In Two Weeks, The Southwest Companion Pass Has Saved Me $1,264
It was a roller coaster 72 hours at the beginning of January. Hours after the ball dropped on New Year's Eve, Southwest announced that points transferred from a hotel program would no longer count towards earning the Companion Pass. Then, a few days later, the airline reversed the decision by giving a three-month window when transferred hotel points would still count. Now, members have through March 31 to earn this incredible perk through hotel transfers — and many of you may be planning to take advantage.
After reversing my devastation and with my hopes quickly rejuvenated, I transferred 270,000 Marriott points to Southwest as fast as I could get to a computer. A mere 48 hours later, I had 120,000 Southwest points in my Rapid Rewards account and my son added as my companion. Any time he flies with me, whether I pay cash or points, he will only cost a minimal amount of taxes and fees through Dec 31, 2018. With this newfound ability to save a tremendous amount on airfare, I began booking our trips.
After two weeks of holding the Companion Pass, I have the following itineraries booked with Southwest points. For each itinerary, I've listed the total trip cost in points and taxes which cover my wife, myself, my son as a free companion and my infant daughter who does not yet need her own ticket. All itineraries are round-trip and nonstop:
Baltimore — Phoenix: 52,634 points and $16.80
Washington Reagan — Chicago Midway: 28,464 points and $16.80
Washington Dulles — Atlanta: 17,880 points and $16.80
Washington Reagan — Orlando: 16,004 points and $16.80
Baltimore — Panama City, FL: 53,510 points and $16.80 (over Fourth of July week)
That's five round-trip tickets for three people (plus a free baby) for 168,492 Southwest points. That averages out to 5,616 points per person per flight; an incredible bargain for any award ticket. The Companion Pass has so far saved me from spending an additional 84,246 points for my son to fly with us on these itineraries.
Valuing Southwest points at 1.5 cents each and given that Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based rewards program, that means I've saved $1,264 out of my pocket on airfare for my son, in only two weeks of having the pass. The fact that all the flights I've booked are on the exact dates we wanted, are nonstop with a young traveling family, and include a nonstop itinerary to the Florida Gulf over the 4th of July holiday week isn't reflected in the dollars and cents saved, but adds tremendous value to our trips.
Bottom Line
One could argue I wouldn't be traveling as much in the first place if I didn't hold the Companion Pass, but all of the booked trips were on our schedule before I knew I could still earn it. By comparison, trying to book three people award tickets for the above trips using American or United miles, if all flights were available at the Saver level (which they aren't), would cost 375,000 miles. We'd need to connect at least part of the time, and most certainly there wouldn't even be three seats available on some dates.
After only two weeks with this incredible perk, I'm a Companion Pass believer. Make sure you check out all the ways you can earn the Companion Pass in 2017.
How are you putting your Companion Pass to use this year?
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.