Guide to Earning the Southwest Companion Pass

Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or planning some revenge travel to make up for lost trips during the pandemic, the Southwest Companion Pass is a great way to save money on flights, particularly if you tend to fly with a friend, family member or partner. In fact, it allows you to take a companion along with you on any Southwest flight for nearly free.

Though the requirements to earn the Companion Pass may seem daunting, there are still a number of ways to go about getting one quickly. From utilizing lucrative sign-up bonuses — three Southwest Credit Cards currently have up to 100,000-point welcome offers — to booking flights and racking up qualifying Rapid Rewards points, here’s how to earn the coveted Southwest Companion Pass in a hurry.

To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you’ll need to rack up at least 125,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. This can be done by taking advantage of large credit card sign-up bonuses offered by certain Southwest credit cards and using them to make qualifying purchases (more on that later); earning base points through Rapid Rewards Dining, Rapid Rewards Shopping or with Southwest’s hotel, rental car, and travel partners; or by booking 100 qualifying one-way revenue flights per calendar year.

According to Southwest, Rapid Rewards points that are purchased, transferred from other members (or by way of hotel and car rental loyalty programs) or are bonus points other than those earned via the carrier’s own branded credit cards do not count as qualifying points and therefore cannot go toward earning the Companion Pass. In other words, you really need to stick to the rules and plan your accumulation strategy accordingly.

1. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
2. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
3. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit

You can earn 50,000 points after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months your account is open, plus another 50,000 points after spending $12,000 total on eligible purchases in the first 12 months of card membership.

Note that each bonus offer is only available to new cardholders and you must have applied and been approved for your desired card by December 7, 2021, to receive it.

Once you’ve reached your minimum-spend requirement threshold, you will have earned at least a total of 112,000 Rapid Rewards points, putting you just 13,000 points away from the Companion Pass eligibility mark of 125,000 points. Luckily, each of the three Southwest personal branded credit cards comes with points-earning bonuses and other perks to help you accumulate more qualifying Rapid Rewards points quickly.

• The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card lets you earn 2X points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases, local transit, commuting, ridesharing, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services, plus 1X points on other purchases made with the card.
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card gives you 3X points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases; 2X points per dollar spent on local transit, commuting, ridesharing, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services; and 1X points on all other purchases.
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card lets you earn 3X points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases; 2X points per dollar spent on local transit, commuting, ridesharing, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services; and 1X points on all other purchases—and throws in unlimited tier qualifying points (TQPs) that can be put toward earning Southwest Airlines A-list elite status.

While Southwest’s two branded business cards do not currently offer the same 100,000-point bonus, their own sign-up bonuses can still give you a much-needed head start if you’re trying to rack up 125,000 points quickly:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Earn 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. You’ll also be able to earn 4X points on Southwest Airlines flight purchases, 3X points per dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners, 2X points per dollar spent on rideshare services, as well as social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services, plus 1X point per dollar spent elsewhere.

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account. You’ll also be able to earn 3X points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2X points per dollar spent on local transit and ridesharing, with Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners, plus 1X points spent on other purchases.

Since Southwest Credit Cards are issued by Chase, you’ll have to adhere to its notorious 5/24 rule. In other words, if you’ve applied for five credit cards (from any card issuer, not just Chase) within the past two years, you’ll likely be denied for another until your card count decreases. You also won’t be able to apply for a new personal Southwest credit card if you’ve already done so or received a sign-up bonus from one in the last 24 months (or another business Southwest Credit Card if you’re already a business cardholder or have received a bonus in the last 24 months).

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