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Southwest Airlines loyalists have run a complex course this year, keeping up with everything from major shifts in baggage policies, the boarding process, seat assignments and route networks, to an overhaul of co-branded credit cards.
But one fan-favorite aspect has remained amid the hype: the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, which is easily one of the best deals in travel. This feature essentially lets you create your own buy-one-get-one airline voucher, allowing you to bring a partner, child, parent, or friend with you on all of your Southwest flights for just the cost of taxes and fees on their ticket.
Even if you book your trip using Rapid Rewards points, your companion can still travel with you using your Companion Pass.
Here’s what you need to know about the timing of Southwest credit card applications to make your Companion Pass last longer.
How to Determine the Perfect Time to Pass a Southwest Companion
To obtain a Companion Pass, you must earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
Once you get a Companion Pass, it’s valid for the rest of the year you get it, plus the entire following calendar year.
This timing makes a big difference. For example:
- Get it in November or December 2025, and it’ll be valid until the end of 2026.
- Earn it in the first quarter of 2026, and it’ll last until December 2027, nearly two full years of two-for-one travel.
That’s why the best strategy is to start earning late this year and post your qualifying points early in 2026.
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What activity counts toward the Companion Pass?
Since the alternative to getting a Companion Pass requires taking 100 flights with Southwest, getting it through points is the quickest and easiest path for most people. Southwest determines What types of points count activity To obtain a Companion Pass card as follows:
the following no Considered an eligible activity:
- Trip reward points
- Getaways with Southwest™ Vacation Reservations
- Rewards for new members for joining the Rapid Rewards program
- Partner rewards points other than those earned using co-branded Southwest Airlines cards
- Points transferred from hotel and car rental loyalty programmes, e-rewards, valuable surveys or Diners Club
- Points purchases
- Points transferred between members
- Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Travel reward
- Tier bonus points
Southwest also points out that the Companion Pass is earned from points registered in your account during the same calendar year, so you’ll have to start over from scratch on January 1 of each year.
For this reason, it is essential that the reward points earned from Southwest Card Welcome Bonuses be posted to your account in early Q1 2026.
Now that you know how to get a Companion Pass, let’s dive into some of the best strategies for qualifying — and how to keep it for about two years.
Related: Got a new credit card? Here are 4 tips to help you get your welcome bonus
Earn the points you need to get the Companion Pass
Knowing that you won’t want to get the Companion Pass until the first quarter of 2026, the end of this year is a good time to start planning for the Southwest Companion Pass.
Get a Companion Pass with your personal Southwest Card
Current bonus on all three personal cards:
Information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card was collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Each card allows new cardholders to earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This welcome bonus gets you over 50% of the way toward your Companion Pass.
Additionally, each card comes with 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points added to your account within 30 days of account opening. So, when combined with the welcome offer, you’ll only need to earn 40,000 bonus points to get the Companion Pass.
RELATED: How to Quickly Get a Southwest Companion Pass
Get a Companion Pass with a Southwest Business Card
If you are a small business owner, you may consider applying for one of Southwest’s business cards:
You can apply for both business cards and get a Companion Pass through their welcome bonuses, but linking one personal card and one business card is the cheapest and most effective way to reach the 135,000-point mark.
For example, opening the Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier Business cards and earning both bonuses could net you about 145,000 points — enough to secure a Companion Pass — with a combined annual fee of $248.
Additionally, there are other ways to earn remaining points if you can’t open two cards, such as additional credit card spending, actually flying on qualifying Southwest fares and partner activities; But the quickest way to get a Companion Pass is to open your Southwest Business Card along with your Southwest Personal Card now if you’re eligible.
RELATED: Who is eligible for a business card
Strategy for the Southwest Companion Pass in 2026-2027
The quickest way to get a Companion Pass is to open your Southwest Personal and Business Pass now. The combined welcome bonuses alone can earn you one.
However, if you can’t unlock both cards, going the personal card route is your best bet, as you’ll earn at least 95,000 qualifying points (from the welcome offer and the 10,000 companion point boost), putting you one step closer to getting the Companion Pass.
No matter which route you take, you’ll need to start applying for the Southwest Card now.
It’s important to note that points transferred from cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, e.g Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (See Rates and Fees), to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account no Count towards the comrade’s lane.
However, once you have a Companion Pass, you can convert points to Rapid Rewards from Chase to book your Southwest Award tickets and essentially have your designated companion travel with you at no additional cost.
RELATED: How to redeem points with Southwest Rapid Rewards
Who is eligible for a new Southwest credit card?
The eligibility rules for Southwest cards are very strict. Terms state:
“The product is not available to any (1) current cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® credit card, or (2) former cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card who have earned a new cardmember bonus within the past 24 months. This does not apply to cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards business card and employee credit card products.”
This means you can only earn the new cardmember bonus on one Southwest personal credit card during a 24-month cycle, so be sure to choose the card that offers the best possible reward. Also note that if you currently have any open personal Southwest credit cards, you will not be eligible for these offers.
Meanwhile, the business card eligibility rules are not as strict as those for Southwest’s personal cards. Employment card restrictions state as follows:
“This new cardmember bonus offer is not available to any (1) existing cardmembers of this business credit card, or (2) previous cardmembers of this business credit card who earned a new cardmember bonus for this business credit card within the past 24 months.”
This means you can’t get a bonus on a Southwest Business Card you’ve been applying for in the past 24 months, and you can’t currently keep the Southwest Business Card you’re applying for, but you can apply for the other card.
However, remember that you can get a bonus from a small business credit card and a Southwest personal credit card in the same calendar year to get closer to earning a Companion Pass. Alternatively, you can get two small business card rewards; You cannot have two ID cards.
RELATED: Do I Need a Business to Get a Business Credit Card?
Bottom line
It’s time to implement your Southwest Companion Pass strategy. By applying for one personal Southwest Card and one business card before the end of the year — and timing your spending so that the welcome bonuses roll out in early 2026 — you can secure nearly two full years of two-for-one travel through the end of 2027.
And if you prefer to start smaller, even one character card can go most of the way and every point you earn after that brings you closer.
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Express Rewards Priority Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
