How this Southwest card welcome bonus can fast-track you to a Companion Pass
As Southwest Airlines rolls out changes to its boarding process, free-checked-bag policy and suite of credit cards, one fan-favorite aspect of the program remains: the Southwest Companion Pass.
Now, thanks to high welcome offers on Southwest credit cards, you will get nearly 85% of the way to earning a Companion Pass, which makes it an excellent time to apply.
With the Companion Pass, you can bring a companion for free (excluding applicable taxes and fees) on an unlimited number of Southwest flights until the pass expires.
To earn the pass, you need to take 100 one-way qualifying flights or tally 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points. Any Companion Pass qualifying points earned in 2025 count toward a 2026 pass. As soon as you earn the pass in 2025, you'll have it for the remainder of the year and the entirety of 2026.
So, how does this work, and how should you strategize to get across the Companion Pass finish line? Here's what to know.
Earn 114,000 points with a personal Southwest card
The three Southwest personal credit cards issued by Chase come with the following limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first five months from account opening.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees): $99 annual fee
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: $149 annual fee
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees): $229 annual fee
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Earning this welcome bonus alone leaves just 35,000 points to earn for a Companion Pass.
Because you have to spend at least $4,000 to earn the 100,000 bonus points, you're guaranteed to earn at least 1 point per dollar spent on any purchase. So, even if you spend exclusively outside of the card's bonus categories, you'll have 104,000 points, just 31,000 points to the Companion Pass.
Each card also provides a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year. This leaves you with just 21,000 points to earn that Companion Pass.
What should you do to earn those points? We have some ideas.
Related: Best Southwest credit cards
How to earn 21,000 points for a Companion Pass
There are a few methods to earn the last points needed for a Companion Pass. Here are some recommendations to consider.
Make the most of the personal card's bonus categories
No matter how you spend $4,000 to earn the bonus, you're guaranteed 4,000 points at a rate of 1 point per dollar by swiping the cards.
However, you could get more for your spending in a variety of categories, depending on the card you hold.
These are the categories that differ from card to card:
| Card | Bonus categories |
|---|---|
| |
| |
|
All three cards share the following bonus categories:
- Earn 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-hailing services (ends Dec. 31).
- Earn 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services and select streaming service purchases (ends Dec. 31).
- Earn 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (ends Dec. 31).
By maximizing the bonus categories, you can earn points at a much faster rate.
Book Southwest flights
Along these lines, if you're a Southwest loyalist, you may be able to collect those bonus points by booking flights.
Because points-earning is determined by the type of fare you book, your elite status tier with Southwest and the card you hold, there isn't a set number of flights that will get you to 21,000 points.
Check out this table, which illustrates how many points you'd earn within these requirements:
| Fare type | Base tier | A-List status | A-List Preferred status |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic | 2 points per dollar | 2.5 points per dollar | 4 points per dollar |
Choice | 6 points per dollar | 7.5 points per dollar | 12 points per dollar |
Choice Preferred | 10 points per dollar | 12.5 points per dollar | 20 points per dollar |
Choice Extra | 14 points per dollar | 17.5 points per dollar | 28 points per dollar |
You'll earn bonus points on top of these rates for your Southwest purchases:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: 2 points per dollar
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: 3 points per dollar
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: 4 points per dollar
Even if you do not have status with Southwest and book two Choice fares at $250 each, you'll net 500 points from the flight and another 500-1,000 points from using a Southwest credit card.
Earn a bonus on a Southwest business card
While you aren't able to hold more than one Southwest personal card at the same time, you can hold a business card and personal card simultaneously. And, the welcome bonuses on these cards both exceed 21,000 points:
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. The card charges a $149 annual fee.
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. The card charges a $299 annual fee.
By successfully applying for and earning a bonus on a Southwest business card, you'll top off your account to exceed the 135,000-point threshold necessary for a Companion Pass.
Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
What doesn't count
Here are some purchases or point activities that won't count toward your Companion Pass qualifying points:
- Purchased points
- Transferred/gifted points
- Tier bonus points
- Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Points earned from enrolling in Rapid Rewards
- Reward travel
Related: When does it make sense to buy points and miles?
Bottom line
Earning the current 100,000-point welcome offer on any of the three personal Southwest credit cards is a great way to fast-track yourself to a coveted Companion Pass. After the points boost and initial spending requirements, you'll need just 21,000 Companion Pass qualifying points to fly with a free companion (plus applicable taxes and fees) through 2026.
If you find yourself close to qualification, use some of these methods to boost your points bank.
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card review
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
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