- Earning the Southwest Companion Pass requires 135,000 qualifying points in a single calendar year, and the fastest way to get there is combining welcome bonuses from one personal and one business Southwest credit card.
- Timing your applications in January gives you the longest possible window to enjoy the pass, which remains valid through the entire following calendar year.
- Partner activity including hotels, car rentals, dining, and the Rapid Rewards shopping portal all count toward your qualifying points total and can meaningfully close any gap left after credit card bonuses.
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks in domestic travel. Earn it and you can bring one designated companion on every Southwest flight you take, whether you're booking with cash or award points, and they pay only the taxes and fees. On a $300 round-trip, that's $300 back in your pocket. Do that a few times a year over two years and the value quickly reaches thousands of dollars.
Getting there requires 135,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points within a single calendar year. That sounds like a lot. But with the right credit card strategy, most people can hit it in a matter of months. Here's exactly how to do it as fast as possible.
What counts toward the Companion Pass threshold?
Not all Rapid Rewards points are created equal when it comes to the Companion Pass. Only certain earning activities count toward your 135,000-point qualifying total. Understanding the rules before you start saves a lot of frustration later.
These activities count toward your qualifying total:
- Points earned from flying Southwest (base points only, not tier bonus points)
- Welcome bonuses and ongoing spending on Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
- The annual 10,000-point Companion Pass boost awarded to Southwest cardholders
- Base points from Rapid Rewards partners including hotels, car rentals, and the shopping portal
- Points earned on the cash portion of Cash + Points bookings
These do not count, and this is where people get tripped up:
- Points you purchase, receive as a gift, or transfer from another person
- Points converted from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, or any other loyalty program
- A-List and A-List Preferred tier bonus points
- Promotional or courtesy bonus points unless Southwest specifies otherwise
That last bullet about Chase Ultimate Rewards is the one that catches the most people off guard. Transferring Chase points to Southwest does not help you earn the Companion Pass. The strategy has to run through Southwest-native earning.
Why January is the best time to start your Companion Pass strategy
The Companion Pass is valid for the rest of the calendar year in which you earn it, plus the entire following year. That means if you hit 135,000 qualifying points in January 2026, your pass is good through December 31, 2027. That's nearly two full years of bringing a companion for free.
If you earn the pass in October instead, you get only a few months of 2026 plus all of 2027. Still valuable, but meaningfully shorter. The math is simple: the earlier in the year you earn it, the more trips you can take advantage of it.
This is why so many savvy travelers time their Southwest credit card applications for late December or early January. By doing that, the welcome bonus posts in January or February, right at the start of the new qualifying year.
The fastest route: combining a personal and business Southwest card
The most efficient path to the Companion Pass is pairing one personal Southwest card with one business card. Here's why this works so well: Chase issues five cobranded Southwest cards in total, and their welcome bonuses all count as qualifying points. Two well-chosen bonuses can get you most of the way to 135,000 before you've made a single Southwest purchase.
The current personal Southwest card lineup from Chase includes the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. On the business side, you have the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.
A strong combination right now is the Priority (offering around 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months) paired with the Performance Business (around 80,000 bonus points after $5,000 in the first three months). That's 170,000 potential qualifying points between the two welcome bonuses alone, well above the 135,000 threshold even before you account for spending or partner activity.
One important rule to know: Chase limits the annual 10,000-point Companion Pass boost to one per Rapid Rewards member per calendar year regardless of how many Southwest cards you hold. So holding multiple cards doesn't multiply that particular perk.
What about Chase's 5/24 rule?
Before applying, you need to know about Chase's 5/24 rule. Chase will generally not approve you for a new card if you've opened five or more credit cards across any issuer in the past 24 months. Southwest cards are subject to this rule.
If you're near or at 5/24, plan accordingly before applying. And note that you typically need to hold a personal Southwest card for at least 24 months before you can earn another personal Southwest welcome bonus, though business cards have their own separate clock.
