What if you could take your spouse, child, or best friend on every Southwest flight for less than the cost of a cup of coffee? That’s exactly what the Southwest Companion Pass lets you do, and it’s one of the smartest travel strategies out there.
I’m talking about bringing someone along on every single flight you book for basically nothing. Whether you’re paying cash or using Southwest points, your companion flies for just taxes and fees (usually around $5.60 for domestic, and varies for international destinations).
For families like mine, this pass has been a total game-changer. We’ve flown to Costa Rica, Orlando, Puerto Vallarta, and all over the US; saving thousands of dollars on flights. And with Southwest Companion Pass Promotion Season 2025 right around the corner, now’s the perfect time to start planning how you’ll earn yours.
Let me walk you through exactly how to get the Southwest Companion Pass, the best strategies for 2025, and how we’ve used it to travel more for way less.
What Is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass is Southwest Airlines’ most valuable benefit. Once you earn it, you can designate one person to fly with you on any Southwest flight for just the cost of taxes and fees.
A lot of incredible benefits:
- No blackout dates: If there’s a seat available, your companion can book it
- Works on all routes: domestic flights, international destinations, and yes, even Hawaii
- Valid on paid and award flights: whether you book with cash or Rapid Rewards points, your companion comes along
- Change your companion up to 3 times per year: perfect for families like mine that want flexibility
My husband and I have used our Southwest Companion Pass 37 times this year alone, saving over $9,400 in flight costs. It’s hands-down the best travel deal in the points and miles world.
How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass in 2025
There are two ways to earn the promotional companion pass Southwest:
- Fly 100 one-way qualifying flights in a calendar year (this really only works for business travelers)
- Earn 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying points in a single calendar year
For most people, the credit card route is by far the easiest and fastest way to earn the pass. That’s how we did it, and I’m going to show you exactly how you can too.
The Fastest Strategy: Southwest Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
The quickest path to earning the Southwest Companion Pass 2025 is through Southwest credit card sign-up bonuses from Chase. However, there are a few important rules to know:
- You can only hold one Southwest personal card at a time
- To reach 135,000 points efficiently, you’ll need one personal plus one business card (or two business cards)
- You must be under Chase’s 5/24 rule (fewer than 5 new credit cards opened in the past 24 months)
The beauty of this strategy is that you can earn the bulk of your qualifying points from welcome bonuses alone, without flying a single mile.
How to Get Two Full Years Southwest Companion Pass
The secret to maximizing your Southwest Companion Pass is when your qualifying points post to your account just as much as how you earn them.
Once you hit 135,000 qualifying points, the Companion Pass is valid for:
- The rest of that calendar year, PLUS
- The entire following calendar year
That means if you earn your pass in early January 2026, you’ll have it through December 31, 2027, nearly 24 months of two-for-one Southwest flights.
This is why strategic timing is crucial. You want those sign-up bonus points to post in early January, not in December.
Your 2025 Southwest Companion Pass Strategy
There’s a limited-time opportunity right now that makes earning the Companion Pass easier than ever.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card currently has an increased welcome offer of 120,000 points. This means you could potentially earn the Companion Pass from just one card’s sign-up bonus, if you can handle the higher minimum spend requirement.
Single-Card Strategy If You Can Meet High Spend:
Mid October 2025:
- Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card
- Welcome bonus: 120,000 points after $10,000 minimum spend in 3 months
- Complete about $5,000 of spend by December 31, 2025
January 2026:
- Complete the remaining $5,000 minimum spend
- Your points breakdown:
- 120,000 sign-up bonus points
- 5,000 points from January spending, at 1x earn rate
- 10,000 bonus points Southwest gives you toward Companion Pass qualification
- Total: 135,000 qualifying points and Companion Pass earned!
This single-card approach is ideal if you have high monthly expenses or can strategically time larger purchases.
The Traditional Two-Card Strategy for 2025
If the $10,000 minimum spend feels too aggressive, the traditional approach still works beautifully. Here’s the step-by-step timeline:
Late October/Early November 2025:
Apply for a Southwest Business Card first
I always recommend starting with a business card because:
- Business card approvals can be trickier, so you want to apply when your credit is freshest
- Business cards typically have higher minimum spends
- You can hold multiple Southwest business cards
Your options:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card: 80,000 points after $5,000 spend (standard offer)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card: 60,000 points after $3,000 spend
Do NOT complete the minimum spend until after January 1, 2026.
December 2025/January 2026:
Apply for a Southwest Personal Card
Wait until late December or early January to apply for your personal card. This ensures both bonuses post in January 2026.
Your personal card options:
- The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card: 50,000 points after $1,000 spend (I recommend this one for the ability to select your seat at booking easily pays for the annual fee)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card: 50,000 points after $1,000 spend
- The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card: 50,000 points after $1,000 spend
Again, don’t complete the minimum spend until January 2026.
