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Southwest Companion Pass: Why You Want It and How to Get It
Southwest Companion Pass: Why You Want It and How to Get It
It's like a buy-one-get-one-free deal on flights, but earning it is a challenge. A Southwest credit card can help.Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Updated · 2 min read Written by + more + more Edited by Managing Editor + more + more Co-written by + more + more SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATEDThis page includes information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
The Southwest Companion Pass is a much-coveted perk among Southwest loyalists and air travel aficionados. That's because owning the pass is akin to getting a buy-one-get-one deal on your Southwest flight: Every time you buy a flight or redeem points for a free flight, you can choose a companion to fly with you for free — or at least for only the cost of taxes and fees (more on that later). Enjoying a Companion Pass is easy, but earning it can be a challenge. Here's everything you need to know, including how to use Southwest's credit cards to help fast-track you to such a pass. » Learn more: Airline credit cards that offer companion tickets outright » Learn more:What is a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass?
The Companion Pass is a sought-after highlight of the Southwest Rapid Rewards program because it's among the most valuable benefits of its kind. It allows you to pick one person to fly with you without paying any airline charges for your travel companion, aside from mandatory taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 one-way. To qualify for a traditional Companion Pass, you'll need to do one of the following: Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year, or; Earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. Qualifying points include those that you earn through revenue flights booked via Southwest; those that you earn on Southwest credit cards; and base points you earn from Rapid Rewards partners. If you meet either of those criteria, you'll earn the Companion Pass for the rest of the year in which you qualified and the following calendar year. So if you earn the Companion Pass in, say, July 2024, it will be valid through the end of December 2025. You'll need to re-qualify every year to hold on to your status. and ? Nerdy Tip If you can time it so you qualify for the pass in January, you'll essentially be getting two-for-one tickets for nearly two years. That could add up to some serious savings. » Learn more: Things to know before flying Southwest » Learn more:How to get a Companion Pass faster
Unless you travel every week on a Southwest flight, it's probably more feasible to earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points to get you to that coveted pass status. The quickest way to amass a pile of points has been by earning the sign-up bonus on at least one of the three Southwest consumer credit cards. Sometimes the bonus offer directly includes access to the Companion Pass itself. Current offers on Southwest cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Earn 55,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Earn 55,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Apply now Apply nowon Chase's website
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Apply now Apply nowon Chase's website
Read review Read review There are also two business credit cards: The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card, which has the following sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, which has the following sign-up bonus: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Ongoing rewards and sign-up bonuses all count toward a traditional Companion Pass, as do the annual anniversary points you get with each card. Here are the best strategies for earning Rapid Rewards points: Get a Southwest Airlines credit card and earn the sign-up bonus: This can get you well on your way to that 135,000-point goal. Get a Southwest Airlines credit card and earn the sign-up bonus: Fly Southwest and use your Southwest card to pay for the tickets: The Southwest cards all earn points on Southwest flights, so you can put most purchases on the card and pay them off every month to collect the most value toward travel. Fly Southwest and use your Southwest card to pay for the tickets: Book a hotel stay or rental car with a Rapid Rewards partner and pay with your card. This includes recognizable names like Hyatt, Marriott, Hertz and Budget. Book a hotel stay or rental car with a Rapid Rewards partner Shop online through Southwest's bonus mall: Spending money through Rapid Rewards Shopping partners can net you extra points for your regular spending. Shop online through Southwest's bonus mall: Become a Rapid Rewards Dining member: When you dine at participating restaurants and pay with your enrolled card, you can earn more qualifying points. Become a Rapid Rewards Dining member:What not to do
It's understandable to want to earn a Companion Pass as quickly as possible. Just note that these "shortcuts" won't work: Don't transfer points from another card: Some rewards cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, will let you transfer the points you earn on them into your Rapid Rewards account. But transferred points are not Companion Pass-eligible. Don't transfer points from another card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Chase Sapphire Reserve® not Don't try to buy your way to a Companion Pass: Points that you purchase directly won't count, nor will points transferred between members, or converted from hotel and car loyalty programs. Don't try to buy your way to a Companion Pass: Don't run afoul of Chase's "One Southwest Card" rule: If you already have a Southwest consumer card, you likely will not be eligible for another. Similarly, if you've already earned a sign-up bonus from a Southwest consumer card within the past 24 months, you likely cannot qualify for a different consumer card. Don't run afoul of Chase's "One Southwest Card" rule: Don't forget about Chase's 5/24 rule, which has to do with how many sign-up bonuses a cardholder can snag in a two-year period. The "One Southwest Card" rule doesn't apply to Southwest business cards, so you could potentially apply for, say, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. But depending on your situation, if you’ve recently applied for several other cards in addition to those two, you still may be denied. Don't forget about Chase's 5/24 rule, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Article sources NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines. About the authors Robin Saks Frankel Robin is a former credit cards writer for NerdWallet. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, USA Today, Business Insider and other media outlets. See full bio. Lindsay Konsko Lindsay Konsko is a former staff writer covering credit cards and consumer credit for NerdWallet. See full bio. Limited Time Only: Earn $1,000 Toward Travel! Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Travel For a limited time, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is offering new cardholders an especially rich bonus: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel! Read full reviewFind the right credit card for you.
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