How much spending is needed from flying alone?
For completeness, here's what reaching 135,000 qualifying points through Southwest flights alone would look like. Southwest now sells four fare bundles with different earning rates: Basic earns 2 points per dollar, Choice earns 6, Choice Preferred earns 10, and Choice Extra earns 14 points per dollar.
At the Basic fare, you'd need to spend about $67,500 on Southwest flights to earn the Companion Pass from flying alone. Even at Choice Extra, the math requires roughly $9,650 in airfare. For most people, flying alone as a strategy simply isn't realistic, which is exactly why credit card welcome bonuses exist as the intended shortcut.
Partner activity that counts toward your qualifying total
Once you've secured your credit card bonuses, partner activity can close any remaining gap or push you comfortably over the threshold with less spending required on the cards themselves. The key thing to remember: only base points from partners count, not bonus points.
Rapid Rewards hotel bookings through Southwest's portal earn qualifying points, as do car rentals with partners like Hertz, Avis, and Budget. If you're a frequent diner, the Rapid Rewards Dining program links a card to earn qualifying points at participating restaurants. The Rapid Rewards Shopping portal works the same way for online purchases.
None of these partner channels will single-handedly get you to 135,000 qualifying points. But if you're 8,000 points short after your card spending, a hotel booking through the Southwest portal during a business trip might be all you need.
What to do after you earn the Companion Pass
Once you hit 135,000 qualifying points, Southwest will notify you and activate your Companion Pass within a few days. You'll then designate your companion through your Rapid Rewards account. You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year, which means you aren't locked into one person forever.
Strategically, designate your most frequent travel partner first, but keep in mind you can swap if your circumstances change. And remember: the pass works on both cash and award bookings. Your companion pays only the taxes and fees, which on a domestic award redemption can be as low as $5.60 each way.
For the biggest wins, use the pass on routes where cash fares are high and availability is good. Peak holiday travel is one example where a companion flying essentially free creates enormous value.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use two personal Southwest cards to earn the Companion Pass?
No. Chase limits Southwest personal card welcome bonuses to one per person every 24 months. You can hold multiple personal Southwest cards, but you won't earn a second welcome bonus on a personal card if you already received one within the past 24 months. The personal plus business combination works because business cards have separate eligibility rules.
Does the Southwest Companion Pass work on flights to Mexico and the Caribbean?
Yes. The Companion Pass works on all Southwest flights, including international routes to destinations like Cancun, Cabo, and the Bahamas. Your companion pays only the taxes and fees regardless of destination.
Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points help me earn the Companion Pass?
No. Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards do not count toward Companion Pass qualifying points. Only Southwest-native earning activities count, which is why the strategy must run through Southwest credit card spending and partner activity rather than Chase transfer partners.
What happens to my Companion Pass if my account is closed?
If your Rapid Rewards account is closed or your points are forfeited due to account inactivity or violations of program terms, your Companion Pass would also be forfeit. Keep your account in good standing and make sure you maintain card activity if you want to protect your qualifying points balance going forward.
Can I earn the Companion Pass without a Southwest credit card?
Technically yes, but practically it's very difficult. Without welcome bonuses from Southwest credit cards, you'd need to earn 135,000 qualifying points through flying and partner activity alone. Even flying frequently, the math requires tens of thousands of dollars in Southwest airfare. Credit card welcome bonuses are how the vast majority of people realistically earn the Companion Pass.
The bottom line
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most underrated perks in all of domestic travel. Fly often enough and it's worth thousands of dollars per year. The fastest path is combining one personal and one business Southwest card, timing your applications around January so you maximize how long the pass remains valid, and letting partner activity fill any remaining gap.
Check out our full breakdown of three clever strategies for earning the Companion Pass if you want to explore options beyond the credit card route, and see our guide on the best Southwest credit cards to find which combination makes the most sense given your current 5/24 status and spending patterns.
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