Southwest Companion Pass Complete Guide

October 1, 2024 / Sara Bauer

What is the Southwest Companion Pass?

The Southwest Companion Pass is probably the greatest points and miles strategy out there. The holder of the Companion Pass can add another person to their reservation for free (+ the usual $5.60 in taxes), with no limits on how many flights you take! There are no restrictions, no black out dates, no limits to how many times you can use it… it’s unlimited buy-one-get-one-free flights as long as the Companion Pass is in your account! Did you know that you can earn the Companion Pass without a single flight– all it takes is signing up for 2 credit cards. If you play your cards (ha) right by timing your applications and sign-up bonuses juuuusssssttttt right, it’s possible to earn the Companion Pass for nearly two years. 

Though easy, it’s very important that you carefully follow the directions listed in this resource to earn your Companion Pass. If you break the most important rule, you could compromise your chance at earning the coveted pass.

As you follow the steps listed below, reach out on our Facebook Community to ask any questions and let us celebrate your Companion Pass with you! Also, if you don't already have a friend or family member's referral link, we'd so appreciate if you used ours! This allows you to support our work at no cost to you. Links are included below and can also be found on the "Our Favorite Cards" page of our website.

Most important rule (above everything else!!!)

If you learn nothing else from this resource, let it be this: do NOT, (I mean seriously, do not) meet the spending requirements for your cards before January 1st. If you accidentally finish one spend requirement in December and the points post, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to gain your Companion Pass. Best case scenario if that happens- you could rush to complete the second card’s spend, but you’d still only earn the Companion Pass for the rest of that December, and the following year (instead of two full years). 

If you aren’t able to put thousands on two cards within a short amount of time, we recommend these things to avoid going over the spending threshold early:

• Don’t add the card to any online wallet to avoid it being a default card (for example- Amazon could be dangerous with this)

• We recommend leaving at least $500 left in the spending requirement if you are working on it before January 1st.

• Inform your spouse of this rule, and emphasize the importance of keeping it

• Consider making any big purchases in January- could you pay your taxes with this card? Or charitable contributions? Your child’s tuition?

Other things to consider:

• You will need to be under 5/24 to be approved for any of these cards. Also, Chase can sometimes be sensitive to individuals who hold multiple business cards already, so if you have signed up for several Ink Business cards in the last year, there is a chance that you will be denied for any of the Southwest Business cards. Make sure earning the Companion Pass is in your long-term card strategy, and take a break from Chase cards for a few months before.

• Even though this is an amazing deal, don’t let FOMO talk you into something that doesn’t make sense for you. Take the two annual fees you will pay into consideration as you decide if you will go for the Companion Pass. We think it’s worth it if you plan to fly Southwest at least 2 or 3 times each year. (Plus, you’ll have at least 125,000 points to work with 😉). 

• Can you comfortably meet the spending requirements? It’s never worth over-extending yourself financially (for any great deal) if you’re not able to complete the minimum spend with your everyday expenses. Here is the total for the minimum spends you will need to meet for each strategy:

1. Personal card + Business card = $6,000

2. Two Business cards = $8,000

3. Two Player, Two Companion Pass (three cards) = $13,000

FAQ’s

“When I earn the Companion Pass, do these points go away?” 

No! We love this part of the Companion Pass- you don’t need to cash out any points once you’ve crossed the threshold. This means you’ll have at least 125,000 points to spend. 

“What if I can't spend $6,000 in one week (meeting the minimum spend in January)?” 

Most people can't comfortably spend thousands of dollars in one week (unless you have a big purchase planned). If you have to start working on your minimum spends before January, we recommend leaving AT LEAST $500 on your minimum spend to be sure it doesn't go over before the first of the year. Be absolutely sure your card isn't used automatically (for example: a subscription on Amazon), as it can compromise your chance at earning the CP if you go over too early.

“Can I add my companion on flights I’ve booked with points?” 

Yes! The only limit to your CP is if a flight does not have a seat left. 

“Do I need to keep these cards open for the full two years to keep my Companion Pass?” 

No, you are free to downgrade or cancel these cards after the annual fee hits at the one year mark. If you cancel within 30 days of the annual fee, Chase will refund it.

“Can I change my companion once they are added?” 

Yes! You are allowed to change your companion three times each calendar year. One note with this- be sure that you don’t have flights booked with the previous companion if you’d like to change. 

“Will the Companion Pass be in my account immediately after I reach the 135,000 points threshold?” 

No, it may take a few weeks to post to your account. You should receive an email when it is added. One trick here: Call Chase to move up your Statement date to a few days after your charges will post (for example, I know that I can make my final big charge on January 1st, so I could change my statement date to January 4th). You might need to do this a month or so before. This *may* speed things up.

“I can transfer points from my Chase Sapphire card to Southwest. Would those count toward the Companion Pass?” 

No, only points earned through Southwest co-branded cards would count.