Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - March 4, 2024: Southwest Airlines N8819L, Boeing 737 aircraft shown on final approach at Harry Reid Airport.
Note: 2/18/2025 Chase currently has a Referral signup offer: “Earn: 30K points + Companion Pass valid through 2/28/26 after $4K spend in the first 3 months. (Offer Expires 3/23/2025)” If you sign up for any one of the three personal cards. All of the cards have annual fees, after the first year that fee is offset with Southwest Points. The Premier, a $99 annual fee (AF) card, earns 6,000 points per year after the first year, worth $84. This is a long-term keeper card. We recommend the Priority for a $149 AF; this earns 7,500 points per year after the first year but has 4 upgraded boardings.
USE THIS LINK TO SIGN UP for the Southwest Card. I will receive a referral as explained below.
What is the Southwest Companion Pass (SWCP)?
It’s a BOGO! The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to bring a designated companion for free (plus taxes and fees, starting at $5.60) on any Southwest flight. You can bring the companion even if you book on points, or someone else books you on points (or cash). If there is a seat available (that’s not in the cockpit), your companion flies for free plus taxes and fees. This will be even more valuable when Southwest starts flying to Europe in 2025.
What is the Reasonable Redemption Value of a SW Point?
Southwest Rapid Rewards points are generally worth 1.3–1.4 cents per point (CPP). Almost always falling withing 1.29-1.62 CPP, cheaper cash flights usually have a higher points value. Southwest’s revenue-based award system means point prices are directly tied to cash prices.
How do you earn a Companion Pass (CP)?
You must earn 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points (CPQP) or take 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year to get the CP. Once you hit that threshold, the CP is valid for the rest of that year and the entire following year—making it incredibly valuable if you earn it early in the year.
Getting a Companion Pass with Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
The easiest way to get the SWCP is by opening the Business and Personal Southwest Credit Cards and having both bonuses post within the same calendar year. The business card bonus is usually 60,000-85,000 points and the personal card between 30,000-75,000 points. Depending on the exact bonuses being offered you may need to earn a few more points. We talk more about that below.
What do I need to get approved for a new Chase Card? Chase Credit Criteria
- Credit Score: A good to excellent credit score (typically 700+) is recommended for approval. Some applicants with scores in the high 600s may get approved, on a limited basis.
- Chase 5/24 Rule: Chase typically denies applications if you have opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. Most business cards do not count toward this.
- Income & Debt-to-Income Ratio: There’s no official income requirement, but the lower the Debt-to-Income the better.
- Existing Chase Relationship: Being an existing Chase client can help, especially if you need to call the reconsideration line, but it’s not required.
- Current Southwest Credit Cards: You cannot get a second Southwest personal card if you already have one open. Wait 30 days between closing a Southwest personal card and opening a new one.
- Sign-Up Bonus Restrictions: If you’ve received a Southwest personal card sign-up bonus in the past 24 months, you will not qualify for another bonus on any personal Southwest card.
For business cards, you must wait 24 months before being eligible for the sign-up bonus on the same card again. However, having one Southwest business credit card does not affect your eligibility for earning a sign-up bonus on the other Southwest business credit card.
How to Earn More Southwest Points? Specifically, Companion Pass Qualifying Points (CPQP)
Southwest Shopping Portal
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal is an easy way to earn extra points toward the Companion Pass. When you shop online through the portal at participating retailers, you earn bonus Rapid Rewards points—and these DO count toward Companion Pass qualification. This makes it a great way to rack up extra CPQP without additional travel spending. Check out The Ultimate Guide to Earning Miles & Points Without a Credit Card if you want to learn more about shopping portals.
Southwest Vacation (SWAV)
Do you earn CPQP booking through Southwest Vacation?
The short answer is, it should. I could find no specific mention in the terms of service, but it is not excluded either. When I booked a hotel only through SWAV, I did get CPQP. I chose to pay an upcharge to double the points. That upcharge specifically listed the points as CPQP eligible. There are data points that ANY hotel stays booked through SWAV get CPQP.
