While some airline credit cards offer individual companion fares or certificates, the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is unique in that it offers unlimited uses. And because this pass expires at the end of the year after you earn it, those who earn the pass in early 2024 can use it for nearly two years. I’ve held the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass before, and I’m earning it again in early 2024, so I’ll have it until the end of 2025.
What is the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass?
Southwest is the only major airline that offers a companion pass with an unlimited number of uses. A companion pass is essentially a free plane ticket for whoever you choose to bring with you. You simply pay for your own ticket and the fees for the second.
Once you earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you can designate a person as your companion. Then, you can add that person to any flight that you’re booked on, and only pay the $5.60 TSA fee per flight, plus any taxes or fees imposed by foreign countries for international flights.
You can add your companion to flights that you paid for, or to flights paid for by someone else. You can even add your companion to award flights booked with your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points or booked with someone else’s points.
As long as your name and Rapid Rewards number are attached to the reservation, you can add your companion, and you won’t have to pay more than the taxes and fees for their ticket.
The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the year in which you earn it, plus the following year. So if you earn the pass in December 2023, it will only be valid until the end of 2024. But if you earn your pass in January of 2024, then it’s valid until the end of 2025.
How do you qualify for the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass?
There are several ways that you can qualify for the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. You could fly 100 one-way qualifying (paid) flights, but that would be the equivalent of taking a round-trip flight nearly every week of the year. And it would take you most or all of the year to earn it. Or, you could earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points through any combination of paid flights, partner hotel stays, partner car rentals or through their Rapid Rewards credit cards.
Earning the points through flights, partner hotels and partner car rentals is possible for frequent business travelers, but you’ll most likely earn the pass later in the calendar year.
If you’re not a frequent traveler on paid tickets, and you don’t book your rental cars and hotel stays through Southwest, then your best option to earn the Companion Pass is by earning welcome bonuses with the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards.
By applying for two Rapid Rewards credit cards, and earning their welcome bonuses, it’s possible to earn the 135,000 points very quickly. In fact, Southwest gives you 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points just for having one of these cards.
How much could you save with a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass?
With 135,000 Rapid Rewards points, you’ll earn about $1,890 of award travel, as these points are worth about 1.4 cents each, according to The Points Guy. But when you add your companion to those award flights, the reward value essentially doubles to $3,780. And since you can add your companion to an unlimited number of flights, not just the ones you paid for with these points, the value of this pass is potentially limitless.
The best Southwest credit cards for earning a Companion Pass
As of this writing, the best card combination for earning the Companion Pass is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business.
The Rapid Rewards Priority card currently offers new applicants 50,000 points after spending $1,000 within three months of account opening. It has a $149 annual fee and offers a $75 annual Southwest credit.
The Rapid Rewards® Premier Business card has a $99 annual fee and lets you earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 within three months.
If you have any kind of a “side hustle,” like driving for Uber, dog walking or another business venture, then you are eligible for a small business card. Simply apply as an unincorporated sole proprietor, using your Social Security number (SSN) instead of an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Earning both these bonuses will give you more than enough points to qualify for the Companion Pass. Make sure you earn your bonuses in a 2024 statement period to receive a Companion Pass that’s valid until the end of 2025.
Other Southwest benefits
Southwest recently made it easier to earn A-List elite status, as it now only requires 20 paid, one-way flights (award flights don’t count). Earning A-List status gives you free priority boarding and same-day confirmed flight changes on all tickets.
Those without A-List status can take advantage of same-day confirmed changes by purchasing the slightly more expensive Wanna Get Away Plus fares. All Southwest passengers get same-day standby options, two free checked bags and no change fees.
The bottom line
The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is an extremely valuable benefit, as it essentially lets two people travel for the price of one. However, earning this pass isn’t typically easy or cheap, requiring you to fly 100 paid flights or pay for frequent airline, hotel and rental car reservations through Southwest.
But when you apply for the right credit cards at the right time, you can more easily enjoy this amazing pass for nearly two full years, so long as the cards fit into your travel budget.
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