Unlike many budget airline credit cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card gives flyers a reason to stay loyal. The $99-annual-fee card gets you an anniversary bonus of 6,000 points every new cardmember year, regardless of how much you spend. You can also earn tier-qualifying points after hitting certain spending thresholds each calendar year. You'll get 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

The card also comes with a solid sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It's not a good choice for folks who don't fly with Southwest often. But for those who are loyal to the airline, it's an excellent pick.