Credit Card Referrals
Do referrals count toward Companion Pass qualifying points?
Yes, referring friends to Southwest credit cards is another way to earn CPQP. When someone applies for a Southwest card using your referral link and gets approved, you earn bonus Rapid Rewards points, and these count toward CPQP (current offer 20,000 points per referral up to 100,000 per year). If you’re working toward a Companion Pass, stacking credit card sign-up bonuses with referral bonuses can help you get there faster.
Can I earn a Companion Pass without getting a Credit Card?
Yes, you can earn a Southwest Companion Pass without a credit card, but it’s more challenging. You would need to frequently and book cash flights or make large purchases through the Southwest Shopping Portal. Referrals require already having the card.
Many people do earn it this way, but the group we’re targeting would likely just open two credit cards and use the points from the signup bonuses to fund their travel.
How do I use the Companion Pass?
The Companion Pass is one of the easiest benefits in travel to use. Just buy your ticket, and if any seat is available, you can add your companion for taxes and fees – usually $5.60 domestically. Best of all, no blackout dates! About the only rule is you can’t daisy chain companions. Only one free ticket, per paid ticket. Once you book your ticket, find the My Trips/Upcoming flights screen. Here you will see an “Add Companion” button next to Change | Cancel Reservation. Click that, pay the $5.60 and your companion will be issued a ticket.
How to assign a companion
- Step 1 – Log into the app
- Step 2 – Click “My Account”
- Step 3 – Click “View Points Activity”
- Step 4 – Enter your companion’s name
Note: You can change your companion up to 3 times per year.
When is the best time to get the SW Companion Pass?
By strategically timing when you earn the SW Companion Pass, you can get it for nearly two years. You’ll want to get the pass in January. You need to be careful not to get pushed over the minimum spend and receive the bonus early, if using the most common method–credit card sign-ups. Keep in mind erroneous transitions can count for the bonus: double charges, fraud, P2 spending, and auto-pay, can all screw up your best-made plans to obtain the companion pass. Check the Chase app to monitor spending and ensure you don’t accidentally hit the minimum spend early.
When do I apply for the credit card to get the SW Companion Pass?
Apply for the first card (typically the business card) any time after November. With both cards being subject to the 5/24 rule, it’s advisable to get the business card first. The business card will not count toward your 5/24 status, but the personal card will. If you’re at 4/24 and get the personal card, you will not be approved for the business card until you drop below 5/24. It’s always possible to get the business card and then get denied for the personal card. This is not very common; personal cards have less scrutiny, so if you get approved for the business card, the odds are good you will get the personal card.
You can get the personal card anytime after getting approved for the business card. If you get instant approval on the business card and can satisfy the minimum spend on both cards, you can open the personal one the same day.
Does Statement Date Matter?
Statement date determines when points will post. If your statement closes 25th and you finish your spend Jan 2nd, the points will not post until after Jan 25th. This is why many people pick an early day in the month for their statement date. If you finish your spend Dec 29th, odds are very good you will get the points in December. Murphys Law.
Tip: DO NOT go over the minimum spend until after January 1st. What happens if you get the points in the wrong year? You’re out of luck, and you’ll have to earn it the good old-fashioned way, by spending.
✅ How much does it cost to earn the SW Companion Pass with cash spend?
- $10,000+ in SW Business fares
- $20,000+ in Wanna Get Away tickets
- $135,000 in everyday spend on the SW Credit Card
Tips to Avoid Meeting the Minimum Spend Early
- Avoid auto-pay and mobile wallets. Don’t save your card as a payment method, anywhere.
- Check your account frequently to track progress and catch errors.
- Watch for Double charges. If a transaction is duplicated, you can’t undo the spend, even if the extra charge is reversed.
- Stop spending within $500 of the minimum and put the card away until Jan. 1, 2025.
