Last chance: Book just 1 Southwest ticket to earn a Southwest Companion Pass
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available.
For a limited time, Southwest Airlines is offering travelers a complimentary Southwest Companion Pass valid for travel from August through October.
Travelers must book a round-trip flight or two one-way tickets by March 27 and redeem for travel by the end of May to take advantage of this offer.
Deal basics
Airlines: Southwest
Routes: Across the Southwest network
How to book: Register for the promo directly through the airline and then book travel
Travel dates: Travel by May 22 and use the Companion Pass between Aug. 5 and Oct. 2
Book by: Travel must be booked by March 27
To take advantage of this deal, log into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account using this link before booking travel as you would normally.
As mentioned above, this deal requires you to book and travel before receiving the Companion Pass for your companion. The pass could be for a friend, family member or random person off the street — wouldn't that be a good reality show?
If you are unfamiliar with how the Companion Pass works, passholders can essentially use it to bring a travel companion to accompany them on flights for nearly free. Holders of the Southwest Companion Pass can use the pass as many times as they want until it expires; this means your companion could come with you for just the cost of taxes and fees. The pass can be used for award tickets as well, allowing you to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points for yourself and bring your companion without using additional points.
When using this pass, travelers can change which companion they use the pass on three times over a calendar year; in the case of this promo, this amounts to four different people over the specified time frame of two months.
Under regular circumstances, you can earn Southwest's Companion Pass by accruing 135,000 qualifying points or taking 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. This can be expedited by opening one of the five Southwest credit cards with varying sign-up bonuses, as these points count toward the Southwest Companion Pass.
Lastly, remember that Companion Pass fares do not include $5.60 in taxes and fees one-way and are not valid on award bookings with Rapid Rewards points.
Maximize your purchase
To book Southwest flights and earn points toward a Southwest Companion Pass, use:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees): 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees): 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: 3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
This is a good deal for frequent Southwest flyers who have not been able to traditionally earn a Southwest Companion Pass and want to try it out. Be sure to book travel by Wednesday, March 27.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.