Still the Best Deal in Travel: How to Earn (& Use) the Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest Airlines has undergone a complete transformation in 2025: introducing basic economy fares, assigned seating, and removing its longstanding (and loved) two free checked bag policy.  

But one thing hasn’t changed: the Southwest Companion Pass.

What's the Southwest Companion Pass? Oh, just one of the best deals in the world of travel. Think of it as an unlimited buy-one, get-one free(ish) flight pass, where a designated friend or family member can travel with you, and  you're only charged for the taxes and fees on their ticket – nothing for the base fare. 

Other airlines like Delta and Alaska have companion certificates for travelers, but Southwest's pass is the most lucrative by far – and it isn't close. If you typically travel with a companion, the benefits of this pass can be invaluable.

With the end of the year fast approaching, now is the time to plan out your Companion Pass strategy for the new year and beyond. We'll walk you through how you to earn it, how to best use it, and why you should want the Southwest Companion Pass.

What is the Southwest Companion Pass?

The Southwest Companion Pass lets you designate one person to fly with you for only the cost of taxes and fees every time you book a flight on Southwest – whether you pay cash or use Rapid Rewards points. There are no blackout dates and no hoops to jump through: If a seat is available for purchase, you can bring your companion.

For each flight you book, your companion only pays taxes and fees (just $11.20 round-trip on domestic itineraries). That even includes award bookings made with Southwest Rapid Rewards points, so you can still add your companion when you’re flying on points.

But perhaps the best part of the Southwest Airlines companion pass is that there are no limits on how often you can use it. And it's valid for the year you earn it … and the entire following calendar year.

This means if you're able to earn it in January or February of 2026, you could use the Companion Pass all the way through the end of 2027. That's almost two full years of buy-one-get-one-free flights!

Finally, Southwest allows you to change your designated companion up to three times each calendar year. This can be done over the phone with a Southwest customer service agent by calling 1-800-I-FLY-SWA – or by messaging Southwest on Twitter or Facebook. Just keep in mind that if you have an upcoming trip booked with your current companion, you'll need to complete that trip before making the switch.

How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass

A year – or even two – of buy-one, get-one flights isn’t too good to be true. Earning the Southwest Companion Pass takes some work, but it’s easier than you might think for a perk this valuable.

To qualify, you need 135,000 Companion Pass–qualifying Rapid Rewards points or 100 one-way revenue flights in a calendar year.

That 135,000-point hurdle sounds steep, but points from Southwest co-branded credit card sign-up bonuses and everyday spending all count. Holding a Southwest credit card also gives you an automatic 10,000-point boost each year. Meanwhile, a new Southwest co-branded debit card can add another 7,500 qualifying points to your total.

Why Now is the Best Time to Work Towards a Companion Pass

Timing is everything.

Once you earn the Companion Pass, it’s valid for the rest of that year and the entire following year. To maximize it, you want to qualify as early as possible in January.

With 2026 right around the corner, now’s the time to plan for next year. Opening one of Southwest’s personal credit cards today an you can bonus_miles_full. Add the automatic 10,000-point boost and you're well on your way. Pair that with a Southwest business card early next year, and you could lock in nearly two full years of buy-one, get-one flights.

But timing the bonuses is crucial. If you earn enough points before this year ends, your pass will expire in December 2026. Earn all qualifying points in January or February instead, and your pass will be good through 2027!

Earning the Companion Pass Through Sign-Up Bonuses

Sign-up bonuses are the fastest and simplest path to the Companion Pass.

All points earned from Chase’s Southwest credit cards count toward the 135,000-point requirement — but there’s one catch: Chase allows you to hold only one Southwest personal card at a time. To stack bonuses, you’ll need to add a Southwest business card.

Not sure you qualify for a business card? Many travelers do, even with really small businesses or side hustles. If not, you’ll need to earn more points the old-fashioned way: spending on a personal Southwest card. It’s doable, just slower than stacking personal and business bonuses.

There are a few other caveats. If you’ve earned a bonus from any Southwest personal card in the past 24 months, you can’t get another one yet. And, like all Chase cards, Southwest cards fall under Chase’s 5/24 rule.

If you’ve opened five or more new credit card accounts from any bank in the past 24 months, Chase will deny your application — no matter your credit score or history.

