|
|
Post by BWV Dreamin on Jun 4, 2024 12:16:03 GMT -5
So I just cut up my Disney Visa card  . Looking at the Southwest Rapid Rewards card. Currently there is an 85000 points offer for the $69/ annual fee card, $99/fee card, and $149/card. Can anyone give a down and dirty which of these cards is best? I know the rewards go up with the higher annual fee as do the anniversary points. tomandrobin any advice appreciated as well as anyone else’s experience. |
|
|
|
Post by bakerworld on Jun 5, 2024 9:49:13 GMT -5
We have the SW Reward card at $149 annual fee. First reservation $75 travel credit is given. We book the Wanna Get Away airfares and use the 4 upgrades at check-in. As the upgrade at check in is now $100/each person, we the annual fee is worth it.
|
|
|
|
Post by BWV Dreamin on Jun 5, 2024 11:56:59 GMT -5
We have the SW Reward card at $149 annual fee. First reservation $75 travel credit is given. We book the Wanna Get Away airfares and use the 4 upgrades at check-in. As the upgrade at check in is now $100/each person, we the annual fee is worth it. Thanks. So can one person get the card but give one of those free flights to another person on the reservation? Or do the free flights only apply to the card holder? The points that are accumulated for free flights that is. For example I use points towards my flight but then use points for my husband from my pot of points? TIA! |
|
|
|
Post by cpnkirk on Jun 5, 2024 14:03:53 GMT -5
We have the SW Reward card at $149 annual fee. First reservation $75 travel credit is given. We book the Wanna Get Away airfares and use the 4 upgrades at check-in. As the upgrade at check in is now $100/each person, we the annual fee is worth it. Thanks. So can one person get the card but give one of those free flights to another person on the reservation? Or do the free flights only apply to the card holder? The points that are accumulated for free flights that is. For example I use points towards my flight but then use points for my husband from my pot of points? TIA! Yes, you can book a trip for anyone. We have booked a flight for a friend using our points, and we didn't go on that trip. You can also transfer points from one account to another if they want to book the flight themselves. |
|
|
|
Post by brp on Jun 5, 2024 14:42:57 GMT -5
I can't talk to this one in particular as we don't fly Southwest much. But I do find that, for a program that one uses a lot, the more expensive card definitely has worthwhile benefits. For example, we each pay $550 for our Hilton cards and get about $700 in value from each. So taking advantage of the perks on the higher priced cards can be a very good deal.
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnb on Jun 9, 2024 17:26:48 GMT -5
We have the $149/yr card. We get 7500 miles annually (valued by The Points Guy at 1.3 cents/mile), $75 travel credit and 4 free boarding upgrades. We fly SWA enough that the annual fee is covered by the benefits.
|
|
|
|
Post by BWV Dreamin on Sept 12, 2024 16:23:35 GMT -5
We have the SW Reward card at $149 annual fee. First reservation $75 travel credit is given. We book the Wanna Get Away airfares and use the 4 upgrades at check-in. As the upgrade at check in is now $100/each person, we the annual fee is worth it. Is the $75 credit subject to change? Wonder how this will all change now we will be able to reserve seats soon. |
|
|
|
Post by Wiltony on Sept 12, 2024 17:15:56 GMT -5
I think a lot of things are about to change with SW. It remains to be seen what the CC perks are going to transform into.
|
|
|
|
Post by BWV Dreamin on Sept 13, 2024 6:47:02 GMT -5
I think a lot of things are about to change with SW. It remains to be seen what the CC perks are going to transform into. I know the addition of seat selection is coming. Don’t know what perks will be included with what card, which is why I am trying to decide which SW credit card to go with. Congrats on your SW credit!!! |
|
|
|
Post by tomandrobin on Sept 13, 2024 7:54:07 GMT -5
Go with the SW card with the best signup bonus.
