You can fly free with two years with the Southwest Companion Pass but a common question is can credit card points earn the Southwest Companion Pass?
Update: The credit card offers in this post are no longer available. The current offer 60,000 points. Check our credit card page for the latest offers.
Here’s reader Amy’s comment:
I just looked in southwest.com and it states that enrollment points may NOT be used to qualify for the companion pass. So, this strategy, sadly, would not work. ;(
Except the points earned from the Southwest credit cards from the sign-up bonus and purchases COUNT toward the Southwest Companion Pass.
Keep reading to learn why the sign-up bonus on the Southwest credit cards count towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Credit Card Points Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass lets you bring a companion with you when you fly on Southwest Airlines.
Amy can get the Southwest Companion Pass after she earns 135,000 points in a calendar year. The Companion Pass is valid for the year Amy earns it and through the end of the next year.
So if Amy earns a Southwest Companion Pass early in the year, she can travel for free for two years. And Amy’s companion only pays the airport taxes and fees of about $10.
Currently, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is offering up to 120,000 points: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. And another 60,000 points after spending a total of $15,000 in the first 9 months.
The sign-up bonus is a quick way to earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
Because the sign-up bonus on the Southwest credit cards count towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
“Companion Pass Qualifying Points” are earned from your revenue flights booked through Southwest Airlines, your points earned on Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, and your base points earned from Rapid Rewards Partners.
So, the sign-up bonus from the Southwest credit cards does count towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Just be sure to earn them in the same calendar year. And as early in the year as possible to get the most free flights.
Need a little help getting the Southwest Companion Pass? Read these step-by-step details on how to fly free for two years.
Conclusion
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best travel deals. Because it lets a companion fly with you for free for up to two years.
You can get a Southwest Companion Pass after earning 135,000 Southwest points in a calendar year. Every point earned from the Southwest credit cards count towards the Southwest Companion Pass. So a quick way to get those points is from the sign-up bonus on the Southwest credit cards.
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Tami
Thursday 28th of July 2016
I am totally confused. Aren't enrollment points and sign-up bonus points the same thing? Was Amy wrong, then? You lost me in your explanation of how you actually could use the bonus points to qualify for the companion pass. A little more explanation of how the companion pass works would also be helpful here. Two years of free travel? Why? So do you apply for both credit cards from Southwest to get close to the 110,000 points needed? You will still need to spend $4000 on something to qualify and also pay annual card fees on both cards, right? I just have tons of questions!