The BIG Problem with the Southwest Priority Card

Рет қаралды 10,778

Күн бұрын

The Southwest Priority card is the top-of-the-line personal credit card in the Chase Southwest credit card portfolio, and it’s considered to be one of the most valuable cards for Southwest fliers.
That's also what I thought as someone who frequently flies on Southwest Airlines and is A-List Preferred, but after having this card myself, I decided that this card wasn’t worth it, and canceled the card only after having it for about 18 months, and in this video,m I'm going to explain why.
The Chase Southwest Priority Card has a current sign-up bonus offer of earning 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
It earns 3X points back on Southwest purchases, 2X points back on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, transit, internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming, and 1X points back on all other purchases.
In terms of benefits, you get 7,500 points every year on your cardmember anniversary, a $75 Southwest annual travel credit, and 4 Upgraded Boardings per year. You also get 1,500 tier-qualifying points towards A-List status for every $10,000 you spend on the card with no limit, 25% back on inflight purchases, and 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
Lastly, the card has no foreign transaction fees and, of course, comes with the travel and purchase protections that you’d expect from a mid-tier Chase travel credit card.
There are a few reasons why the Southwest Priority card is not the best for frequent Southwest flyers.
The first is that this card has incredibly weak multipliers, including the 3X points back on Southwest flights. If you have a better luxury travel card like the Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve, it's better to use those cards for flights instead.
And if you do so, the $75 Southwest annual travel credit is more of a hindrance than a benefit because it forces you to spend on the card in a way where you normally wouldn’t do so in the first place. Likewise, the benefit that gets you 4 early boardings is not that helpful if you already have status with Southwest Airlines.
Now, certain people can benefit from having this card, including someone who’s an occasional Southwest traveler and does not have any status with the airline itself. You could also benefit from this card if you're going for the Southwest Companion Pass.
But if you were to get one Southwest personal credit card, I'd recommend the Southwest Priority card since it is the best value of the 3 options.
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:34 Why Get a Southwest Airlines Credit Card
06:23 The Big Problem with the Southwest Priority Card
09:50 Who Should Get This Card?
12:51 Outro
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Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor, accountant, or lawyer, and as such, I do not provide financial, tax, or legal advice. This video, and any ideas presented in it, are opinions and are provided for entertainment purposes only. Please do your own research and consult your own financial, tax, or legal professional for specific advice.
#creditcard #chasebank #southwestairlines

Пікірлер: 69

@narayanhill9832 9 ай бұрын

The 4 upgraded boardings, the $75 credit and the 7500 points MORE than covers the annual fee for the average Southwest frequent flyer. Cards like these are only meant to use for the benefits.

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

For sure Ryan! It definitely covers the annual fee of $149, but what it comes down to is prepaying for Southwest flights (through the annual fee). You probably do get a marginal amount of value from the extra 1.4-1.5cpp per Southwest mile so I think for average Southwest flyers, yes, this could be a win! But most of the benefits are eclipsed if you have an alternate card for flights, for example, the Amex Platinum.

@AnthonyVenture 9 ай бұрын

Now it all comes full circle, this is how you’re able to watch the livestreams when flying SW haha, thanks for that quick shoutout. 😁 Good points about this card, was good to learn about the boarding positions and benefits with this card. You’re right, those with those higher earner cards, in conjunction with having status anyway, seems to be a nill card for value add. Btw, love your intros lately, very captivating!

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Haha, thanks Tony! Yeah, gotta always be working on those intros! I'm always impressed with Southwest's Wifi. Although at some points, the Wifi gets cut off, it's usually pretty good enough to maintain a low quality (360p) livestream, which is all I need, really! I've even had enough bandwith to send a Superchat or two, which is impressive as well! And yeah, once I got the Platinum, for me, it was game over for this Priority card. Maybe if it had better benefits, but as an A-List Preferred, I already get those 🙃

@AnthonyVenture 9 ай бұрын

@@TheCreditFrog Haha and those high latency superchats are much appreciated! 😆 I didn’t realize how bad Wi-Fi was until the delta flight, all I could do was respond to comments, but then again I was happy to do that anyway. Makes sense for sure with you life situation for sure.

@MattWelterOfficial 9 ай бұрын

Good point about Airline Cards typically not being as feasible as with Hotel Cards, since they don't offer Automatic value via Free Nights with Hotel Cards. Instead, it's more of an equation you have to make on the frequency on utilizing free checked bags, lounge visits, etc. Interesting that some of those common airline benefits aren't fully covered on Southwest's Priority card though. Definitely agree with your point that the 3x on SW Flights Multiplier is pretty disappointing. Especially with the Plat getting 5x! Great video here Stan!