Southwest Visa allows you to apply for a new SWA Visa every two years. Robin and I have a strategy of alternating one of us getting companion status. To do this one person will open a personal and a business SWA credit card, when the high point bonus is in play. The two cards Rapid Rewards will combine in your account, accumulating points very quickly towards status. To earn the rest of points needed, we pay as much as we can on the Visa, Sign-up on 2X and 3X rewards on certain purchases, buy a whole bunch of Disney Gift cards that we use to pay our DVC maintenance fees, Disney Cruises balances and extra for our Disney trips. Every other year or so, we flip and the other person applies for the two cards and do it all over again.
For us, we fly about 24 flights a year (12 round trip flights). That is a whole lot of free airfare with SWA.
|
|
|
|
Post by tomandrobin on Sept 13, 2024 7:57:57 GMT -5
I think a lot of things are about to change with SW. It remains to be seen what the CC perks are going to transform into. We are waiting for this too. The new reserved seating will not start for awhile. The earliest it will start is next summer, but I am guessing more likely in the fall. September 25 is there next airfare release for flights thru June 4th. It will not be in play for that release. And when it is finally adopted, it wont be retroactive to flights already booked. |
|
|
|
Post by fuzzylogic on Sept 13, 2024 8:00:47 GMT -5
The 85,000 promo is a great deal, and the 3 are very similar. It is splitting hairs to differentiate them since they all come with 85,000 points and the cost only ranges from $70-$150 which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Yes you can book flights for others using your points. I do this all the time.
Quick and dirty...
* The cheap one does not give you Tier-Qualifying Points. You won't earn A-List with this, but probly won't w the others either..
* The mid one gives you TQPs and 2 early-bird check-ins per year. A maybe $60 value if you like EBC, for the $30 upcharge.
* The high one gives you TQPs, $75 credit and 4 upgraded boardings. Definitely worth it.
The cheap one, eh don't bother. The mid and high toggle a few perks and are both good. For the $50 more I'd get the high.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnb on Sept 13, 2024 9:46:23 GMT -5
Until SWA starts with assigned seating, the four free (you pay for them with your SWA cc then within a few days those charges are credited back to your cc) boarding upgrades more than cover the $75 annual fee.
|
|
|
|
Post by bakerworld on Sept 13, 2024 10:00:11 GMT -5
We have the SW Reward card at $149 annual fee. First reservation $75 travel credit is given. We book the Wanna Get Away airfares and use the 4 upgrades at check-in. As the upgrade at check in is now $100/each person, we the annual fee is worth it. Is the $75 credit subject to change? Wonder how this will all change now we will be able to reserve seats soon. I am curious about the change too because the upgrade at check in was our convincing factor to upgrade our SW card. The boarding upgrades more than made up for the annual fee. Now I'm wondering if the Booking credit will offset the upgrade. Why get a boarding upgrade if you've an assigned seat? |
|
|
|
Post by BWV Dreamin on Sept 13, 2024 18:37:48 GMT -5
Go with the SW card with the best signup bonus. Southwest Visa allows you to apply for a new SWA Visa every two years. Robin and I have a strategy of alternating one of us getting companion status. To do this one person will open a personal and a business SWA credit card, when the high point bonus is in play. The two cards Rapid Rewards will combine in your account, accumulating points very quickly towards status. To earn the rest of points needed, we pay as much as we can on the Visa, Sign-up on 2X and 3X rewards on certain purchases, buy a whole bunch of Disney Gift cards that we use to pay our DVC maintenance fees, Disney Cruises balances and extra for our Disney trips. Every other year or so, we flip and the other person applies for the two cards and do it all over again. For us, we fly about 24 flights a year (12 round trip flights). That is a whole lot of free airfare with SWA. Great strategy! What happens after the first 2 years ? Do you cancel say your cards, then the wife applies? Then after 2 years she cancels and you re-apply? |
|
. Looking at the Southwest Rapid Rewards card. Currently there is an 85000 points offer for the $69/ annual fee card, $99/fee card, and $149/card. Can anyone give a down and dirty which of these cards is best? I know the rewards go up with the higher annual fee as do the anniversary points. 
