Act quickly to earn a two-month Southwest Companion Pass after just two flights

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

The Southwest Companion Pass is unquestionably one of the most valuable perks in the travel world. After earning the pass, you can choose a companion to travel with you for just the cost of taxes and fees on any Southwest Airlines flights booked with cash or miles (yes, including to Hawaii and international destinations).

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Typically, you can earn a regular Companion Pass by flying 100 Southwest flight segments or earning 125,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. The airline effectively lowered these requirements earlier this year, as Southwest gave members a boost towards the pass due to decreased travel during COVID-19. A Companion Pass is valid for the calendar year in which you earn it, and the following one. For example, if you crossed the 100-flight threshold this month, you'd enjoy a Companion Pass for the rest of 2021 and 2022.

But, as Miles to Memories reported this morning, Southwest is offering a new limited-time promotion that makes it a lot easier to earn that coveted Companion Pass after taking just two one-way flights or one round-trip flight. Before you get too excited, though, this promotional pass will be valid for a much shorter duration than the regular pass. And you'll need to register and book your flights soon. Here's what you need to know.

Rapid Rewards members can register for the promotion here. You’ll need to register and purchase one round trip or two one-way revenue flights between Sept. 7, 2021, and Sept. 9, 2021, for travel between Sept. 7, 2021, and Nov. 18, 2021. Domestic and international revenue flights booked in any fare class are eligible for this promotion. One-way flights are those between an origin and destination city, including any intermediate stops and/or connections on Southwest Airlines. So you won't qualify on a single one-way itinerary that happens to include two or more flight segments.

Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass

Charter flights, group travel, Southwest Vacations packages and reservations made using Rapid Rewards points won’t qualify for the promotion. Changes made to the itinerary after purchase may eliminate qualification for this promotion. So, this is one time you won't want to rebook your Southwest flights if they drop in price.

After you’ve met the requirements, you will receive a limited-time Companion Pass for flights purchased and completed between Jan. 6, 2022, and Feb. 28, 2022. That limits the potential usefulness somewhat since you cannot book an extra ticket with your provisional Companion Pass before January 6, but that still gives you nearly two months to book and fly. You can select your initial companion within ‘My Account’ on the website or by calling Southwest at 1-800-435-9792. To change your companion, you must call 1-800-435-9792.

Related: 13 lessons from 13 years’ worth of Southwest Companion Passes

Bottom line

The Southwest Companion Pass can provide tons of value to travelers who use it. However, before booking travel to maximize this promotion, consider whether you'll use the promotional Companion Pass for flights between Jan. 6 and Feb. 28, 2022. If you will, this promotion may be a great deal if you already plan to travel this fall and can book or rebook eligible Southwest flights at a reasonable rate.

The regular Southwest Companion Pass isn’t terribly difficult to earn for those who lean into Southwest credit card welcome bonuses to get them closer to the goal line. But this promotion makes it easier for even the most casual Southwest fliers to earn a Companion Pass for a few months.

Additional reporting by Katie Genter.