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Matt! Yeah, as someone who flies Southwest a LOT, I figured this would be a slam dunk card for me. And it was... until I got the Amex Platinum, and just realized I was just prepaying for Southwest flights with this card's annual fee since there really weren't any other benefits I could use since I got most of them with elevated status. I pretty much shy away from airline cards in favor of hotel cards since they bring so much more value!

@pastalu5254 Күн бұрын

Good points. Watching this video reminded me that my family has two Southwest cards that we rarely used, and I should cancel them to have spots for other Chase cards.

@TheCreditFrog Күн бұрын

Great idea! You can also figure out when the last time they got the welcome offers because Companion Pass could be another consideration if it's been more than 24 months!

@user-wh1ti5cl2c 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for the video. I do have this card and the amex platinum. After your breakdown i really dont see much need for the priority card.

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Of course Dave! That’s what my dilemma was as well!

@WealthOfOpportunity 9 ай бұрын

I like how you compared who it’s not for and who it is for. Especially with places like Costco that sell discounted Southwest gift cards for 10% off or more depending on the sale or how you play the game in combination with a wholesale category card. This card is one of my oldest cards and given the value I get out of it , I fit in one of your recommendations for who it’s for. Keeper card for me!

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Awesome Ninja! Yeah, this is a great card for those casual Southwest flyers with all the benefits it provides. Those 4 Early boardings are awesome for casual Southwest flyers! Thanks for the tip on the Costco Southwest gift card deals. I've never looked into those, but I can see them a great way to get value coupled with a nice wholesale card like you said

@WealthOfOpportunity 9 ай бұрын

@@TheCreditFrog especially when they go on sale for $429.99 it’s a solid deal. Especially considering how easy SW is to rebook flights or keep those flight credits indefinitely tied to the booked traveler and just build your bank up and de-risk from losing the gift card

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

@@WealthOfOpportunity Oh yeah, it was amazing when they took away the flight credit expirations! Now there's always a stash of credit you can use from flights, and since all fare classes gets you a full refund (flight credit, with no change fees), it makes things really flexible! I also love canceling and rebooking flights during sales for hundreds of dollars in savings that can be reused later since they get refunded as flight credits!

@WealthOfOpportunity 9 ай бұрын

@@TheCreditFrog I can’t tell you how many times I’ve booked a flight to secure the position as needed and then rebooked when they run their specials like you do :). This type of flexibility and ease of doing so online makes SW pros larger than the cons for me.

@JacobsPointsAndProfit 9 ай бұрын

I was highly tempted to get a Southwest card when the sign up bonus came with a companion pass for the year, but I don't really enjoy fighting for a non-middle seat once I'm on board lol

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Haha! Yeah, that's where the early boarding comes into play. Either do that or you can play the 24-hour game where you check-in exactly at the 24-hour mark and you can usually snag an early B boarding group or even a late A group if the flight isn't crowded! You and your wife seem to travel a lot so definitely something to keep in mind! Imagine only paying $5 each way for your companion when you travel. If you travel multiple times per month, it definitely adds up!

@Leoprieto74 9 ай бұрын

I have the Chase Southwest Performance Business card ($199 AF) and I rarely travel on Southwest. The card looks pretty though 😊. Not canceling because I plan on increasing my flying trips once my dog goes to heaven 😢. He probably has one more year (old dog). All I am getting now in return is the anniversary 9,000 points 😢. But I am planning on sending my son to Puerto Rico with Southwest in July 2024 and will use all my Southwest points for his airfare ticket.

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Aww man, sorry to hear about your dog 😥! But it sounds like you are getting great value with the Southwest points you have. Like you said, you may be flying more often soon so once that happens, that card may be much more helpful to you!

@sjg6158 9 ай бұрын

Nice video, but as a frequent SW flyer in south FL, I love this card. The annual fee is paid for and then some with the credit, the upgraded boardings and the annual points, which could be two or three free flights.

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

That's great! Yeah, the SW Priority can still be good for frequent Southwest travelers, but I'm curious if you have another travel card like the Amex Platinum? I think once you get other cards like that, there starts to be some overlap, and this card basically becomes a benefits card, which is ok, but I wish the Priority card had a bigger drive to be used as a spender for Southwest flights like the Hilton cards for Hilton, for example.

@SpencerJohnsonOfficial 9 ай бұрын

I wonder what you think about the new Southwest status changes that came out today! I'm excited about it for sure. However, I think the only real reason I'll get this card is when I'm chasing that Companion Pass. I can still see it being a keeper card for me after that, but I'm not rushing to get this card by any means. Great video Stan!! 👊🏼

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Spencer! I think the new changes from today are pretty positive! Especially for someone like myself who uses flight segments every year to get A-List Preferred, this is really going to make it that much easier to get status! Yeah, I think this card is best used for that Companion Pass. As for whether it's a keeper or not, if you travel a few times on Southwest per year, it's definitely a good contender! But for someone like myself who flies a lot on Southwest, the Platinum card is really my airline card, and I felt like with the Priority card I was just prepaying for benefits that wasn't really that helpful in my case!

