How many southwest points for companion pass

You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. Airline points and miles are great for getting you almost-free flights. The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most coveted travel perks in travel.

Southwest Companion Pass holders can bring a companion with them on all Southwest flights at almost no cost. On domestic U. The Companion Pass is valid from the date earned through the end of the next calendar year. For example, if the Companion Pass is earned in March , it will be valid through December 21, That means that Companion Pass holders get at least a full calendar year of benefiting from a companion ticket on Southwest. Southwest will let pass holders change their companion up to three times per calendar year.

Even better, there are no blackout dates or capacity restrictions for using the Companion Pass. A companion can join a Companion Pass holder regardless of how they booked the flight. Pass holders can use Rapid Rewards points to pay for his or her flight and bring a companion free of airline charges.

A Rapid Rewards member needs to fly qualifying one-way flights or earn , Companion Pass-qualifying points in a calendar year to earn the Companion Pass. In October , Southwest raised the bar for earning the Companion Pass from , Companion Pass-qualifying points to , points. This new requirement took effect on January 1, Not all Rapid Rewards point activity counts toward earning the Companion Pass.

However, most earning activity does qualify. Southwest lists four major categories of points that qualify toward the Companion Pass:. Southwest flyers earn Rapid Rewards from revenue flights at the following rates:. Thankfully, the Companion Pass-qualifying points can be earned from more than just flying. Southwest partner hotel stays, car rentals and Rapid Rewards credit card spending—and welcome bonuses—count towards the ,point requirement. Rapid Rewards members can also earn Companion Pass-qualifying points from a long list of retail and travel partners.

The easiest way to quickly boost your earnings toward the Companion Pass is through credit card welcome bonuses and spending. However, some travelers may be able to earn the Companion Pass from just credit card bonuses and spending.

The following activity does not count toward earning the Companion Pass:. From utilizing lucrative sign-up bonuses — three Southwest Credit Cards currently have up to ,point welcome offers — to booking flights and racking up qualifying Rapid Rewards points, here's how to earn the coveted Southwest Companion Pass in a hurry. Our best selections in your inbox.

Shopping recommendations that help upgrade your life, delivered weekly. Sign-up here. That's exactly what the Southwest Companion Pass allows you to do, regardless of whether or not you're paying for your own ticket with cash or points, whether you're both flying domestically or to one of Southwest's international destinations or how many times you use it while you're still eligible.

You can also change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year, so you don't necessarily need to bring the same person along each time you use it. Best of all, the Southwest Companion Pass can be used throughout the rest of the year you earn it in as well as the whole next year.

Meaning if you qualify for it at the start of , you'll be able to use it through the end of You'll need to time it out just right to take full advantage of the timing though. Opening a new Southwest Credit Card account toward the end of the year and not reaching minimum-requirement thresholds until after December 31 means all qualifying spending events will take place the following year, effectively locking you in to qualify for perk for the next year and the entire year after.

Keep in mind that you haven't officially earned your Rapid Rewards points until they hit your account, which can vary depending on when your credit card statement ends. Spending after a certain date in December, for instance, would end up on your January statement, so make sure you correctly time you're spending to ensure the welcome bonus hits your account at the beginning of a new year.

To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you'll need to rack up at least , qualifying Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. But if you earn the Companion Pass on February 1, , it is valid up to the end of So earning the Companion Pass early in the year can get you close to two years of free flying on Southwest. The points each person earns must go to their individual Southwest loyalty accounts.

You cannot combine them to have them qualify for a Companion Pass. You can still use the , Southwest points to book flights, and your companion flies for almost free if you have the Companion Pass.

Yes, you and your partner can each earn the Companion Pass and add your kids, parents or friends as companions. However, one person cannot earn more than one Companion Pass. The Southwest Companion Pass is based on how many points you earn within a calendar year, not how many are in your account. Suppose you earn 40, Southwest points this week and use 25, points to book a round-trip flight to New York City.

Then you earn another 60, Southwest points a couple of months later. Canceling your Chase Southwest credit cards will not have an impact on your Southwest Companion Pass. You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year, after you initially designate a companion.

That means you can have up to four different companions the first calendar year, then three in the second year — or seven total across the life of the pass. So choose wisely. You can switch back to an earlier companion, but it would count as a change and eat into the seven changes permitted. Navigate to Southwest. Be sure their details match their government-issued identification exactly.

Here are the details about how to add a companion to your Southwest flight. Keep this information handy. Next, you can link the confirmation to your Southwest account. Go to the Southwest website and enter your Southwest confirmation number from the Chase email and your name. The flight will now appear in your Southwest account. Southwest is making their elite status and the Southwest Companion Pass easier to earn this year. You could achieve this by opening one personal and one small business Southwest card and meeting their minimum spending requirements!

That should be enough to recoup the time stolen from you by the novel coronavirus. The credit card sign-up bonuses currently count toward Companion Pass status. Southwest points earned from spending on the Southwest cards also count.

Currently, none of the Chase Southwest cards have waived annual fees. Lots of folks qualify for small-business cards without even realizing it. For example, if you freelance, tutor students or even sell items on eBay, you could be eligible for a small-business card.

Having a business credit card also makes it much easier to keep business expenses separate from personal expenses. In fact, you can apply as a sole proprietor by using your Social Security number on the application and enter your name as the business name. Plus, certain business credit cards will not appear on your personal credit report. If you apply for two Chase cards at the same time, your second application almost always will be declined online.

But if you call the Chase reconsideration line, you can usually negotiate an approval for the card. The questions have become more detailed over the years. Expect to be asked when you started your business, how long it has been established, what your business does, your revenue, sales, and profits from the last two or three years. What are your future projections for revenue, sales and profits? But transferred points are not Companion Pass-eligible.

Don't try to buy your way to a Companion Pass: Points that you purchase directly won't count, nor will points transferred between members, or converted from hotel and car loyalty programs. Don't run afoul of Chase's "One Southwest Card" rule : If you already have a Southwest consumer card, you likely will not be eligible for another. Similarly, if you've already earned a sign-up bonus from a Southwest consumer card within the past 24 months, you likely cannot qualify for a different consumer card.

What is a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass? Nerdy tip: If you can time it so you qualify for the pass in January, you'll essentially be getting two-for-one tickets for nearly two years. That could add up to some serious savings. How to get a Companion Pass faster.

What not to do. On a similar note Dive even deeper in Credit Cards.