If you carry a Southwest credit card and you've got a hotel stay coming up this month, check your Rapid Rewards account today. Southwest's quarterly cardholder promo, 2X Companion Pass qualifying points on hotel and lodging purchases, has been extended. You now have until October 31, 2026 to register and to spend.
It looks targeted: the terms say the offer applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing for it. So log in before you plan around it.
Deal Details
- The offer: 2 Companion Pass qualifying points per $1 on qualifying hotel and lodging purchases made with your Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card.
- Dates: register between July 1 and October 31, 2026. Once you're registered, qualifying purchases from July 1 through October 31, 2026 count, so hotel charges you've already made since July 1 are covered too.
- The cap: reports word it two ways. One says up to 10,000 bonus qualifying points per quarter, on top of your base points; another quotes the terms as up to 10,000 bonus points. Treat 10,000 bonus points as the ceiling either way.
- What the points do: they're Companion Pass qualifying points only. You can't redeem them for flights or with More Rewards.
- Posting: allow 6 to 8 weeks after the promotion period ends. The bonus shows up in your Rapid Rewards account, not on your card statement, and your card account has to be open and not in default when it posts.
What Counts and What Doesn't
Hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and inns count, but only when you book directly with the property. Rooms bought through travel agencies, discount travel sites, vacation clubs or tour operators don't count, and neither do hotel packages sold by cruise lines or railways.
Charges on the hotel premises other than your room bill, like the restaurant, only count if that merchant codes as a hotel. Buying hotel points doesn't count at all.
How to Take Advantage
- Log in to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account and open the promotion's registration page. If you see a yellow Register Now button, you're targeted. If you see the offer details with no button, you aren't.
- Register by October 31, 2026.
- Book your remaining October stays directly with the hotel and pay with your Southwest card.
Why This Deal Matters
Companion Pass qualifying points count toward earning the pass, and this promo earns 2 of them per $1 on direct hotel and lodging charges, up to the cap. If you're close to the threshold and you have a hotel stay this month anyway, a booking you were already making now counts for more. Our Companion Pass strategy guide covers the threshold and the timing.
If you don't hold a Southwest card yet, know that the terms limit this offer to cardmembers who receive marketing for it. The eligible personal cards are the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier and Priority cards, and the business cards are the Premier Business and Performance Business cards.
The Bottom Line
This is for Southwest cardholders who were targeted and have a hotel stay before the month ends, especially anyone chasing the Companion Pass this year. If you have no hotel bills coming, or you book through online travel sites, skip it. Register and finish your spending by October 31, 2026.
