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Despite rampant reductions in benefits throughout the airline industry, the Southwest Companion Pass remains a bright spot. The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to fly with a specific friend or family member fare-free. All you need to do is pay taxes and fees — which are typically just $5.60 each way. That cost is so low that many consider it an unlimited buy-one-get-one-free flight pass.
We consider the Companion Pass among the industry's best travel perks because this isn't a one-time pass. You can use it every time you fly, as long as there's a seat available. It doesn't even matter whether you use points or cash.
To help design your strategy, we’ve summarized ways to accelerate your progress to earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
How Do I Earn the Southwest Companion Pass?
You can earn the Southwest Companion Pass by reaching either the required number of flight trips (100) or the qualifying point requirement (135,000) all within the same calendar year.
Earning the Southwest Companion Pass via flights
For those who fly a lot, it's possible to earn the Companion Pass by taking 100 one-way trips (not segments) on Southwest. Even worse, these flights need to be purchased with cash — not Rapid Rewards points. According to Southwest:
“Qualifying Flights include flights operated by Southwest Airlines® and paid entirely with dollars, Southwest LUV Vouchers®, gift cards, vacation travel credits, or flight credits and those paid with Cash + Points.”
This qualification method is completely separate from earning the required number of Companion Pass-eligible points. It doesn't matter how many points you earn if you earn the pass via flight trips.
While it's great that you can earn the Companion Pass via flights alone, flying 100 trips in a calendar year isn't practical for most people. That equates to one round-trip a week, which may only be reachable by road warriors traveling for work.
Earning the Southwest Companion Pass via points
The easier path to the Companion Pass is by earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. You can earn these points through sign-up bonuses and spending on Southwest co-branded credit cards, which is a much more likely path for many.
But where should someone start to earn this sum of points?
Strategies To Earn the Southwest Companion Pass via Points
Earning 135,000 Companion Pass-eligible points can feel like a huge goal to hit. Fortunately, Southwest provides several different methods to earn the required 135,000 points, and you can mix and match the earning strategies that best suit your needs. Here are the most widely used options:
- Spending on co-branded Southwest credit cards
- Welcome bonuses on Southwest credit cards
- Flying on Southwest Airlines
- Booking hotel stays and car rentals through Southwest
- Rapid Rewards Shopping
- Rapid Rewards Dining
- Occasional promotions that offer bonus qualifying points on eligible activities
Southwest co-branded credit cards
All of the ways listed above can help you incrementally earn points toward the Southwest Companion Pass, but the fastest way is to use the co-branded Southwest credit cards issued by Chase. Southwest currently offers three personal and two business Rapid Rewards cards:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
$99Rates & Fees
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$229Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$299Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Each of these cards provides an array of benefits. The right card for you will depend on your budget and needs. We think the Southwest Priority Card is the clear winner of the group for providing long-term value for Southwest flyers. The free bag and seat selection at booking are just two benefits of this card that stand out. Check out our full review of the Southwest Priority Card for more details.
Southwest cardholder Companion Pass qualifying points boost
Southwest credit cards are also a critical part of earning the Southwest Companion Pass because cardholders receive an annual boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
If you are not a Southwest cardholder at the first of the year but open a new card during the year, you will receive the 10,000-point boost up to 30 days after opening your card. Only one boost can be earned each calendar year per account, no matter how many Southwest credit cards you have. This essentially drops the Companion Pass qualification to 125,000 points for cardholders.
Southwest Companion Pass via sign-up bonus
Lastly, Southwest cards occasionally offer a Companion Pass as part of the sign-up bonus. These Companion Passes are much easier to earn, as you only need to meet the minimum spending requirement on the card to qualify. However, the caveat is that the Companion Pass earned in this way is typically only eligible for around 12 months. That's much shorter than enjoying a Southwest Companion Pass for a better part of two years by timing your card applications and spending — which we will discuss later.
Flying Southwest
Even if you won't reach 100 one-way trips, flying with Southwest can help you earn Companion Pass-qualifying points. Southwest awards points for flying based on your elite tier level, the type of fare you choose, and the amount you spend.
| Southwest Point Earnings by Fare Class | Rapid Rewards Member | A-List | A-List Preferred |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2 points per dollar | 2.5 pts per dollar | 4 pts per dollar |
| Choice | 6 points per dollar | 7.5 pts per dollar | 12 pts per dollar |
| Choice Preferred | 10 points per dollar | 12.5 pts per dollar | 20 pts per dollar |
| Choice Extra | 14 points per dollar | 17.5 pts per dollar | 28 pts per dollar |
Given that Southwest awards 6x per dollar on the base Choice fare (excluding taxes), you would earn 2,267 redeemable points ($377.67 X 6) for booking the flight below as a base-level member.
While these points can add up quickly, it's important to remember that travelers only earn Rapid Rewards points when they fly. That means you won't get any closer to your goal with flights booked for family members. Fortunately, the other strategies listed below will work regardless of who is traveling, as long as you attach your Rapid Rewards number to the reservation.
Hotel stays
We checked Southwest Hotels for potential opportunities for booking a two-night stay in Chicago. Here's one possibility at the Palmer House — a Hilton hotel.
