Southwest Airlines loyalists have followed a rocky path this year, keeping up with everything from important changes in your baggage policies, boarding process, seat assignments and route networks to a review of their co-branded credit cards.
But one fan-favorite look remained despite the noise: the coveted Southwest Companion Passwhich is easily one of the best deals in travel. Basically, this benefit allows you to create your own buy-one-get-one airfare voucher, allowing you to bring your partner, child, parent or friend on all of your Southwest flights for just the cost of your ticket taxes and fees.
Even if you book your flight with Rapid Rewards points, your companion can still fly with you using the Companion Pass.
Here’s what you need to know about how to schedule Southwest credit card applications to make your Companion Pass last longer.
How to Perfectly Time a Southwest Companion Pass
To earn a Companion Pass, you must earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
Once you obtain the Companion Pass, it is valid for the remainder of the year in which you obtain it, plus the entire following calendar year.
That moment makes a big difference. For example:
- Earn it in November or December 2025 and it will be valid until the end of 2026.
- Earn it in the first quarter of 2026 and it will last until December 2027, almost two full years of two-for-one travel.
That’s why the best strategy is to start earning at the end of this year and publish your rating points in early 2026.
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What activity counts towards the Companion Pass?
Since the alternative to getting the Companion Pass requires taking 100 flights with Southwest, getting it through points is the quickest and easiest route for most people. The southwest defines What types of points do activities count? to obtain the Companion Pass as:
The next No count as qualified activity:
- Flight Bonus Points
- Getaways by Southwest™ Vacation Reservations
- New Member Bonuses for Joining Rapid Rewards
- Partner bonus points other than those earned on co-branded Southwest Airlines cards
- Points converted from hotel and car rental loyalty programs, e-Rewards, Valued Opinions surveys or Diners Club
- Point purchases
- Points transferred between members
- Points transferred from Pursue ultimate rewards
- Reward trip
- Level Bonus Points
Southwest also notes that the Companion Pass is earned from points posted to your account within the same calendar year, so you have to start over from scratch on January 1 of each year.
For that reason, it is imperative that bonus points earned from Southwest Card welcome bonuses be posted to your account by the beginning of the first quarter of 2026.
Now that you know how to get the Companion Pass, let’s discuss some of the top strategies for qualifying and how to keep it for almost two years.
Related: Do you have a new credit card? Here are 4 tips to help you earn your welcome bonus
Earn the points you need to get the Companion Pass
Knowing that you won’t want to get the Companion Pass until the first quarter of 2026, the end of this year is a good time to start planning for your Southwest Companion Pass.
with the current bonus offers on Southwest credit cardsYou can apply for a personal or business Southwest card (or combine the personal card and business cards) to start earning the Companion Pass in 2026 and 2027.
Get a Companion Pass with a personal Southwest card
The current bonus on the three personal cards:
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card information has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Each card allows new cardholders to earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases during the first three months of account opening. That welcome bonus gets you more than 50% of the way to the Companion Pass.
Plus, each card comes with 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points credited to your account within 30 days of account opening. So when combined with the welcome offer, you’ll only need to earn 40,000 more points to get a Companion Pass.
Related: How to quickly get the Southwest Companion Pass
Earn a Companion Pass with a Southwest business card
If you are a small business owner, you might consider ordering one of Southwest’s business cards:
You can order both business cards and get the Companion Pass through your welcome bonuses, but combining a business card and a business card is the cheapest and most efficient way to reach the 135,000 point mark.
For example, opening the Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier Business cards and earning both bonuses could net you about 145,000 points, enough to secure the Companion Pass, with a combined total of $248 in annual fees.
Additionally, there are other ways to earn remaining points if you can’t open two cards, including additional credit card spending, flying on eligible Southwest fares, and partner activities; but the quickest way to get a Companion Pass is to open a Southwest business card along with a personal Southwest card now if you’re eligible.
Related: Who qualifies for a business card?
Strategy to obtain the Southwest Companion Pass in 2026-2027
The fastest way to get a Companion Pass is to open a Southwest personal and business card now. Only their combined welcome bonuses can earn you one.
However, if you can’t open both cards, your best option is to go for the personal card, as you would earn at least 95,000 qualifying points (from the welcome offer and the 10,000 companion point boost), which would put you closer to earning the Companion Pass.
Regardless of which route you choose, you’ll want to start applying for a Southwest card now.
It’s important to note that points transferred from cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account No count towards the Companion Pass.
However, once you’ve earned the Companion Pass, you can transfer points to Chase’s Rapid Rewards to book your Southwest award tickets and have your designated companion fly with you at essentially no additional cost.
Related: How to redeem points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards program
Who is eligible for a new Southwest credit card?
The eligibility rules for Southwest cards are quite strict. The terms say:
“The product is not available to (i) current cardholders of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® credit card, or (ii) previous cardholders of any Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card who received a new cardholder bonus in the last 24 months. This does not apply to cardholders of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.”
This means you can only receive the new member bonus on a Southwest personal credit card within a 24-month cycle, so be sure to choose the card that offers the best possible bonus. Also note that if you currently have any Southwest personal credit cards open, you will not be eligible for these offers.
Meanwhile, the eligibility rules for business cards are not as strict as those for Southwest personal cards. Business card restrictions state:
“This new cardholder bonus offer is not available to either (i) current holders of this business credit card or (ii) previous holders of this business credit card who received a new cardholder bonus for this business credit card in the last 24 months.”
This means you cannot have earned a bonus on the Southwest business card you are applying for in the last 24 months and you also cannot currently have the Southwest business card you are applying for, but you can apply for the other one.
However, remember that you can earn a bonus for a small business credit card and a Southwest personal credit card in the same calendar year to get closer to getting a Companion Pass. Alternatively, you can get two small business card bonuses; you just can’t get two business cards.
And don’t forget Chase’s 24/5 Rule. If you have opened five or more new personal credit cards at any card issuer in the last 24 months, you will likely be declined if you apply for a Southwest card.
Related: Do I need a company to get a business credit card?
In a nutshell
Now is the time to set your Southwest Companion Pass strategy. By applying for a personal and a business Southwest card before the end of the year, and timing your spending so that welcome bonuses go live in early 2026, you can lock in nearly two full years of two-for-one travel through the end of 2027.
And if you prefer to start small, even a personal card can get you most of the way, and each point you earn afterward will get you even closer.
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
More information: Premier Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
Apply here: Premier Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Credit Card