The Southwest Airlines Credit Card Portfolio

The portfolio of Southwest airlines credit cards has something for everybody. In total, there are three different personal credit cards and two business cards. But critically, the sign-up bonuses on all of the personal credit cards are the same.

Deciding which one is right for you will largely come down to the other benefits the card offers – and the annual fee. Here's a breakdown of each card.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

• bonus_miles_full
• Anniversary Bonus: On your cardmember anniversary, you'll receive 3,000 Rapid Rewards points each year.
• Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.
• Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points on the first $5,000 in combined spend at gas stations and grocery stores each anniversary year
• Ending Soon! Earn 2x Rapid Rewards for every $1 you spend on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners. This bonus category is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Ending Soon! Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases – including rideshares like Uber and Lyft – as well as internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases. This bonus category is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Earn 1x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
• 10% Flight discount: Receive a 10% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary (excludes basic fares).
• Boarding benefit: Cardmembers and up to eight passengers on the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
• Free checked bag: Cardmembers and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation can check their first bag for free.
• Complimentary seat selection: Select a Standard seat within 48 hours of departure, when available.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual Fee: annual_fees

Learn more about the *sw plus*.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• bonus_miles_full
• Anniversary Bonus: Each year, on your cardmember anniversary, you'll receive 6,000 Rapid Rewards points.
• Earn 3x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.
• Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points on the first $8,000 in combined spend at restaurants and grocery stores each anniversary year
• Ending Soon! Earn 2x Rapid Rewards per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners. This bonus category is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Ending Soon! Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases – including rideshares like Uber and Lyft – as well as internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases. This bonus category is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Earn 1x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
• Ending Soon! Get 2 EarlyBird check-in® each year. This benefit is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Spend your way to A-List status: Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually accelerating your way to A-List status.
• 15% Flight discount: Receive a 10% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary (excludes basic fares).
• Boarding benefit: Cardmembers and up to eight passengers on the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
• Free checked bag: Cardmembers and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation can check their first bag for free.
• Complimentary seat selection: Select a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours of departure, when available.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual Fee: $149 (was $99)

Learn more about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

• bonus_miles_full
• Anniversary Bonus: On each cardmember anniversary, you'll receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points.
• Earn 4x Rapid Rewards Points (was 3x) per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.
• Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants each anniversary year.
• Ending Soon! Earn 2x Rapid Rewards per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners. This bonus category is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Ending Soon! Earn 2x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting purchases – including rideshares like Uber and Lyft – as well as internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases. This bonus category is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Earn 1x Rapid Rewards Points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
• Ending Soon! 4 Upgraded Boardings each year when available for 2025 flights. This benefit is going away effective Dec. 31, 2025!
• Spend your way to A-List status: Earn 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually accelerating your way to A-List status.
• Boarding benefit: Cardmembers and up to eight passengers on the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
• Free checked bag: Cardmembers and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation can check their first bag for free.
• Complimentary Preferred seat selection: Enjoy unlimited upgrades to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours of departure, when available.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual Fee: annual_fees

Learn more about the *sw priority*.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Card

• Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full 
• Anniversary Bonus: Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you will receive 9,000 Rapid Rewards points.
• Get 10,000 bonus points toward earning the Companion Pass: Southwest will deposit 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points in your account at the start of each calendar year.
• Earn 4x Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases.
• Earn 3x Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards^® hotels and car rental partner purchases.
• Earn 2x Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services; local transit and commuting (including rideshare) through December 31, 2025.
• Earn 1x Rapid Rewards points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
• Four upgraded boardings per year (when available).
• Get up to a $120 statement credit every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS
• Get up to 365 Inflight WiFi Credits each year.
• Chase 5/24 Rule: The card will be subject to the Chase 5/24 rule, so you may not be approved for the card depending on how many credit cards you've opened in the last two years.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual Fee: annual_fees

Learn more about the *southwest performance biz*.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Card

• Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full 
• Anniversary Bonus: Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you will receive 6,000 Rapid Rewards points.
• Get 10,000 bonus points toward earning the Companion Pass: Southwest will deposit 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points in your account at the start of each calendar year.
• Earn 3x Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases.
• Earn 2x Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards^® hotels, car rental partner purchases, local transit and commuting (including rideshare). 
• Earn 1x Rapid Rewards points per dollar on all other spending on the card.
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In® per year.
• In-flight purchase discount: Save 25% on in-flight purchases when using your card. 
• Chase 5/24 Rule: The card will be subject to the Chase 5/24 rule, so you may not be approved for the card depending on how many credit cards you've opened in the last two years.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual Fee: annual_fees

Learn more about the *southwest premier biz*.