January 2026:
- Complete minimum spend on both cards, for example: using Premier Business and Priority personal, you earn:
- 60,000 business card bonus
- 50,000 personal card bonus
- 10,000 bonus points from Southwest (automatically added)
- Total: 120,000 points
- To reach 135,000, you’ll need an additional 15,000 points through:
- Credit card referral bonuses. Simply refer a friend in January to earn 10,000 points per approved application
- Southwest Dining Program
- Southwest Shopping Portal
- Actual flights on Southwest (book with your Southwest credit card for bonus points)
Pro tip: Start working on referrals in early January so those points count toward your Companion Pass qualification.
Southwest Credit Cards to Consider for 2025
Through Chase, you can get five cobranded Southwest credit cards. One interesting thing is that their welcome bonuses offer a fast route to earn the Southwest Companion Pass since they count toward your Companion Pass qualifying points.
Business Cards:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card: Offers 120,000 points in the first three months from account opening after you spend $10,000 on purchases.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business: Get 60,000 points in the first three months from account opening after you spend $3,000 on purchases.
Personal Cards: you can only hold one at a time:
These three personal Southwest credit cards currently provide 50,000 Rapid Rewards points from account opening, when you spend $1,000 in the first three months:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority gives you 50,000 points plus ability to select seats at booking. This card is easily my top recommendation
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus gives you 50,000 points
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier – 50,000 points
I recommend applying for the business card first since business card approvals can be more challenging, and they typically require higher spending thresholds.
The best part is any of these credit cards earns a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year. However, this boost is limited to one Rapid Rewards member every calendar year.
More Ways to Earn Southwest Points Toward Your Companion Pass
Beyond credit card bonuses, you can boost your qualifying points by:
- Booking Southwest flights with a Southwest credit card for extra points
- Earning points via Southwest Online Shopping Portal
- Dining at Southwest participating restaurants
- Booking hotels through Southwest’s portal
- Referring your friends to apply for the Southwest Companion pass or credit cards: this alone gives you up to 100,000 points per year
Just log into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account to generate your referral link. You’ll need the last four digits of your Southwest credit card.
Note that: Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers, purchased Southwest points, and spousal point transfers do NOT count toward Companion Pass qualification. Only points earned directly in your own Rapid Rewards account count.
How to Use Southwest Companion Pass Promotion
Let me show you the real power of the Southwest Companion Pass with actual examples from our family travels:
Costa Rica Family Trip
We paid only $96.52 total for our entire family to fly one-way to Costa Rica:
- Me: 17,000 points + $24.13
- Husband: 17,000 points + $24.13
- Kid #1 (companion): 0 points + $24.13
- Kid #2 (companion): 0 points + $24.13
Cash equivalent if we’d paid out of pocket: $1,800+
Orlando for My Daughter’s 5th Birthday
Total out-of-pocket cost: $44.80 for the whole family
- Me: 24,000 points + $11.20
- Husband: 24,000 points + $11.20
- Kid #1 (companion): 0 points + $11.20
- Kid #2 (companion): 0 points + $11.20
Cash equivalent: $1,200+
Puerto Vallarta for My Birthday
Total cost: $263.22 for my birthday
- Me: 30,000 points + $131.61
- Husband (companion): 0 points + $131.61
- Plus kids on our other Companion Passes
Cash equivalent: $2,400+
Our Domestic Flights This Year
In just the last year using Southwest points and the Companion Pass, we booked:
- From Washington DC to San Francisco (roundtrip for 2): $22.40 total. Cash value: $650+
- Washington DC to Myrtle Beach (roundtrip for 4): $44.80 total. Cash value: $1,100+
- From Washington DC to Dallas (roundtrip for 4): $44.80 total. Cash value: $1,300+
- Washington DC to Orlando (roundtrip for 4): $44.80 total. Cash value: $1,200+
That’s 30 one-way flights for only $156.80 in taxes and fees, flights that would have cost $4,250+ if we’d paid cash.
Unlike other airline companion tickets that only work once a year or on limited routes, the Southwest Companion Pass works on every single flight you book. Every. Single. One.
We’ve also used it to add the kids last minute to trips. When we decided to bring them to New Orleans, it only cost us $11.20 per child in taxes, flights that would have been $300+ each if we’d booked them normally.
How to Use Your Southwest Companion Pass
Once you earn your Southwest Companion Pass, here’s how to set up and use it:
- Log into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account
- Designate your companion in your account settings (you can change this up to 3 times per year)
- Book your flight first (with cash or points)
- After booking, go to the “My Trips” section
- Select your flight, then click “Add a Companion”
- Your companion’s reservation will be created for just taxes and fees
You can learn more details about setting up your Companion Pass on Southwest’s website.
