The Fastest Way to Get a Southwest Companion Pass
Lots of airlines have some version of a companion ticket, but Southwest's Companion Pass is in a league of its own. Instead of a one-time perk, it lets your travel buddy fly free with you -- as many times as you want -- until it expires (you'll just pay taxes and fees starting at $5.60 per flight).
To earn it, you'll need to fly 100 one-way trips or earn 135,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards® points in a calendar year. Once you do, it's good for the rest of the year, plus all of the next.
That might sound like a stretch for casual travelers. But here's the fast-track secret: you can earn a huge chunk of those points from credit card welcome offers. Here's how.
Use a Southwest credit card to earn up to 80,000 points fast
Flying 100 times in a year isn't realistic for most of us. But you don't have to rack up miles in the air -- you can do it on the ground, through spending and credit card welcome offers.
Two Southwest credit cards -- one personal and one business -- have great welcome offers right now. If you qualify for one (or both!), then the welcome points earned, as well as regular spending points, can go toward earning the companion pass.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees) is one of the cheapest ways to get started on your Companion Pass journey. Earning that welcome bonus knocks out over a third of the points you need for the companion pass.
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= Fair = PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Rewards Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more.
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
$69
Welcome Offer Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 bonus points.
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This card has competitive benefits and bonus offers, and the annual fee is easy on the wallet. However, it gets overshadowed by the other Southwest credit cards that offer more valuable features for the airline's frequent flyers.
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- Sign-up bonus
- Travel rewards on purchases
- Yearly points bonus
- Consumer and travel protections
- Annual fee
- Foreign transaction fee
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- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Member FDIC
To earn the 50,000-point welcome offer, you just have to spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. And honestly, this is a great airline card whether or not you earn the Companion Pass. It has a low $69 fee, which is easily justified by the perks.
You can earn more Rapid Rewards points via regular spending in these ways:
- 2X points on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners; local transit and commuting, including rideshare; and internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
- 1X points on all other purchases
Other perks include 3,000 anniversary points each year, two early-bird check-ins per year, and your first checked bag for free.
Want to fast-track your Companion Pass with this bonus? Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and start earning Rapid Rewards points today.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
This business card packs a bigger punch. And while the spending threshold is higher, the welcome offer alone will get you more than halfway to the Companion Pass.
By the way, you don't need an LLC or a full-blown business to apply for a business credit card. If you earn any kind of 1099 income (like freelancing, side gigs, or selling on Etsy), you can usually qualify.
The welcome offer of 80,000 points is a little tougher to earn: You have to spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. There's also a bigger annual fee of $199.
But those 80,000 welcome points will boost you further towards the Companion Pass.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) earns:
- 4X points on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points on rideshare, social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
- 1X points on all other purchases
Other perks include four Upgraded Boardings per year (when available), 9,000 anniversary points per year, TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit, and your free checked bags.
How to unlock the Companion Pass faster than you think
With either of these travel cards, you're well on your way to the 135,000-point goal. But if you can qualify for both a personal and a business card, the welcome offers could push you across the finish line almost immediately.
That's actually how I earned my Companion Pass back in 2019 -- and how I flew my wife to Hawaii for our anniversary!
Even if you only grab one card, filling the remaining gap is doable. Just shift your everyday spending onto your Southwest card, and make sure to use the Rapid Rewards® shopping, hotel, and dining partners to pick up more points.
It takes a little effort, but the payoff is worth it. If you and your travel buddy fly together three times a year, and each ticket costs $500, that's $1,500 in savings.
Our Research Expert
Joel is a full-time writer at Motley Fool Money, known for his clear, approachable voice on topics like credit cards, savings hacks, and side hustles. He’s been writing about money since 2018 and previously managed editorial content for the How To Money podcast.
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