Compare the Features and Benefits of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

💳 This card earns Capital One Miles. Capital One often runs transfer bonuses where you can get even more points when you transfer to airline or hotel partners at designated times. Transfer bonuses are awesome. Get 20%, 30%, 40% or more bonus miles when you transfer points at the right times. But they are easy to miss!

You can see all past Transfer Bonuses from Capital One Miles here.

Even better? Get notified when a new transfer bonus comes out and again before it ends (either or both, your choice). Sign up for free alerts right here. 🔔

With the ability to transfer miles to travel partners or use miles to cover the cost of whatever travel charges you wish — along with a simple rewards structure — the Venture card is a great $95 annual fee option that has only improved its value proposition and perks over the years. On the earnings front, Capital One miles are pretty much as easy as it gets. You’ll earn rewards at a rate of 2X miles per dollar spent on pretty much everything, with 5X miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

The redemption process is similar to other programs, such as Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, with transferable points often providing a higher value for your travel rewards. Some high-value ways to use Capital One Venture miles include redeeming with Air Canada Aeroplan, Turkish Miles & Smiles, and Virgin Red (redeem miles for Virgin Voyages and Virgin Atlantic). For simplicity’s sake, you can also book travel however you want, then redeem miles for a statement credit for some or all of the cost. Miles are worth a flat 1 cent apiece when redeemed this way — and there’s no minimum redemption amount.

On top of all of that, there’s a decent array of travel and purchase protections (although it’s not as robust as the flagship $395-per-year annual fee Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card).

Finally, you’ll get reimbursed for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, up to $120, every four years.

Although the Southwest Priority Card charges the highest annual fee of any of the personal Southwest credit cards, we argue that it should be the go-to card for frequent Southwest flyers. That’s because the perks of this Southwest credit card easily justify the $229 annual fee.

Cardholders get access to boarding with group 5, preferred seats, when available, at booking and access to extra legroom seats, when available, for themselves and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation 48 hours before the flight.

The card also offers the 1st checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 companions, 7,500 bonus points every cardmember anniversary (worth about $94), and 25% back on inflight purchases.

If you fly Southwest just a couple of times per year, these perks should easily save more than the $229 annual fee.

In addition to the sign-up bonus, cardholders earn 4x points on Southwest purchases. In addition, cardholders also earn 2x points on at gas stations and on dining. All other purchases earn 1x points.

All points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, cardholders will earn 2,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List and A-List Preferred Status for every $5,000 spent per year and there is no limit on the amount of TQPs you can earn. And you don’t need to worry about foreign transaction fees with the Southwest Priority Card.

The only downside to Southwest Airlines credit cards is that Rapid Rewards points are only valuable for flying Southwest. If you want to earn flexible points, consider a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, so you’ll still be able to top off your Rapid Rewards account when you need points for your next redemption, but you can also transfer them to any of Chase’s other airline or hotel transfer partners.

Lastly, this card is great for getting a good chunk of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.