October 11, 2024
How to Earn the Southwest® Companion Pass 2025
Alex
The Southwest® Companion Pass is among the best deals in the points and miles world. Either my husband or I have had the Southwest Companion Pass off and on for the last seven years. When you earn the pass, you get to fly someone with you for free (minus taxes and fees starting at $5.60) every time you fly for the rest of the year in which you earn it and all of the following year! We have used it to fly to Hawaii multiple times, Cancun, San Diego, Denver, Washington D.C., and more. Let’s go over how you can earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
How to Earn It
To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you have to either take 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in one calendar year. We aren’t going to waste our time with that first option, we’re just going to stick to getting those 135,000 points.
The easiest way to get 135,000 points is through credit card welcome offers. The standard welcome offer on the Southwest personal cards is 50,000 points and 60,000-80,000 points on the business cards. Periodically, the welcome offers on these cards will increase, making it even easier to earn the Companion Pass! Opening just one of these cards isn’t going to cut it. What you need to do is open two cards. However, Chase won’t allow having more than one personal Southwest card, so you will need to open a personal and a business card or two business cards.
Our Southwest® Companion Pass Credit Card Recommendations
I would recommend applying for the card_name and then one of the Southwest personal cards of your choice. Between the welcome offers on the cards and the spending to meet the welcome offer, you will have over 135,000 points to meet the requirement for the Southwest Companion Pass.
Additionally, as a Southwest credit card holder, you will be given 10,000 points toward the Companion Pass. If you opened your first card before January 1st, then those 10,000 points will be deposited into your account by January 31st. If you become a Southwest credit card holder after January 1st, then your 10,000 points will show up in your account up to 30 days after opening your card.
These are NOT points you can use to book flights with. They are only Companion Pass qualifying points. If you have a business, this is definitely a deal worth considering. And if you don’t think you have a business, check out this post on how to qualify for a business credit card. You may be surprised to find out you have something that does count as a business.
Southwest route map
Timing for the Southwest® Companion Pass
Timing when you decide to open these cards is super important. It can be the difference between you having the pass for close to two years, for about a year, or not even earning the pass. As mentioned above, all 135,000 points need to be earned in one calendar year.
For example, If you want to earn the pass for close to two years (most of 2025 and all of 2026) then ALL 135K points will need to be awarded to you in 2025. If any of those points are deposited into your Rapid Rewards account in 2024, then those will count towards you earning the pass for 2024/2025 and NOT 2025/2026.
To get the most time out of your Southwest Companion Pass, you want to open your cards towards the end of the year but not complete the minimum spend requirement until the beginning of the following year. You also need to make sure you complete the spending before the three months are up. In doing this, you will have the pass for close to two years!
What you don’t want to do is open one card, accidentally complete the minimum spend, earn the welcome offer in November or December, and then finish the minimum spend on your other card in January or February. If you do this, you will NOT qualify for the pass, as all the points won’t have been earned in one calendar year.
If you want to play it safe, you can wait until January to start working on the Companion Pass. You won’t have the pass quite as long, but you won’t have to worry about messing up and earning half the points in one year and the other half in another year. I even started earning the pass in July once—increased offers at the time meant it made sense for my family, and we were able to use the pass that fall.
Qualifying for the Companion Pass
Southwest cards are issued by Chase, so to qualify for these cards, you’ll need to be under Chase 5/24. If you are at 4/24, then make sure you apply for the business card first. If you already have a personal Southwest card or have received a welcome offer on one in the last 24 months, you won’t be eligible for the welcome offer on another Southwest personal card.
In order to be eligible, it has to have been 24 months or more since you last got a welcome offer on a Southwest personal card. You also can’t currently hold a Southwest personal card, so you will need to cancel that card and wait 30 days before you reapply.
Rules of the Southwest® Companion Pass
Once you earn the Companion Pass, you will be able to name a companion by logging into your account and designating who that person is. You are able to change that person three times each calendar year, but you need to wait until any booked flights for your current companion are complete before you change your companion. You can change your companion online, through your Rapid Rewards account.
