Why flying to Orlando before lunch will save me almost $600 in airfare in 2026

When I told my partner that I would be waking up at 4:30 a.m. to fly from Florida's Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) at 6:40 a.m. and back in one day, he asked the same question others — aside from my co-workers — had: "But, why?"

In layman's terms, Southwest Airlines was offering a limited-time promotional Companion Pass. The coveted Companion Pass is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free airfare deal that allows you to add a designated additional person to your flight reservation for just the cost of the taxes and fees (starting at $5.60) on any Southwest flight.

So, with just a backpack and an extra-large coffee in hand, I began my round-trip flight journey from one Florida city to another, landing back home just before lunchtime to earn this pass.

Here's how I did it and why this one pass will save me hundreds of dollars in airfare in 2026.

Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest offered a limited-time two-month Companion Pass

Typically, to earn the Companion Pass, a Southwest Rapid Rewards member needs to earn 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 one-way segments in a calendar year. Then, you'll have the lucrative pass for the remainder calendar year and the following calendar year. For example, if you earned it in August 2025, your pass would be good through Dec. 31, 2026.

That said, Southwest sometimes offers a promotional Companion Pass after completing set requirements. Unlike the traditional Companion Pass, these promotional passes are only valid for a limited time.

In August, Southwest advertised a two-month Companion Pass after registering, purchasing (by 11:59 p.m. CDT on Aug. 28) and completing a round-trip flight or two one-way flights by Nov. 15. Those who met the requirements would receive a Companion Pass good from Jan. 6 to March 6, 2026.

As someone who is planning to book a long weekend ski trip and a Caribbean getaway during these winter months, I was very much interested in earning this Companion Pass.

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However, I had to crunch some numbers and make sure the cost of the round-trip flight would be worth it, as Basic fares were not eligible for this deal. Therefore, I would have to buy a Choice fare, which is a step above Southwest's Basic fares and costs more money.

Related: Southwest card welcome bonuses: Last chance to earn 100,000 points

I earned the Southwest Companion Pass before lunch

As a Florida resident, I knew that my home airport, PBI, operates daily Southwest flights to and from MCO. Plus, since the airports are only about 170 miles from one another, I knew it would be a very short flight.

First, I had to check if the flight times lined up to meet my personal needs. As a mom, I needed to be home in time to pick my son up from day care (my partner could do the drop off). Thankfully, they did.

Southwest operates daily routes between the two airports, so I found a 6:40 a.m. flight leaving from PBI and landing in MCO at approximately 7:40 a.m., then the return departing MCO at 10:50 a.m. and arriving back in PBI at 11:50 a.m.

Using Southwest's calendar search tool, I booked a flight for a random Wednesday in September, which was the cheapest option (at the time), costing $249.35. Plus, as a Rapid Rewards member, I'd earn 1,254 points on this round-trip flight.

So, after paying $8 to park and using about $10 worth of gas to drive to and from the airport, this promotional Companion Pass cost me about $267 to earn — and I was back in my home office before 1 p.m.

How I plan to use my limited-time promotional Southwest Companion Pass

Note that prices were accurate at the time of writing.

As I mentioned, I plan to book a ski-centric trip to a resort in Colorado this winter. Though PBI is my home airport, I also fly out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and MCO if the fares are cheaper and/or the routes are direct. Right now, there is a round-trip flight from FLL to Denver International Airport (DEN) for $442.96 in January.

With this pass, I can book my flight and my partner's flight for an additional $59.37. Calculating what I paid to earn the Companion Pass plus the taxes and fees I'd pay for this flight, I'll save about $116.

• Financial breakdown: $442.96 (total cost of my partner's flight) - $59.37 (what I have to pay for the taxes and fees of the flight) - $267 (out-of-pocket cost of earning the Companion Pass) = $116.59 (total savings on this itinerary)

And that's not the only trip I want to take with my two-month Companion Pass.

I am also planning a trip to Cancun, Mexico, in February for my partner's birthday. For February travel dates, flights are upward of $667.03 per person. With the Companion Pass, we'd pay a total of $862.06 for two round-trip flights, or just $431.03 per person.

Since the cost of earning the Companion Pass was already factored into the previous trip's breakdown, here is what I'd save by booking this second trip:

• Financial breakdown: $1,334.06 (total for two round-trip flights to CUN) - $667.03 (cost of one round-trip flight) - $195.03 (taxes and fees for one round-trip flight to CUN = $472 (total savings on this itinerary).

Therefore, with two trips in mind, I can potentially save about $588 with my Companion Pass.

Related: Why now is the best time to apply for Southwest Airlines credit cards

Things to keep in mind

Though registration for this limited-time Companion Pass is no longer available for Rapid Rewards members, Southwest offers a similar deal a few times a year. Therefore, when the airline program launches another promotion, here are some additional things to keep in mind:

Crunch the numbers: Earning a promotional Southwest Companion Pass is great, but only if you're planning to use it. If you have no upcoming trips in mind or don't plan to book a flight within the time frame allotted by the promotional Companion Pass, it doesn't make sense to invest the time and money to fly to earn this type of BOGO deal.

Read the terms before booking: If Southwest offers another promotional pass, make sure you read the terms and conditions before booking your flight. For example, Basic fares did not count toward this deal.

Book award flights: If you have a stash of Southwest Rapid Rewards points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which transfer to the airline at a 1:1 rate, you can save even more on your out-of-pocket expenses by redeeming points for your flight. Since award flights are eligible to add your designated companion, you can essentially pay just the taxes and fees if you book two one-way flights.

Overall, the early wakeup time was worth it to earn the limited-time Southwest Companion Pass, which will help me save money on future trips.