Earning the Companion Pass Through Flying

Frequent Southwest travelers can qualify for the Companion Pass by flying 100 one-way revenue flights in a calendar year. It doesn’t matter how many Rapid Rewards points you earn on those tickets — hit 100 flights and you earn the pass.

For example, a paid roundtrip with a connection each way counts as two one-way segments, the same as a nonstop roundtrip.

It’s not the easiest path, but it works for true Southwest road warriors. And even if you fall short, you can pair the points you earn from flying with a single credit card bonus to reach the Companion Pass faster.

Do Chase Points Transfers Count Towards Companion Pass?

Southwest credit cards aren’t the only way to rack up Rapid Rewards points. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from cards like the *chase sapphire preferred* and *chase sapphire reserve* to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.

However, these transferred points do not count toward the 135,000-point Companion Pass requirement.

But they’re still valuable. After you earn the pass, you can transfer Chase points to Southwest to book a flight, then add your companion for only the taxes and fees. This is one reason we often recommend pairing a Southwest credit card with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards.

Read more: A Master Guide to Earning & Burning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Other Ways to Earn Miles for the Companion Pass

Credit card bonuses are the fastest route, but several other earning methods also count toward the Companion Pass:

• Credit card referrals: You can earn up to 10,000 points per referral (capped at 55,000 per year), and all of them count toward the 135,000-point requirement.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Debit Card: This new debit card earns 2,500 points after qualifying activity, plus 7,500 Companion Pass–qualifying points annually. Combined with a Southwest credit card, you can get a boost of up to 17,500 points each year.
• Rapid Rewards Shopping and Dining Portals: Purchases through either portal count toward your Companion Pass total — an easy way to earn points on spending you’re already doing.
• Southwest Hotels: You typically earn one point per dollar on hotels booked through Southwest, but many bookings offer large bonuses that count toward your 135,000 points.
• Rental cars: Book through Southwest’s rental car partners to earn Companion Pass–eligible points.

If you are only a few thousand points short of earning your Southwest Companion Pass, any of these methods can be a great option to get you over the 135,000-point threshold.

How to Use the Southwest Companion Pass

Most airlines limit how you can use a companion certificate – how often you can use it, where you can fly. Southwest isn't like that.

The Southwest Companion Pass is eligible for unlimited flights – both domestic and international. And while Southwest doesn't have a huge international route network, you can use it to fly you and your companion all over the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and even the airline's flights to (and within) Hawaii.

Whether you are paying cash or using Southwest points to book your ticket, use the Southwest Low Fare calendar to find the best deal. Once you book, you can simply add your companion for just the price of taxes and fees. And you can do it an unlimited number of times each year you hold the pass.

If you pay cash for your ticket, you'll only earn points for your flight. Your companion isn't eligible to earn Rapid Rewards for their ticket.

Thrifty Tip: Check out Southwest's Route Search Tool here to see everywhere the airline flies.

Designating Your Companion

First things first: You'll need to pick your favorite travel buddy to join you for nearly free flights.

To do so, you'll want to log into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account and look for the option to choose your companion. From there, just enter your companion's information and you're all set.

Remember: You can change your designated companion up to three times each calendar year. To do so, just give Southwest a call at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA … or try messaging Southwest on Twitter or Facebook.

Adding Your Companion to Your Flight

To add your (nearly) free companion, you'll need to first book your own flight. After you're booked, log in to your Southwest account and locate your reservation.

Under “My upcoming trips,” you should see the option to “Add Companion” for your new flight. This will ensure that your travel buddy is added to the itinerary and can accompany you.

Bottom Line

There really is no better deal in the world of travel than the Southwest Companion Pass – and now's the time to go for it. Earning it at the beginning of the year will give you and your travel buddy nearly two full years of buy one, get one free(ish) travel.