Companion Pass Overview
Before you jump in to the Companion Pass details, it's important to understand the lay of the land.
Let's start with the basics: if a person earns 135,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year, besides all those points you just got, you will also earn a Southwest Companion Pass.
Once you earn the Companion Pass: for the rest of that calendar year and the next calendar year, you can name a person who will then fly with you anytime you fly and only pay about $5 in fees each way.
Earn 135,000 points in a calendar year
You also now have a Companion Pass!
Your Companion flies free every time you fly. You can book your ticket with cash or points.
It fits into a few sentences but there are so many caveats built in and I want to make sure you really absorb this info.
Let's break down the key points in these sentences one by one.
"If a person earns 135,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points…"
At first this might seem like a lot of points! How can you possibly (and easily) earn 135,000 points?
Now there are actually a lot of ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points but this course focuses on teaching you the easy ways to earn them.
Key Point 1 Some Rapid Rewards points count towards earning a Companion Pass and some don't
- Welcome offers earned on new Southwest cards (this is the crux of this strategy and hands down the easiest way to earn a Companion Pass with minimal effort)
- Credit card spending from Southwest cards
- Flying on Southwest
- Hotels booked through Southwest Hotels
- Purchases made via the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal
- Dining out via Rapid Rewards Dining Program
Not all Rapid Rewards points you earn will count towards the 135,000 you need to earn a companion pass.
- Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards® accounts (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card)
- Points converted from hotel or car loyalty programs
- Purchased points
You need to earn 135,000 points and you need to earn them in a way that counts towards a Companion Pass. Welcome offers from new credit cards will be your shortcut.
"In a Calendar Year"
A calendar year means January 1–December 31 of any given year.
January 1 – December 31
Timing is of the utmost importance when it comes to the companion pass.
Key Point 2 All 135,000 points have to be earned in the same calendar year
You have to earn 135,000 points, we've established that.
But you also have to earn them all in a calendar year (January 1 – December 31) in order to earn your Companion Pass.
When you log in to Southwest's website or app, you'll be able to see your Companion Pass Tracker on your Account page (I'll give you instructions later on how to find this).
This Companion Pass Tracker resets on January 1 each year. So if you earn 75,000 points in December and 75,000 points in January you'll have a lot of points! But you won't have a Companion Pass because you didn't earn 135,000 in the same calendar year.
We'll go over timing strategies in detail in this course.
You need to earn all your points in the same year for them to count.
The Companion Pass is IN ADDITION to all the points you just earned - you get both!
I am frequently asked if you have to exchange your points for a Companion Pass. The good news is that you get both! You have your points, and you ALSO earn the Companion Pass.
"For the rest of that calendar year and the next calendar year"
This aspect trips people up at first but once you get it, it's easy.
When you earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you don't get it for a fixed amount of time. It varies based on when you earn it.
As soon as you've earned your required points, you will get the Companion Pass for the rest of that calendar year that you're in plus the NEXT calendar year.
Earning it early in the year will give you the most time with your Companion Pass.
If you earn the Companion Pass on January 31, 2027 you will actually have it through December 31, 2028 – the rest of 2027 and the whole next year (2028) — 23 months.
In contrast, if you earn the companion pass in December 2026, you will only have it until December 31, 2027, which is about 12 months.
For maximum value, you want to try to earn it as early in the year as possible. Don't worry, I'll break down how to do that.
Earning your Companion Pass early in a year gives you more time to enjoy it!
"You can name a person who will then fly with you anytime you fly"
This isn't a one-time companion ticket like other airlines like Delta or Alaska offer with their credit cards.
This is a Companion PASS.
You will designate a person as your companion and you can book a ticket for them anytime you are flying.
They can only fly for free if you are flying.
You can also change your companion three times per year. After the third change it will be locked onto that last companion.
This isn't a one time benefit but a pass you can use as many times as you want! You can even change your designated companion 3x each calendar year.
"only pay about $5 in fees each way"
Your companion flies free but will have to pay government taxes and fees. Within the United States, this costs $5.60 each way. If you fly to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America, the international taxes will be higher. They are often around $100 round trip.
