How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass for 2025 and 2026
by Sean Cudahy, Senior Aviation Reporter
The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks a U.S. airline offers. Think of it as “buy one, get one” flights: Passholders can book a flight, and as long as there is a seat available on the plane, their designated companion flies for free (save for some taxes and fees).
Qualifying isn’t easy: Rapid Rewards members must earn 135,000 qualifying points in the qualifying year, or take 100 flights.
But flying isn’t the only way to earn those points. The welcome bonus (along with spending) on a cobranded Southwest credit card counts — and can give you a major boost.
This offer ends Wednesday, so we suggest you apply soon (no later than Tuesday, in fact).
After that, you might want to be strategic about how (and when) you meet that spending requirement. Keep in mind, once you qualify for the Companion Pass, you’ll hold the pass for the current year — whatever year that is — and all of the next year.
So, in a perfect world, you’d want your final amount of spending toward the welcome bonus to post in early January, after your December Rapid Rewards statement period closes. That way, your points will count toward qualification in 2025, as the qualification year starts fresh, for a pass that would last through the end of 2026.
Here’s more about Southwest Airlines and its best card offers right now:
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