Orlando Harmon
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card is a great option for those who frequently fly with Southwest Airlines and are looking for ways to save money on their travels. One of the key advantages of this card is its welcome bonus, which currently stands at 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months. This spending threshold is easy to meet and offers excellent value, as the bonus points can be used for future flights or other rewards.
The card also offers an attractive rewards structure, allowing cardholders to earn 2X points on every dollar spent through Southwest Airlines, as well as on hotel stays and car rentals booked through the airline or their partners. Additionally, cardholders can earn 2X points on local transit, commuting, cable, phone, internet, and select streaming services. These points can be redeemed for flights, gift cards, merchandise, and more.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card has a low annual fee of $69, which is easily offset by the various benefits it offers. These include a 3,000-point anniversary bonus, a 10,000-point boost towards the Southwest Companion Pass, 25% back on in-flight purchases, auto rental collision damage waiver, and purchase and extended warranty protection.
Overall, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card is a valuable option for occasional travellers and frequent Southwest flyers, offering a range of benefits and rewards to make travels more enjoyable and affordable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $69 |
| Anniversary bonus points | 3,000 |
| Points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases | 2 |
| Points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting | 2 |
| Points per $1 spent on internet, cable, and phone services | 2 |
| Points per $1 spent on select streaming services | 2 |
| Points per $1 spent on all other purchases | 1 |
| EarlyBird Check-In® each year | 2 |
| Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year | 10,000 |
| Discount on inflight purchases | 25% |
| Auto rental collision damage waiver | Yes |
| Purchase protection | Up to $500 per claim ($50,000 maximum per account) |
| Extended warranty protection | Adds an additional year to a U.S. manufacturer's warranty of three years or less |
What You'll Learn
Auto rental collision damage waiver
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card offers secondary car rental insurance, which means that it supplements your primary auto insurance policy. If you have personal auto insurance, that policy would pay out first in the event of a claim. The card's insurance may reimburse you for your primary insurance deductible, administrative costs charged by the car rental company, and "reasonable" towing charges that your primary insurance doesn't cover.
If you don't have personal auto insurance or any other insurance, the Southwest card's rental car insurance reimburses you for covered theft, damage, administrative costs or loss-of-use charges imposed by the rental company, plus reasonable towing charges that occurred while you were responsible for the vehicle.
If you're renting a car outside your country of residence, the card's car rental insurance will be your primary coverage and will reimburse you for those same expenses, including theft, damage, administrative costs or loss-of-use charges imposed by the rental company, plus reasonable towing charges.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card's rental car insurance covers events such as:
- Loss-of-use charges from the rental company
- Administrative fees
- Towing that might be the result of an accident or break-in
It's important to note that the card's rental car insurance does not cover:
- Damage to another driver’s car in the event of a collision
- Costs related to injuries
- Damage to any items not otherwise covered, such as luggage
- Theft of personal belongings
- Mechanical breakdowns
- Damages arising from reckless usage like off-road driving
Additionally, you must use the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card to pay for the entire cost of the car rental to benefit from the card's insurance coverage. The coverage period is also limited to rental periods up to 31 consecutive days.
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Lost luggage reimbursement
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card offers lost luggage reimbursement as one of its benefits. This means that if you or an immediate family member's checked or carry-on luggage is damaged or lost by the carrier, you're covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
This benefit is available when you use your card. There are specific time limits and documentation requirements for making a claim. Once your account is opened, you will be sent a Guide to Benefits, which includes a full explanation of coverages.
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Baggage delay insurance
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card offers baggage delay insurance, which covers the cost of replacing essential items such as toiletries and clothing if your luggage is delayed for more than six hours. This benefit provides reimbursement for up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days.
- The coverage is available when you book your trip on a common carrier (e.g., airline, bus, train, or cruise ship) using the card.
- The benefit is limited to the cardholder and does not extend to additional card users.
- To make a claim, you will typically need to follow the airline's claims process and then contact the credit card company for the necessary forms.
- The reimbursement process may take some time, and you will need to provide documentation such as the airline claim, travel itinerary, and purchase receipts.
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EarlyBird Check-In
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card offers 2 complimentary EarlyBird Check-In® credits each year. This means that cardholders can opt for automatic check-in, which gets them a better boarding position and earlier access to overhead bins. This is especially useful for those who don't want to remember to check in exactly 24 hours before their flight.
The Southwest Airlines boarding process is unique. Instead of getting a seat assignment before your flight, you get a boarding position based on the time you check in for your flight. With EarlyBird Check-In, you will automatically be checked in and assigned a boarding position 36 hours before your flight's scheduled departure. This gives you a 12-hour head start compared to general boarding positions, improving your seat selection options and helping you secure your preferred seat.
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Companion Pass qualifying points boost
The Companion Pass qualifying points boost is a benefit offered to Southwest Rapid Rewards Cardmembers. Members with an open Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card on the first business day of each calendar year will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year.
The boost will be deposited into eligible Rapid Rewards accounts by January 31st of each calendar year or up to 30 days after account opening. To receive the Companion Pass qualifying points boost, your credit card account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfilment. Only one credit card account per Southwest Rapid Rewards Member is eligible for one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points per calendar year.
The Companion Pass is a benefit that allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (excluding taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way), an unlimited number of times whenever you purchase or redeem points for a flight. To qualify, you can either fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
The Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the year in which you earned it, as well as the entire following year. If you qualify for it at the start of a given year, you'll be able to use it for almost two full years.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Rapid Rewards Plus Card does not have auto insurance. However, it does offer an auto rental collision damage waiver.
The auto rental collision damage waiver provides secondary insurance on most rentals covering theft and collision damage. Simply use the card to charge the entire rental to receive this benefit.
The card also offers baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection.
The baggage delay insurance covers essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by a passenger carrier, up to $100 a day for 3 days.