If I get the Companion Pass, do I get A-list too?
No. Credit card sign-ups, shopping portal payouts, Southwest Vacations, and referrals do NOT count toward A-List. Only cash tickets, butt-in-seat miles, count for A-List and A-List Preferred. A-List requires 20 flights flown or 35,000 points in a calendar year. A-List Preferred requires you to fly 40 flights or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points. Sometimes you can register for a shortcut promotion for A-List, fly X flights in Y time and earn A-list for Z time.
What Doesn’t Earn You Companion Pass points?
It’s important to understand that certain activities DO NOT earn Companion Pass or A-List qualifying points. The following activities do not count toward Companion Pass or A-List according to the Southwest website:
- Purchased points
- Points transferred between Members.
- Points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards®,
- Valued Opinions, and Diners Club®
- Points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment
- Tier bonus points
- Flight bonus points (Example, fly 2 flights earn 5,000 Rapid Rewards points)
- Partner bonus points (Except for Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase)
Important information from Southwest (Copy and Pasted):
Important information
1Companion Pass® qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest®, points earned on Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. The following do not count as Companion Pass qualifying points: purchased points; points transferred between Members; points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards®, Valued Opinions, and Diners Club®; points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment, tier bonus points; flight bonus points; and partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase). No points nor tier or Companion Pass qualifying points will be awarded for flights taken by the Companion when flying on a Companion Pass reservation. Points earned during a billing cycle on a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card from Chase are not available for redemption or qualification for Companion Pass status until they are posted on your billing statement and posted to your Rapid Rewards account. Only points posted on your billing statements and posted to your Rapid Rewards account during the same calendar year are available for qualification for Companion Pass status. For example, if you make a purchase after your December billing statement cycle date, the points on those purchases will not count toward Companion Pass status in the year the purchase was made; they will appear on your January billing statement and post to your Rapid Rewards account in January.
Companion Pass Qualifying Points Boost: As a Southwest Rapid Rewards Cardmember, you will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. The boost will be deposited into your eligible Rapid Rewards account by January 31st each calendar year or up to 30 days after account opening. To receive Companion Pass qualifying points boost your credit card account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. Only one credit card account per Southwest Rapid Rewards Member (Rapid Rewards Member must be the primary Cardmember on that account), is eligible for one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points per calendar year. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is not responsible for the provision of, or failure to provide, the stated benefits and services.
2Upon check in, you and your Companion will receive sequential boarding positions except if you purchased a Business Select® fare or added the Companion after you had been assigned a boarding position. For Business Select fares, only the purchaser will receive an A1-A15 boarding position and the Companion will receive a boarding position based on whichever is applicable—time of check-in, A-List or A-List Preferred status, or EarlyBird Check-In®. If you purchased a Wanna Get Away®, Wanna Get Away Plus or an Anytime fare and either you or your Companion is an A-List or A-List Preferred Member, you will both receive reserved boarding positions.
3For flights completed on or before 2:59 AM Central Standard Time (“CST”) on 1/1/25, “Qualifying Flights” include flights operated by Southwest Airlines® and paid entirely with dollars, Southwest LUV Vouchers®, gift cards, or flight credits and with no portion of the purchase price paid with Rapid Rewards points or Rapid Rewards Business points. For flights completed on or after 3:00 AM CST on 1/1/25, “Qualifying Flights” include flights operated by Southwest Airlines® and paid entirely with dollars, Southwest LUV Vouchers, gift cards, or flight credits and those paid with Cash + Points. NOTE: With a Cash + Points booking, points are earned only on the portion of the base fare that is paid with dollars. Qualifying Flights exclude reward flights, charter flights, nonrevenue travel, and Companion Pass travel. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms.
Rapid Rewards terms and conditions apply.
Southwest Rapid Rewards™ Credit Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
-Source Southwest Companion Pass
1 thought on “Earn the Southwest Companion Pass, With ONE CARD!”
Comments are closed.