Southwest Companion Pass FAQs
What counts toward earning the Companion Pass? Points that count toward your 135,000 qualifying points include: Southwest credit card sign-up bonuses, points earned from everyday spending on Southwest credit cards, points earned from flying on Southwest, points from Southwest’s shopping portal, points from the Southwest Dining Program, points from booking hotels through Southwest, and referral bonuses from Southwest credit cards.
What does not count toward your qualifying points goal? Several types of points do NOT count toward Companion Pass qualification: points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards, points purchased directly from Southwest, points transferred from another person’s account (including your spouse), points earned through promotional offers that specifically exclude Companion Pass qualification, and anniversary bonus points from your credit card.
How much does it cost to earn a Companion Pass from flying alone? To earn the Companion Pass through flying, you need 100 qualifying one-way flights OR 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
If you’re trying to reach 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points from purchasing flights alone, the cost varies based on which fare type you book.
- Basic fare (earns 2 points per dollar): You need to spend approximately $67,500 on flights
- Choice fare (earns 6 points per dollar): You need to spend approximately $22,500 on flights
- Preferred fare (earns 10 points per dollar): You need to spend approximately $13,500 on flights
- Extra fare (earns 14 points per dollar): You need to spend approximately $9,643 on flights
As you can see, earning the Companion Pass through flying alone is extremely expensive for most travelers, even with the highest earning fare, you’re still looking at spending nearly $10,000.
This is exactly why the credit card strategy is so popular and practical. With two Southwest credit card sign-up bonuses, you can earn the Companion Pass for just the cost of annual fees and minimum spend requirements, saving you thousands of dollars compared to earning it through flights alone.
Who are Rapid Rewards earning partners? Southwest credit cards from Chase, the Southwest Shopping Portal (earn points shopping at hundreds of online retailers), the Southwest Dining Program (earn points when dining at participating restaurants), select hotel booking partners through Southwest, car rental partners when you book through Southwest, and various promotional partners that change throughout the year.
Always check that points from partners are labeled as “qualifying” for Companion Pass, most partner earnings do count, but it’s worth confirming for any new partnerships
How often does Southwest offer Companion Pass promotions? Southwest doesn’t typically run promotions to earn the Companion Pass itself, the qualification requirements remain consistent at 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights per calendar year.
However, Southwest credit card partners (like Chase) occasionally increase welcome bonuses on Southwest credit cards, which makes earning the Companion Pass easier and faster. These elevated offers usually happen a few times per year.
When does Southwest do Companion Pass promotions? The most common times for elevated offers are late fall (October-November) leading into Companion Pass Season, early in the new year (January-February), and occasionally during summer travel season.
Right now, for example, the Southwest Performance Business Card has an elevated offer of 120,000 points, which is significantly higher than its standard bonus.
When is the next Southwest Companion Pass promotion? Currently, there’s an elevated offer available on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card with 120,000 points after meeting minimum spend. These increased bonuses are typically time-limited, so if you’re seeing a higher-than-usual welcome bonus right now, it’s worth acting on it.
The best strategy is to monitor Southwest credit card offers through Chase, especially in late fall when many people start planning their Companion Pass earning strategy for the following year. Join our newsletter to catch these limited-time increased offers.
Does the Southwest Companion Pass work on award flights? As long as you have an eligible ticket, your companion flies for just taxes and fees.
Can you change your companion on the Southwest Companion Pass? Yes, you can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year.
How much are taxes and fees with the Southwest Companion Pass? Most domestic flights cost just $5.60 each way in taxes and fees. International flights have higher fees (typically $24-132 each way depending on the destination), but they’re still incredibly affordable compared to paying for a full ticket.
Does the Companion Pass work on all Southwest flights? Yes! The pass is valid on all Southwest routes: domestic, international, and Hawaii.
How long is the Southwest Companion Pass good for? Once earned, the Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of that calendar year plus the entire following year. With strategic timing, that’s nearly 24 months of two-for-one flights.
What if I currently hold a Southwest personal credit card? If it’s been more than 24 months since you earned your last sign-up bonus, you can close the card, wait 30 days, and reapply like normal. Note: the 24-month clock starts when you earned the bonus, not when you were approved for the card.
How to easily earn the Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass has completely transformed how our family travels. We’ve taken trips we wouldn’t have otherwise booked, brought the kids on last-minute adventures, and saved thousands of dollars on flights.
The 2025 strategy is all about timing:
- Apply for cards in late 2025
- Complete minimum spend after January 1, 2026
- Lock in nearly two full years of companion benefits
Whether you’re planning family vacations, romantic getaways, or just want to visit friends and family more often, the Southwest Companion Pass can make it happen for a fraction of the normal cost.
With the current elevated welcome bonuses on Southwest credit cards, there’s never been a better time to start your Companion Pass journey. Don’t miss out on this season’s opportunity, it truly is the best deal in travel.
Ready to start earning your Southwest Companion Pass? The clock is ticking on Companion Pass Season 2025!
I hope you enjoy your two-for-one flights as much as we have!
2 Comments