@SpencerJohnsonOfficial 9 ай бұрын

I agree with you on the changes! As for it being a keeper card, it may end up being more work than it's worth depending on what cards I have at the time. If I do have the Platinum then, I can see why I wouldn't want the Priority anymore. We'll see when we get there! @@TheCreditFrog

@gainesville323 9 ай бұрын

I still think the card is a good card even for the frequent flyer. I do plan on getting it, but it’s not a priority for me right now (pun intended). I think it’s worth having to book flights since I’m not planning on getting the high AF travel cards like the Amex Platinum or the CSR. Plus at 1.5 cpp, you can’t beat having a card that effectively pays you $38.50/year if your primary airline is Southwest.

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

I can see where you're coming from Tariq. I think if you're a frequent Southwest flyer, if you have just this credit card, then I could see it being a way to getting lots of miles quickly with spend. The big issue for me was that at the higher tier statuses with Southwest, a lot of the benefits tend to be not as useful (especially those 4 Early boardings). Then, once I had the Platinum, I would definitely use that card for Southwest flights at 5X MRs. I guess it really is a matter of preference!

@jimmyjames6492 9 ай бұрын

Not a fan of SW. Not having an assigned seat is stressful 😓😓😓 IMO. I'll stick with the legacy carriers. Thanks for the info + video!

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

No problem Jimmy James! A lot of people share your same sentiment so I can see where you’re coming from!

@dws7027 7 ай бұрын

Sorry,but you’re off on this one. The $75 credit plus 7500 points that equals $105 gives you $180 minus $149 you are $31 ahead . 5x vs 3x ? Remember that 3x is actually worth 4.2 cents so not that big of a difference and AMEX points don’t transfer to SWA.

@TheCreditFrog 7 ай бұрын

I'm not denying that you "come out ahead" with the annual statement credit and points. But I found that when I had an Amex Platinum and a SW Priority card, I had no use for the SW Priority card because I had a much better multiplier for flights on the Platinum card, and since I'm already ALP, the early boarding certificates weren't super useful either. Still a great card for the CP! I understand that your experience/point of view may be different!

@wagnerwong9966 2 ай бұрын

It's good to get those front seats or the seat that's missing a chair effectively more leg room. My friend and I drink on Hawaii flights. So that 25% off helped Alot. A update since you made the video,you can redeem points directly in the portal with southwest making them revenue fairs

@TheCreditFrog 2 ай бұрын

That's true. There are some sweet spots on SW planes! Yeah, they just rolled out the option to redeem with cash and points, which is pretty cool! Didn't realize by doing that, those flights could count as revenue fares.. nice!

@MalikBrooks88 6 ай бұрын

For the qualifying flightson the companion pass, does 50 round-trip flights count the same as the 100 one-way, or do I have to book 100 one-way specifically to get the companion pass without points?

@TheCreditFrog 6 ай бұрын

The round trips work exactly like one-way. So one round trip is equivalent to one one-way, and both types count towards the segment count for Companion Pass!

@clausellray3949 9 ай бұрын

Hey Stan thanks for the review I have that card and have to keep it a year ( the SUB) I will be canceling. Question is there a downgrade for this card?

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Of course Clausell! Glad you were able to get the bonus! Sadly, there isn't a no annual fee version of this card so you're just left with the $69 Southwest Plus card, which is just ok.

@tw5991 5 ай бұрын

Thanks card is perfect for me!

@TheCreditFrog 5 ай бұрын

Glad it works for you!

@deliverydoctor 7 ай бұрын

You mentioned at the beginning that the SWA Priority Card does not come with a free flight but you then mentioned later in the video that there is a $75 travel credit AND a 7500 annual point bonus (about $75-100). You can use these to get essentially a free flight (depending on where you are going).

@TheCreditFrog 7 ай бұрын

Yes, that's true! If you can find a flight on sale, you could certainly get a subsidized (completely or partially) from those benefits. My beef with the SW Priority card is that once I had a Platinum card and had A-List status, this card was not useful for me, other than pre-paying for the travel credit and anniversary points.

@deliverydoctor 7 ай бұрын

@@TheCreditFrog Thanks for the response. What you are saying is true but not everyone has a SWA Platinum card. We don't even know what that is since it is no longer offered by Chase/SWA. I would argue that it is better to pick the priority over the other consumer card options offered by SWA.

@TheCreditFrog 7 ай бұрын

@@deliverydoctor It's the Amex Platinum card. It has nothing to do with chase or a co-branded Southwest card. The Amex Platinum gets 5X MR points back on flights booked directly with airlines, including Southwest.

