only to keep the card (for now), but also to give Southwest another look.
If extra legroom is tempting you to add the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card to your wallet, you can get a generous welcome bonus right now. You can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening— that’s worth $750 by TPG’s May 2026 valuations.
Southwest has two other cobranded cards, both offering generous welcome offers right now. These don’t provide complimentary extra-legroom upgrades, but they come with other perks when you fly Southwest, like free checked bags, seat selection and priority boarding:
The information for the Southwest Premier Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
This experience reminded me that the world of travel and loyalty is constantly changing. I thought I was done with Southwest after the carrier's sweeping changes, but a single credit card perk convinced me to give it a second chance.
It also taught me how easy it is to get a card’s annual fee waived (at least, for one year). If you feel unsure about keeping a card, it’s worth calling the retention department to see if you can get a year’s worth of perks for free, or some other retention bonus. Maybe you’ll end up changing your mind, or maybe not — but either way, you can potentially squeeze another year’s worth of value out of the card without paying another annual fee.
