The easiest way to get a Southwest Companion Pass

(editor’s note: we have not been paid nor will we be for creating this post)

The Southwest Companion pass is one of the most valuable airline perks there is, but it can take some serious work (read: money) to achieve it, unless you are able to take advantage of a combination of credit card rewards and flying. Enter stage left: a crazy credit card deal.

What is the Southwest Companion Pass?

The Companion Pass allows you to bring a designated friend or family member for “free” on any flight that you take. Just like booking an award ticket you would still be responsible for the taxes and fees, but that is usually only around $5.60. That pass is then valid for the remainder of the year, as well as the following year. So if you somehow attained a pass in January it would be good for almost 2 years. You can see why the pass is so valuable then as you’re getting a buy one get one free deal on an airplane ticket!

How do you earn a Companion Pass?

To qualify, you would need to fly 100 qualifying one-way flights, or earn 110,000 Southwest points in a calendar year. To get 110,000 the good old fashioned way you would need to spend over $18k (yes, thousand) on Wanna Get Away fares, or a littl over $9k on Business fares.

The more slightly complicated but cheaper way to get to 110,000 points would be to start playing the credit card game***. Depending on the time of year and available offers, you would sign up for something like the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card Credit Card. A typical sign-up bonus would be 30,000-50,000 points, and with a combination of the following you could get to 110,00 cheaper than spending 18k.

• $5k in business select fare purchases (business select fares give you 12 points per dollar) = 60,000 points
• Putting that $5k on your Southwest card (giving you 2 points per dollar) = 10,000 points
• 10,000k in normal spending on your Southwest card (earning you 1 point per dollar spent)

Something along those lines would get you 110-130k points (depending on sign-up bonus) for as little $5k and as much as $15k, depending on your spending habits. Of course many cards have yearly fees that vary card to card. You could also figure out a combination of branded cards to get to that total but you need to read the fine print before signing up for anything. Southwest changed their rules for bonuses, so for instance a second personal card (rather than a business and personal) might not allow you to get the sign-up bonus, assuming you can sign up at all.

***I would encourage absolutely everybody to do if you are responsible with your money. As long as you aren’t going into debt chasing points, taking advantage of credit card bonuses can be extremely valuable.

Game Changer – with rules, for a limited time only

Through February 11 Southwest and Chase are offering the a Companion Pass AND 30,000 points on all 3 personal credit Cards after you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months. The only catch is that the Companion Pass will only be valid through 12/31/19. Remember achieving a Companion Pass the normal way comes with a valid pass for the rest of the year PLUS the following year. There are currently 3 personal co-branded cards with different features, which the chart below breaks down. Since this is a Chase branded card, the normal rules of Chase eligibility apply – the 5/24 rule. The 5/24 means you will automatically be rejected if you have opened 5 credit card accounts in the last 24 months. In addition you won’t be eligible for the bonus if you already have a personal Southwest card or you’ve earned a new card bonus in the last 24 months. Bummer.