The Southwest Companion Pass helped get my family to Cancun
What Counts Towards Companion Pass
Along with credit card welcome offers and spending on your Southwest cards, here are other points that count toward the Southwest Companion Pass:
- Referral bonuses
- Shopping through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal
- Anniversary points from the Southwest credit cards
- Booking hotels through Southwest
- Quarterly bonuses from Chase
Check out this page from Southwest for a full list of what does and does not count towards the Companion Pass.
Southwest® Personal Credit Cards
bonus_miles_full
- $69 annual fee
- 3,000 points on your cardmember anniversary each year
- 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, local commuting, transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins® per year
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.
Click here and you can use a referral link. Just be sure to navigate to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card from the main page.
- $99 annual fee
- 6,000 points on your cardmember anniversary each year
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per $1 spent on local commuting, transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins® per year
bonus_miles_full
- $149 annual fee
- 7,500 points on your cardmember anniversary each year
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per $1 spent on local commuting, transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year
- $75 Southwest annual travel credit
Southwest® Business Credit Cards
bonus_miles_full
- $99 annual fee
- 6,000 points on your cardmember anniversary each year
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per $1 spent on local commuting, transit, and rideshare
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins® per year
- $500 fee credit for points transfers per year
bonus_miles_full
- $199 annual fee
- 9,000 points on your cardmember anniversary each year
- No foreign transaction fees
- 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per $1 spent on local commuting, transit, rideshare, social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year
- Inflight WiFi credits
- Up to $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck®/NEXUS fee credit every 4 years
- $500 fee credit for points transfers per year
Bottom Line
The Southwest Companion Pass is ideal for family travel. It is among the most incredible deals in the points and miles world. Have you ever had the Southwest Companion Pass?
Related Posts
- 5 Reasons to Love Southwest Airlines
- Podcast 45. Deep Dive into the Southwest Companion Pass
- Podcast 95. Southwest and Hyatt: The Beginner’s Guide to Nearly Free Vacations
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I got the personal Southwest card in April 2023. In order to get companion pass for 2024-2025 I would need to apply for a business southwest card now, spend about $4,500 by December, wait, then meet the rest of the spending on Jan 1st ( not a day sooner or a day later)?
Your timing is off for this as ALL spending has to be met in the same year. You have started that clock with the personal SW card for this year. Your best bet is to get the Business card now and meet the minimum spend by the end of December. You will have it for all of 2024 but not 2025. Ideally, you get the first card in Oct/Nov. Then, a month later get card #2, NOT completing minimum spends on either until after January. Listen to our Southwest podcast and reread this post for more understanding. I’m so sorry that it won’t work for all of 2024 and 2025.
Hi Hacking Mom! So I want to get the companion pass for 2024 and 2025. I’m trying to time getting my first card (business) close enough to the end of the year so the points post in January, or is that not a concern? My confusion here is if I spend on the card in 2023 will those points won’t count towards getting the $5000 minmum if I wait until after January to complete the full $5000?
Your points spent in 2023 will count towards the minimum. You just don’t want to finish the full $5000 until after January. I would save $500 to spend AFTER January 1.
If we missed the timing and already hit the bonus with southwest, what do you recommend we do next? Wait until next year and try to get to 135,000 again in one calendar year?
That is what I would probably do unless you can get another card right away and reach the 135K this year and have it for next year. If you have Player 2 that could do it in 2025 for the two years.
Hi there! Thanks so much for this helpful information. Since the SW personal card bonus just went up, I’m thinking of jumping on the companion pass bandwagon! I am safe in the land of 5/24, but I recently got approved for a Chase Ink card about a week ago. A few questions: 1. How long should I wait to apply for my first Southwest card? 2. Should I apply for a personal or business first? 3. How long should I wait in between the two Southwest cards? Thanks so much!
You can get a Chase personal and business card in a 30-day period so that I would do the personal card first. I would then wait about 60 days for the next Southwest card.
That is correct, if you don’t use the benefits, you don’t need the card.
Thanks for the article, Pam.
On 12-14-21, my wife was approved for a SW Airlines Priority CC. We completed The Spend and received the Companion Pass as part of the deal on 1-7-22, good through 12-31-23.
Any word that SW Airlines will offer that great deal again towards the end of this year? (So, I can avoid the 2-card process you describe!)
