![How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass [2021]](https://basictravelcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Southwest-Compaion-Pass.png)
Southwest Companion Pass Season is now in full swing. If you don’t know what the Southwest Companion Pass is, it is essentially buy-one-get-one-free flights as long as there is a seat available. We have used this ‘pass’ dozens of times since 2017 and it has saved thousands of dollars. If you want to see examples of how it works, read to the end of the article and we linked a bunch of trips/examples we have taken.
Now we are going to teach you how to get the amazing Southwest Companion Pass.
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What is Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion pass, according to Southwest’s website is “the benefit that allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one way) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight.”
Once you earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you can use it as many times as you want for the remainder of the current calendar year you are in, as well as the entire following calendar year.
Earning the Southwest Companion Pass
There are two ways you can actually earn the companion pass.
- Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights (this is A LOT OF FLYING)
- Earn 125,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year (January 1-December 31)
Unless you fly every week already, option one is going to be a little more challenging, and not to mention expensive.
Option two, however, is much faster and easier to obtain. You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points quickly by opening two Southwest Credit Cards for the sign-up bonuses. Welcome offers on Southwest Credit Cards can range from 40,000-100,000 Rapid Rewards Points. The best time to open a new card is when they are higher bonuses, but also you want to make sure you can maximize the time of year you are opening.
Types of Southwest Credit Cards
There are currently 5 Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card Offers. Three of them are personal, and two of them are Business. You are only allowed to receive ONE bonus on personal cards every 24 months, and you can only have one Southwest Personal Credit Card in your possession at a time. What this means is you would have to open ONE Personal Card and ONE Business Credit Card. A second option is to get TWO of the Business Cards. (Check out our overview of the latest Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card.)
Southwest Personal Credit Cards:
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
NEW Bonus- Our best points offer- You can earn up to 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months your account is open, PLUS 50,000 more points after spending $12,000 total on purchases in the first 12 months. $149 annual fee. Learn More Here.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
NEW Bonus- Our best points offer- You can earn up to 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months your account is open, PLUS 50,000 more points after spending $12,000 total on purchases in the first 12 months. $99 annual fee. Learn More Here.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
You can earn up to 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months your account is open, PLUS 50,000 more points after spending $12,000 total on purchases in the first 12 months. $69 annual fee. Learn More Here.
Southwest Business Credit Cards:
You might be surprised to find out that you can actually qualify for a Business credit card if you have some sort of side hustle or side income. Driving for Uber, Lyft, or selling items on the side could qualify for a business card. Be sure to check out 16 Side Hustles that Qualify for a Small Business Credit Card to see some ideas that could qualify you. We also have a Basic Guide To Small Business Cards to learn more about these types of cards. Then, be sure to read the Step-By-Step guide for completing a Small Business Credit Card Application
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
Earn 80,000 bonus Southwest Rapid Rewards after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. This is a great card for business owners. Learn More Here.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Earn 60,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of your account being open. Learn More Here.
Chase 5/24
In order to apply for both cards, you MUST be under 5/24. Read the Chase 5/24 rules if you don’t know what that is. If you qualify for this, then you are good to go.
To learn more to apply for either of the cards, you can click here.
Companion Qualification
Your companion is essentially whoever you choose it to be. Even if you don’t have a ‘companion’ such as a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/child. Your companion can be a parent, your friend, your neighbor, doesn’t matter!
You can change your companion up to 3 times per calendar year and travel with your ‘companion’ as many times as you’d like!
There are no blackout dates. The ONE limit is you cannot book a companion if you are already a companion on someone else’s ticket.
So let’s say Dave and I both have the Companion Pass. I book him on a flight as my companion. He cannot then add someone to his flight as his companion.
How long Does it last for?
This pass lasts the entire rest of the year you earn it, PLUS the ENTIRE FOLLOWING YEAR!!!
So if you earn it in November of 2021, you’d have it from November 2021 through December 2022 (14 months). BUT, if you earn it in January 2022, you’d have it for the remainder of 2022 AND all of 2023. This gives you 23-24 months of Southwest Companion Pass.
How often can you use it?
Another great thing about the companion pass is you can book a companion fare as long as there is an available seat on the flight.
It does not matter if the fare is a wanna get-away fare, a business fare, or an anytime fare that is available.
You can also book AS MANY flights as you want with no restrictions as to how often you use the pass.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
NEW Bonus- Our best points offer- You can earn up to 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months your account is open, PLUS 50,000 more points after spending $12,000 total on purchases in the first 12 months. $99 annual fee. Learn More Here.
Basic Southwest Companion Pass Overview:
Step 1:
Open a Southwest Business card in November or December of 2021. Come close to meeting minimum spend but leave about $500 prior to January 1. After January 1, 2021, meet the rest of the spending requirement.
Step 2:
30 days later, open a Southwest personal card OR the other Southwest Business Card. If it is in the new year, you can hit the spend. If not, spend up to $500 left and then wait until after January 1 to hit the spend. Instead, make sure you open the 2nd card when you are able to hit the first credit card’s spend otherwise you could lose out on the welcome offer.
Step 3:
To get the Southwest Companion Pass, you must earn the 125,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points in the same calendar year (January 1-December 31). Depending on which card combinations you go with, you could easily get it with 2 card bonuses. I would go with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card that is offering 80,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points, then any of the Southwest Personal cards as they typically have the same offer of 50,000 points after a $2,000 spend. So for a $7,000 spend, and a minimum of $268 in annual fees, you can have 130,000 Bonus Southwest Rapid Rewards Points, plus another 7,000 from your spending. This would easily earn you a companion pass.
Step 4:
You will see on Southwest.com on your account once you’ve earned the pass.
Step 5:
Once you earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you can now book your companion on any flight that has available seats, and only pay taxes & fees. Companions can be booked on cash or points tickets.
Congratulations, you and a companion can now travel one way somewhere for up to 25 flights with Rapid Rewards points, and $5.60 each! Be sure to keep up to date with our latest Southwest Fare Release Schedule.
How we’ve used Southwest Companion Pass
The companion pass for us has been a huge game-changer!
We have taken it to Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, San Jose, Cancun, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Nashville, and more!
Some Trips include:
- $6,000 All-Inclusive trip to Jamaica for $280.
- $3,800 VEGAS Trip for $13!
- $3,133 All-Inclusive to Mexico for $297
- 6 Day trip to Flamingo Beach in Aruba for $502!
- $3,467 All-Inclusive trip to Dominican for FREE
The best thing is a lot of times we booked my fare with points, then added Dave as my companion. It has allowed us to save over $4,000 in ONE YEAR alone, and we had the pass for two years. I would have to do the math for total savings, but I wouldn’t doubt that the savings are close to $10,000 for us.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
NEW Bonus- Our best points offer- You can earn up to 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months your account is open, PLUS 50,000 more points after spending $12,000 total on purchases in the first 12 months. $99 annual fee. Learn More Here.
Have more questions on the companion pass?
Be sure to check out our FAQ’s on earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Feel free to send us an email too if you have any further questions!
Be sure to check out some of our other Southwest Articles
- How Southwest Changed my flight and I was credited $51
- Check your Southwest Account for a Gift
- Success Story: Traveling on a cheap Hawaiian Honeymoon
- Southwest Flights to Hawaii on Sale