Act fast: Earn the Southwest Companion Pass by flying to Hawaii

The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Editor's Note

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated you had to fly between June 1 and July 3 to qualify and that has been corrected to June 1 - July 31. 

Southwest Airlines is celebrating five years of service in Hawaii with a special promotion: Rapid Rewards members can now earn a valuable Companion Pass by taking just one round-trip flight to Hawaii this summer.

To qualify, you must:

Be a Rapid Rewards member (you can create an account for free).
Register for the promotion and purchase qualifying revenue travel (one round-trip or two one-way qualifying flights between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii) by Friday. You can pay for your flight(s) using cash or Southwest's new Cash + Points option, but flights booked solely with points will not qualify.
Fly between June 1 and July 31. To qualify, flights must be flown by the same member.

You can choose from five airports in Hawaii that Southwest serves:

Hilo International Airport (ITO), island of Hawaii
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA), island of Hawaii
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Oahu
Kahului Airport (OGG), Maui
Lihue Airport (LIH), Kauai

After meeting the criteria — and unwinding on a Hawaiian beach — you'll receive a promotional Companion Pass valid from Oct. 5 to Nov. 15.

Southwest's Companion Pass is popular among travelers because it lets you bring one person on every trip for next to nothing — you just have to pay taxes and fees (starting at $5.60 one-way). This applies to both paid and award tickets to anywhere Southwest services, including the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. You can bring your companion along on as many trips as you want for the life of the pass.

To take advantage of your Companion Pass, first designate a companion in your Rapid Rewards account. Then, after booking your own flight using cash, points or both, go to the My Trips section of your account and follow the steps to book your companion's ticket.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Note that you can only change your designated Southwest companion up to three times per calendar year.

Southwest Boeing 737 — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Normally, you must fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year to earn a Companion Pass. The pass is valid for the remainder of the year in which you earned it, plus the following full calendar year.

But there are ways to snag a Companion Pass faster. Southwest occasionally runs promotions like this one, allowing even the most casual Southwest flyers to earn a Companion Pass that's valid for a shorter length of time. We've also seen cobranded Southwest credit cards offer limited-time Companion Passes.

With the current Hawaii promotion, now is a great time to plan a getaway to the Aloha State — and earn a Companion Pass to save on travel this fall.

Related reading:

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

4.5 / 5

Go to review

Apply now

at Capital One's secure site

Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

Rewards rate

5X miles	Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2X miles	Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day

Intro offer

Enjoy a $250 travel credit & earn 75K bonus miles

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Recommended credit

670-850Excellent, Good

Pros

Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners

Cons

Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel

LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Top rated mobile app