They usually do that one-card deal once a year. No idea when they will though.
Hello, I just want to make sure I understand the timing. If I get the personal SW in November and then work my way towards the minimum but holding off like about $500 to pay in Jan. In the meantime, apply for the SW business which I will get in Dec if it takes 30 days and work towards the minimum which will be lets say Feb. Would that qualify me to get the companion pass for 2 years?
Yes, the key is to apply for both cards at the end of 2023 but not meet the minimum spend on either until 2024.
Hi, if I open the SW cards (personal and business) now, do I have to worry about the 10,000 bonus points depositing this year (2023)? or will they be deposited in 2024, when I complete min spend?
Thank you!
You will get it when you open your card. Just include it in the amount of points you have – it will show up and leave wiggle room for spend in 2024. Personally, I’d leave $500-$1000.
If I applied for a card in November 2023 and wait to hit the minimum spend until 2024 (within the 3 months that the minimum spend is due in), can I apply for my second card to reach the 135,000 points in January or February of 2024? Or do both have to be started at the end of 2023?
Yes, that works fine. That is how I’d probably do it!
I applied (and was approved for) the Southwest personal card on October 14th. When I applied, the promotion was 50,000 bonus points if you spend $3000 in the first three months. They awarded my bonus points after $1000, and told me that was the promotion in place at that time. I was planning to wait to cross that $3000 threshold after January 1st. I cannot find any evidence at all on the Southwest page (updated since that time), but found your page, which initially said 50,000 points after spending $3000 in 3 months, which has now been updated to reflect 75,000 bonus points after spending $3000 in the first 3 months. Can you PLEASE help me find evidence of the promotion I signed up under? I am trying to get all of my bonus points awarded in January to allow me to earn my companion pass for 2024 and 2025. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Both Alex and Jess thought that the $1000 promotion could have been the promotion at the time. Unfortunately, we don’t have a history of offers. To everyone, it is always a great idea to take a pic of your promotion offer in case this happens. I wish I had better news. You will have the pass for all of 2024 and could have Player 2 get it next year for 2025/2026. I am SO sorry that this happened to you. If anyone has a screenshot of the offer for that time, please send it to us!
I am trying to understand how the bonus points from business account transfer to the personal account point balance. Is it automatic, does it have restrictions or do I need to do something to reach the combined point total of 135,000?
You have just one Rapid Reward number and both are linked to that so it is automatic.
Question about the Performance Business card and their TSA pre-check benefit. Does your designated companion also get to go through pre-check with you? Or would they need to have their own TSA pre-check? Husband and I both plan to have precheck and the companion passes, and would be traveling with our 2 teenagers age 18 and 15.
Hi. Thanks for all you do. When should I refer my spouse to my Southwest CC in order to get the CP for 2024-2025? I wanna make sure the referral points don’t post before January 2024 right? But he needs time to meet the minimum spend also. I appreciate you all.
This was what Alex said: I would tell her to look at her statement closing dates and refer her husband after the date of her December statement closing so it doesn’t post before then
Hello! Is there any easy way to find your anniversary date? I thought mine was March but got my anniversary points on November statement. I only used one of my four early boarding passes because I thought I had until March. Any advice on how to confirm the date!
I would call the number on the back of your card and inquire.
I have read all the blogs and listened to a bunch of podcasts and still feel like I messed this up because I’m not playing the multiple CC game but rather earning the CP through straight 135,000 points. As of right now, I have 132,208 out of 135,000 points earned. My statement close date is December 8. I’m not spending anything on that card right now and was planning holding off to get over 135k after my December 8 close date so that the points post in January but were for December spending so I get 2024-2025. But I’ve confused myself reading so much stuff about the CC bonuses and fear I’ve just messed it up and should just get the CP now and have it for 2024 only. Can you please spell this out for me in terms of actual dates of when to spend to get 2024/25 if possible? Thank you so much! I originally intended to get this during the pandemic and finances took a hit.
