How to Earn a Companion Pass
Wanna get BOGO flights for TWO years? You can with the Southwest Companion Pass! The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to fly 1 person for free with you on ANY Southwest flight you take plus the cost of taxes and fees which are typically $5.60 for one way Domestic flights.
You can use this pass on as many flights as you want, (including flights booked with points) for the year you earn the pass and the following year. For Example, If you earn the pass in January 2025, you will have a companion pass for all of 2025 and all of 2026!
The companion pass has been by far, the greatest money saver for my family. Both my husband and I have the pass so our children have flown free on every Southwest flight we have taken.
To earn the companion pass you need to have earned 135,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points in a calendar year.
This is pretty easy to do by opening two Southwest Credit cards and earning the welcome bonuses.
You can only have one Southwest Personal Card at a time so here’s how I earned my Companion Pass…
How to Earn the Southwest Companion pass
1. Open a Southwest Business card. I opened the Southwest Performance Business.
The current Welcome Offer for this card is: Spend $5,000 in 3 months and earn 80,000 points.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card (referyourchasecard.com)
Choose the Southwest Performance Business
2. Use this card like you use your debt card, use it for all your expenses like gas, groceries etc. but be sure to STOP using it before you spend the whole $5,000. I used it until I reached $4,000 and then I put it away until the new year.
3. Wait at least 30 days from the date you applied for the Business card before you apply for the personal card.
4. The most important part of this strategy is NOT to reach your spend on either card until 2025
5. Open a Southwest Personal card. I opened the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card. (Must be under 5/24 to be approved)
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card (referyourchasecard.com)
Choose the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card
The current offer is earn 50,000 points after spending $1,000 in 3 months (be sure not to spend the whole $1,000 until 2025, I would just wait to spend on it in the new year just to be safe)
Timing is everything! I waited until the new year to spend on my personal card (just to be safe $1,000 racks up quick) and $4,000 in my business card and then put the cards away until the following year. You want to complete your spend in 2025 so you have a companion pass for the remainder of 2025 and 2026.
Once you complete your minimum spend on both cards you will be awarded your points (80,000 for your business card and 50,000 for your personal card.) Additionally, holders of Southwest credit cards receive 10,000 qualifying points annually so this will bring you over the 135, 000 points needed for the companion pass!!
BOOM!! You have a companion pass for the remainder of 2025 and all of 2026!!
I appreciate it when you use the referral links here in the blog to apply