How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
Editor's Note
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks in all of travel. Once you earn it, you can bring a designated companion with you on both paid and award flights, paying only the taxes and fees.
Whether you’re looking to fly to Las Vegas, take the family to Orlando or explore Cancun, this guide will walk you through the current ways to earn the Companion Pass fastest, what counts and what doesn’t, and how to maximize the benefit through 2026 and potentially into 2027.
Related: 1 in 4 Southwest planes now have extra-legroom seats — here's how to snag one
What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass is earned when you collect 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a single calendar year. Once you hit that threshold, you can designate one companion to travel with you on both cash and award tickets.
The pass is valid for the rest of the year in which you earn it, plus the entire following year. For example, if you reach 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in November 2025, your Southwest Companion Pass is good through Dec. 31, 2026. Even better, if you can hit the goal in early 2026, it will be valid through to the end of 2027.
You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year you hold the pass, which means you could potentially fly with up to eight different people across two years (four people a year).
Related: How to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points
What counts toward earning the Companion Pass?
The following earning activities count toward your Companion Pass qualifying points goal:
- Qualifying flights
- Points from Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card welcome offers and ongoing spending
- Base points earned from purchases with Rapid Rewards partners, such as hotels, car rentals and the Rapid Rewards shopping portal
- The 10,000-point annual Companion Pass boost for Southwest Rapid Rewards cardholders
- Points earned on the cash portion of Cash + Points bookings
The following do not count toward your qualifying points goal:
- Purchased, gifted or transferred points
- Points converted from other loyalty programs (including Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Bilt Rewards points and Marriott Bonvoy points)
- Tier bonus points from A-List and A-List Preferred status
- Promotional or courtesy bonus points unless Southwest specifies otherwise
Check out Southwest's website to see the full list.
How much does it cost to earn a Companion Pass from flying alone?
Southwest has changed its business model in 2025 and now sells four fare bundles, each with its own earning rate:
- Basic: 2 points per dollar
- Choice: 6 points per dollar
- Choice Preferred: 10 points per dollar
- Choice Extra: 14 points per dollar
To reach 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points from purchasing flights alone, you’d need to spend:
| Fare bundle | Earning rate | Spending needed for 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2 points per dollar | $67,500 |
| Choice | 6 points per dollar | $22,500 |
| Choice Preferred | 10 points per dollar | $13,500 |
| Choice Extra | 14 points per dollar | $9,643 |
Earning a Companion Pass from flying alone requires significant spending. That’s why savvy travelers turn to credit card welcome offers as an easy shortcut.
How to earn a Companion Pass faster with Southwest credit cards
Chase issues five cobranded Southwest credit cards. Their welcome offers are the fastest route to a Companion Pass, as they count toward your Companion Pass qualifying points.
The three personal Southwest credit cards each currently offer 85,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months from account opening:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards business credit cards also offer generous welcome offers:
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
All of these cards also provide a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year, though note the boost is limited to one per Rapid Rewards member per calendar year (not per card).
However, you may wish to consider strategically applying for a card in mid-to-late-October and timing your spending so you'll reach the threshold needed to earn a Companion Pass early next year to get the most from your pass. It would then be valid for the remainder of 2026 as well as all of 2027.
Other ways to earn a Companion Pass
While credit card bonuses are the fastest route, you can also boost your balance with partner activity:
- Hotels: Earn Companion Pass qualifying points when booking through the Rapid Rewards hotel portal
- Car rentals: Partners like Hertz, Avis, Budget and more award Companion Pass qualifying points for rentals
- Rapid Rewards Dining: Link a card to earn Companion Pass qualifying points when dining at participating restaurants
- Rapid Rewards Shopping: Earn Companion Pass qualifying points for online purchases through the Southwest shopping portal
- Other earning partners: Laithwaite's Wine, Reliant Energy, Xoom and other select partners offer Companion Pass qualifying points for online purchases
You can find a full list of Rapid Rewards earning partners here.
Keep in mind: Only base points from partners count toward Companion Pass qualifying points — bonus points generally do not.
Bottom line
The Southwest Companion Pass can be an incredibly lucrative benefit, especially if you can earn it early enough in a calendar year to enjoy almost two years of companion travel for just the taxes and fees. It's not too late to plan your strategy to earn the pass in 2025 to enjoy for all of 2026 and even into 2027.
For those eligible, getting a nice bonus from a Southwest credit card or two can help you earn a Companion Pass easily (and quickly). While you can earn a Companion Pass through flying or credit card spending alone, a combination is often the easiest approach.
With Southwest now charging for checked bags, the Companion Pass remains a standout value — especially since Southwest cardholders still get one checked bag at no additional cost for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
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