You need to earn all 135K points in the same calendar year, so you need to spend on the card before the Dec 8 statement to get the rest of the points. On Jan 1, companion pass qualifying points reset back to zero. The two years just works for people who are getting the card(s) at the end of one year and finishing the spend at the beginning of the new year but within the three month minimum spend time limit for the signup bonus
I’m looking to get the companion pass for 2025/2026, Can you book say a trip to Hawaii in December 24 for Summer 2025 to secure and then once pass hits in February 24 can they refund points to change a ticket to the companion pass? OR will I have to cancel and then rebook? How often is their availability for August Hawaii flights if booking in FEB?
After earning and enjoying almost 2 years of companion passes through opening SW cards, what do you recommend in terms of canceling and starting over? How do you get the companion pass again?
Hi! Please help! I have had a SW personal card since 2011. It’s my oldest card. Next oldest is from 2016. Then nothing until 2023. Do you ever think I could cancel my original SW card without destroying my credit? I’m open to doing 2 business cards at the end of the year to try and get CP, but worried if that fails then I’m out of options. Do you think 2 business cards is the way to go or have P2 go for a personal and business and we will only ever have 1 CP for our family? Appreciate any thoughts you girls may have!
I don’t know I’d probably do two business cards. But credit history is only 15% of a factor so I can’t imagine it would “destroy” it to close one.
Hi! I love your podcast. Thanks for sharing all this valuable information. Would you please help me understand how this works in the long term? How do we do this again in 2 years with the 24 month rule for receiving Chase SUBs? To be specific, if we wait to earn the SUB until January 2024, then in 2 years, when we want to earn the companion pass again, can we not APPLY for the cards until January 2026? (I am currently thinking that this would cause you to constantly cycle through the 3 cards so you can actually always start one in the fall and open the second in January? But ultimately, over time, that second card will get later and later in the year to earn…) Also, how does this work with a tiered bonus? I got the SW cards with the tiered deal that is happening now. If I get the initial tier bonus this year, but am planning to use the second tier to earn the companion pass in January 2024, does that mean that I still have to wait for the entire SUB to drop (in January) for the 24 month rule, or is it the initial tier bonus date that counts toward that? I am assuming it is the entire SUB value. Thanks for the help!
Hi Travel Moms, I plan on getting a SW Personal and Business card in October and November – This is my strategy:
for the Personal – I will spend $500-$600 and save the balance for … Jan 1? Is it better the earliest date in Jan or it doesn’t matter? Can it be anytime in Jan?
Then one Business card in November or early December – that one requires $3K within 3 mos. Then to get the addition 60k points I’d need to spend $15K in 9 mos. What determines “minimum spend” on the tiered card? Is it the $3K or is it the $15K TOTAL within 9 mos total ? … and if it IS the $15K total it would behoove me to meet this total ASAP in the New year yes? (Jan or Feb 2025)?
I’m trying to avoid meeting the $3K minimum spend for the 1st tier and getting 60k points in November 2024 and then somehow screwing myself over for the companion pass.
How do you suggest I navigate with the 2 tiers?
For the personal card, make sure you leave around $500 of the minimum spend till January to finish that up (which that sounds like what you were planning to do). It doesn’t matter when in January, just make sure you complete it before you 3 months to hit the minimum spend are up.
For the business card, both tiers count as minimum spend. So you’d have to so spend $3K in the first 3 months to get the first 60K and then I’d complete the full $15K spend after the new year. You definitely want to meet the the first tier within the the first 3 months (those 60K points won’t count towards companion pass but you’ll have 60K points to use). Then you’d have the personal card and second tier of the business card to hopefully get you the rest of the points you need (but it will depend on what the personal card offer is when you apply).
I just checked and I got my first companion pass for 23/24.
My points posted to my account 2/8 and 2/12 on the personal and biz card.
So I would need to cancel both of these anytime. And then apply in maybe December for business and January for the personal card. Does that seem right?
As long as I make sure I meet the spend requirements after those February dates?
I just applied for the personal card and got denied because of having low spending on my other chase personal cards, having many business cards (didn’t know they’d check that with a personal application). I had applied for a business card and am now waiting to find out the status. I am going to call to find out, but I am not sure what to do to earn the companion pass since they denied my personal application.
If they approve you for the Business card, try another one later as you can have two SWA biz cards. I would definitely call reconsideration though.