Chase Boosts Sign-Up Bonuses for Southwest Credit Cards

Gregory Karp
By Gregory Karp 
Published
Edited by Erica Corbin

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This limited-time offer has expired, so this page is out of date. See our details pages for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card for the current offers.

Chase has increased sign-up bonuses for its Southwest Airlines consumer credit cards to a possible 80,000 points. And for four months, it will sweeten its rewards rate on Southwest purchases.

The new bonuses: Starting Dec. 1, 2020, new cardmembers will earn 50,000 points after they spend $2,000 in the first three months. Plus, they can earn an additional 30,000 points after they spend $10,000 on purchases in the first nine months.

These bonuses apply to:

For context, the previous bonus offer on these cards was more straightforward with a smaller spending requirement — but also a smaller payoff: Spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open and receive 40,000 points.

Higher rewards rate

Usually, purchases with a Southwest card earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases and on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Additionally, you earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

But from Dec. 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, cardholders will earn 5 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases on up to $2,000 per month. Terms apply.

Also, points you earn from the sign-up bonus and higher rewards rate count toward Southwest’s much-loved Companion Pass. The pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees, which start at $5.60) every time you buy your own ticket with cash or points.

You have to rack up 125,000 points in a calendar year to get your hands on one. (You can also get a Companion Pass after flying 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.)

The Companion Pass is good for the remainder of the year you earn it, plus the full calendar year after that. You can change the name of your companion up to three times in a calendar year.

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