@deliverydoctor 7 ай бұрын

@@TheCreditFrog Got it. Sorry I didn't get that before.

@pauljohncena7109 7 ай бұрын

I literally just finished the video that said "purchase the priority card"

@TheCreditFrog 7 ай бұрын

Kind of awkward, hah!

@elliottnixon-wq6sp 9 ай бұрын

So…not really a keeper card. Speaking of keepers, are there any airline co brand cards that are keepers? A lot of them fall under the churn and burn category which is shame. Are there airline cards that by and large earn their keep year after year? Some of us are in 5/24 jail after all

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Yeah, this Southwest card could be a keeper if you're an intermediate Southwest flyer, but if you fly them frequently, then I don't think it is! I agree that a lot of airline cards are more churn and burn. The closest keeper airline card that I can think of is the BofA Alaska credit card. But this is really for that niche Alaska flyer. It used to be much more of a keeper card when you got Alaska's Famous Companion Fare every year, but recently, they changed the terms so now you have to spend $6,000 on the card every year to get it, which sucks. I would say that if you fly United/AA frequently, like 4 times a month, the Chase United Club, or the Citi AA Executive World card are good choices and would be keeper cards. I wouldn't touch Delta until they figure out wtf they are doing.

@elliottnixon-wq6sp 9 ай бұрын

I just wish airline cards had better earning rates. I’d also look at Chase’s Avios cards. Avios is a friendlier currency in my experience especially if you play ball with OneWorld airlines. Do you have any thoughts on those cards?

@davidbonnichsen2901 Ай бұрын

Until @SouthwestAir fixes their abhorrent preboarding process I don’t care how many perks they shove onto a card.

@TheCreditFrog Ай бұрын

It's true. That preboarding process has gotten out of control!

@noelscruggs5670 9 ай бұрын

I love your videos but got to give you a little bit of a hard time here. 1. Canceled at 18 months….. so that you can reapply at 24…..? 2. Not SW specific, It’s no secret the airline cards are usually terrible for people who fly that airline a lot as all benefits come with status. Only exception is the top tier cards that will give lounge access…. Except #RIPdelta

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Noel! No worries, I appreciate alternative viewpoints since that's how we all learn! Regarding your first point. Yup, you could definitely get this card again after 24 months for the SUB again. I would just caution as this card takes up a 5/24 slot and since the first card has just "fallen off" 5/24, you're effective 5/24 status has been reduced to 4/24 if you apply for this card again. There's no right or wrong answer here, just what you value more, the Southwest SUB, or another 5/24 slot to get another - potentially better - sign up bonus on a different card, perhaps one with a flexible points currency. Regarding your second point, for sure, top tier airline cards can be great for the right person! The one that comes to mind for me is the United Club card for the frequent United flyer. Southwest is kind of a special case because they don't have lounges and already give you free checked bags. United charges for all that stuff, so having the Club card can save you a ton of money in that ecosystem! I agree, RIP Delta, we'll have to see what changes they decide to keep!

@noelscruggs5670 9 ай бұрын

Totally agree on all that. Your the best keep doing what you do and thank you btw, absolutely loved that Marriott video on the multi year strategy. Might be worth a video on other hotel partners too. Since I’m grandfathered into the old IHG card I’ve got 4 35k night IHG certificates/ year. But there are strategies you can still get 3 and Hilton around a getting SUB then upgrade etc.

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

@@noelscruggs5670 Thanks so much man! Yeah, I'm thinking of diving into the other hotel chains and their strategies. I have to do some more research though. Marriott came naturally because that's who I use, but I'm not as familiar with the other hotel ecosystems (yet)!

@ItsMeCJ 9 ай бұрын

First!

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Nice CJ! You are FIRST today 🙌🏆

@ItsMeCJ 9 ай бұрын

@@TheCreditFrog I’m ALWAYS first 🫠

@0l0who0l0 9 ай бұрын

That forehead

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@bagelsquare 9 ай бұрын

The biggest problem with this card to me is that I’d have to fly Southwest

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Haha, for sure! It's definitely not for you then 🤣

@CesarJoel 9 ай бұрын

I had stayed away from airline cards so far because I don’t travel with checked bags. I plan to add a couple in the future for the bonuses but doubt I’ll keep them. The benefit I can value is the priority boarding. I mostly fly JetBlue and Delta so doubt I’ll get it. Thanks for the detailed information Stan! 🫵

@TheCreditFrog 9 ай бұрын

Nice César! Yeah, I try not to travel with checked bags either to have maximum flexibility when traveling and when delays happen, etc. Airline cards are pretty much only good for the bonuses or if you're trying to go for a benefit like the Companion Pass. A lot of the premium cards on the legacy carriers can be really good if you fly a lot of them, but it's got to be like at least 4 times per month. Glad you enjoyed the video bro!