The cheapest reservation for a double-bed room would earn 7,500 to 9,300 points (depending on status) and cost $664. However, be sure to look through the different room types since pricing varies and some rates are non-refundable; others include breakfast. Plus, here you can choose to pay $89 more to earn 4,000 additional Rapid Reward points.
Unfortunately, the price you see on the page where you select the hotel and room type doesn't include the taxes. When I went to complete the reservation, the cost jumped from $645 to $687.
Make sure to compare the Southwest Hotels price with other options. The same room shown above could also be booked directly with Hilton for $700, which would be higher than through Southwest hotels. This may not always be the case, so it pays to compare.
Plus, don't forget to factor in the value of the Rapid Rewards points and progress toward the Companion Pass. Rapid Reward points are generally worth 1.3-1.5 cents each. An extra 7,500 Rapid Rewards points would have a minimum value of $98, and earning a Companion Pass could add a lot more value.
Keep in mind that most of the major hotel loyalty programs don't award points or recognize elite status when you book through a third-party site.
Car rentals
While I personally have found that AutoSlash works best for rentals, you might want to search the Southwest Book a Car service if you need help earning toward the Companion Pass.
Before you start your search, check the Special Offers page to see what deals are available for your trip.
For example, this promotion from Budget is tiered for point earning and offers savings of up to 30% off the base rate:
- Rent for one to two days to earn 600 points.
- Rent for three to six days to earn 1,800 points.
- Rent for seven days or longer to earn 3,000 points.
According to the offer terms, any points earned over 600 per rental will be considered bonus points. Bonus points don't count toward A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass qualification, so watch out for items like this when shopping for a car rental.
Rapid Rewards Shopping
You can also earn points toward the Southwest Companion Pass through your everyday shopping by clicking through Rapid Rewards® Shopping. You can find many of your favorite retailers among the 1,100+ shopping partners available. Popular stores include Home Depot, Macy's, Nike, and many more.
To earn credit for your purchase, just visit the shopping portal page before clicking on the merchant's website. The shopping portal will track the value of your purchase and award points based on the multiplier shown for the merchant. Here's a helpful video explaining the shopping portal.
Related: A Beginner's Guide to Shopping Portals
Rapid Rewards Dining
Southwest's Rapid Rewards Dining program allows you to earn points at participating U.S. restaurants. After you enroll in the program with your Rapid Rewards number and link one or more credit or debit cards, your dining spending will be tracked and points awarded when you dine at a participating restaurant.
While the points you earn from your dining spend count toward Companion Pass qualification, any special bonus points earned do not count. This includes the new member bonus, first step bonus, thank you bonus, and any review bonuses.
What Doesn't Count Toward the Companion Pass?
The list of Rapid Rewards activities that do not qualify toward earning the Companion Pass isn't surprising, but it is important to know:
- Purchased points
- Points transferred or gifted between members
- Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards
- Points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs (such as Marriott Bonvoy)
- Points earned from e-Rewards, Rewards for Opinions, and Diners Club
- Points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment
- Points earned from tier bonuses
- Flight bonus points
- Promotion bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards and Southwest Business Refer a Company promotion)
- Partner bonus points (such as a new member bonus from Rapid Rewards Dining or tiered-spend bonuses from Rapid Rewards Shopping)
- Purchased promotional tier-qualifying points
You should remember what points qualify and work under the assumption that everything else does not. When in doubt, check Southwest's website or run a small test before you commit to an earning strategy. You also won't earn toward the Companion Pass on any flights where you paid with points.
Do Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards Points count toward the Southwest Companion Pass?
Unfortunately, no. When you transfer Chase points to Southwest Rapid Rewards, you won't earn any Southwest Companion Pass-eligible points. That means you can't top off your Companion Pass earnings through Chase or Bilt Rewards Point transfers.
Why Timing Is Important
As mentioned from the top, the Companion Pass is good for the year you earn it — through qualifying flights or points — and the next year. That means, to get the maximum use of the pass for BOGO trips, earning it at the beginning of the calendar year is optimal.
That requires some strategy. To earn the pass in say, January, you would have to accumulate a lot of points quickly. That can be done by earning welcome offers on one personal and one business (or two business) credit cards. If you apply for the cards at the end of a year — October or November — then you can meet the minimum spend right when the calendar flips to the next year.
IMPORTANT: Wait to hit the minimum spend for the welcome offer until January 1st. If you accidentally hit the spend in December, the welcome offer points will count in that year, not the next.
Once you hit the spend in January, the Companion Pass points will be deposited a couple of days after your January statement closes. Assuming you have hit the 135,000 point requirement, you will now be booking trips with a free companion for nearly two calendar years.
Final Thoughts
The Southwest Companion Pass is easily one of the most valuable perks available in award travel, and it can potentially save you thousands of dollars on flights while you hold it.
Earning the 135,000 points required for the Companion Pass can appear daunting, but Southwest offers various ways to accumulate the points you need to secure the pass for 2026 & 2027. Once you've earned the Companion Pass, here's how to select your companion and start using your new perks.
Are you trying to earn the Companion Pass this year? Let us know some of your best strategies in the comments.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
