Southwest just announced their annual 1-year Companion Pass promo with a few changes this year. Let’s break it down to see if this offer may work for you.

What is the Southwest Companion Pass?

The Southwest Companion Pass is essentially a BOGO (buy one, get one) pass. It allows the pass holder to bring along one companion(friend, child, spouse, etc) any time they book their own ticket, for only the cost of taxes – which many times is only $5.60 one way.

How to Earn Companion Pass

The traditional way to earn Companion Pass is to earn 135,000 points in a calendar year. This gives you a pass valid for the rest of the year you earn it, plus the entire following year.

For instance, if you earn the Companion Pass in May of 2026, you’ll have the pass for the rest of 2026, plus all of 2027.

There is huge value in being a pass holder and is how we have been able to book thousands of dollars in flights in the last two years!

Last year, my husband and I each bought flights to Hawaii for 28,000 points + $11.20 roundtrip. Then we added the kids for only the cost of taxes, which was only $11.20 each! This is just one of many trips we’ve been able to make happen because of the Companion Pass.

Current Southwest Promotional Offer

The current promotional offer allows you to earn the pass by opening one of the personal Southwest credit cards and meeting the required spend within the first 3 months. This earns you Companion Pass until February 28, 2027.

How is this different than the traditional Companion Pass?

Recall that the traditional Companion Pass requires 135,000 points earned in a calendar year. Often, this involves opening one personal and one business credit card and meeting the minimum spends to reach 135,000 points. Read more about how to earn the traditional Southwest Companion Pass.

Is it right for you?

This promotional offer could be great for you if you:

• Have lots of travel planned in the next year
• Don’t qualify for (or don’t want to) open business cards
• Want a taste of BOGO flights with the option to extend your Companion Pass through 2027

Which Card is Best?

There are 3 Southwest personal cards whose welcome offer include points + the promotional Companion Pass. You can find them all here.

As a reminder, Southwest has done away with their popular “two bags fly free” as of 2025. However, if you hold a Southwest credit card, you and up to 7 people on your reservation receive first checked bag free.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Earn Companion Pass through 02/28/2027 plus 20,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.

Annual fee: $99

>> 3,000 Southwest points every year on your Cardmember anniversary, plus Standard seat selection 48 hours before departure when available.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Earn Companion Pass through 02/28/2027 plus 30,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.

Annual fee: $149

>> 6,000 Southwest points every year on your Cardmember anniversary, plus Standard seat selection 48 hours before departure when available.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Earn Companion Pass through 02/28/2027 plus 40,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.

Annual fee: $229

>> 10,000 Southwest points every year on your Cardmember anniversary, plus Preferred seat selection at booking. Additionally, upgrade to Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure when available.

Important Things to Know

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to go for this offer:

You won’t have as many points for booking travel. After earning the promotional Companion Pass, you’ll only earn 20,000 – 40,000 points from the welcome offer. This is significantly less than the 135,000 points you’ll have by earning the Companion Pass the traditional way.

However, keep in mind that booking BOGO flights works for points or cash bookings. So if you’re still planning on booking a flight with cash, the Companion Pass could still offer significant savings!

You must be under 5/24 to be eligible for the Southwest personal cards. In order for Chase to approve you for any of their credit cards, you must meet their 5/24 rule. This rule means you can not have opened more than 5 personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months.

It must have been at least 24 months since you last earned a bonus for a Southwest personal card in order for you to be eligible. If you have held a Southwest personal card before, make sure it has been at least 24 months since you last earned a welcome offer on that card. Otherwise, you may be approved, but you won’t earn the promotional Companion Pass.