How to Fly Free for Two Years
Want to learn how to fly free for two years? Follow the steps outlined in this post and you can enjoy free travel.
If you're like me and love to travel, that's probably why you're reading this post. Flying can be expensive. The cost of flights is one reason why so many people can't live out their vacation dreams.
You can say goodbye to expensive airfare with this simple travel hack and learn how to travel for free. Here's how to fly free for two years.
The Secret to Two Years of Free Flights
You can get two years of free flights with the Southwest Companion Pass. The Southwest Companion Pass lets someone fly with you for free for up to two years. The companion ticket is free, but, there are airport taxes and fees of about $10.
When you earn the Southwest Companion Pass it's good for the year you earn it and until the end of the following year. So if you time it right, you can get two years of free flying for your companion. A companion can be anyone: your spouse, child, friend, or family member.
The Southwest Companion Pass is great for families. If you're a family of four, each parent can get a Companion Pass and choose a child as their companion. That way the entire family travels for free.
Southwest flies to over 103 cities in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America such as Hawaii, Cancun, and Belize. So there are many places you can visit using your Southwest Companion Pass. And all those cheap airfare deals to Europe? Use your Companion Pass to get to one of those gateway cities.
How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
You earn a Southwest Companion Pass after getting 135,000 Southwest points in a calendar year.
I know what you're thinking, "How am I going to earn 135,000 Southwest points in a year?" I have three words for you: credit card points. All your credit card points count towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Southwest offers three credit cards with a signup bonus of 85,000 Southwest points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards(R) Priority Credit Card
You can earn 80,000 points from the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.
Or 60,000 points from the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
You can earn 165,000 Southwest points by applying for two Southwest credit cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
Because one card is a personal card and the other is a business card, you can apply for both on the same day.
Pro-tip: If you have the Southwest Plus card, you can apply for the Southwest Premier card because it's a different card. Search for the latest credit card offers.
Earn a Southwest Companion Pass and 173,000 Southwest Points in 1 Week
1. Apply for the Southwest Premier Card
The Southwest Premier Credit Card is a great card for international travel because it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
The annual fee is $99. But each year you get a bonus of 6,000 Southwest points when you renew the card. So you can look at the annual fee as buying 6,000 points each year.
You can earn 85,000 Southwest points after spending $3,000 in purchases within 3 months of opening your account on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.
Pro-tip: Be sure to add your Southwest Rapid Rewards frequent flyer number on your application. Otherwise, they will issue you a new number.
After you've been approved, ask Chase to expedite sending the card to you. So that you can get the card in a few days.
Time to Complete: 5 to 15 minutes to apply
Pro-tip: You can also earn a 85,000 point bonus on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card when you make $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.
2. Apply for the Southwest Performance Business Card
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a great card if you frequently fly Southwest for business. Because you earn more points and get more perks like 4 upgraded boarding passes for guaranteed A1 to A15 boarding.
You also get a daily $8 inflight Wi-Fi credit and a $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck credit. This means you can breeze through TSA faster.
After spending $5,000 in purchases within 3 months after opening your account you can get 80,000 Southwest points from the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
Pro-tip: The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card offers the same benefits as the personal Southwest Premier card. The only difference between the two cards is that one is designed for businesses while the other is for personal use.
But you get a higher signup bonus on the Southwest Performance Business card and can earn your Companion Pass faster.
You do not have to be incorporated to get a business card. You can get a business card as a sole proprietor if you're self-employed or have a small business. Some examples of small businesses include selling on Etsy, eBay, selling Shakeology, etc.
Pro-tip: Remember to add the same Southwest number to your application that you used for the Southwest Premier personal card and ask Chase to expedite the card to you.
Time to Complete: 5 to 15 minutes to apply
3. Complete Minimum Spending
You can earn 85,000 points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card after spending $3,000 in purchases on the personal card within 3 months.
With the Southwest Performance Business card, the minimum spending is $5,000 within 3 months to get the 80,000 points.
Typically I apply for new cards when I have upcoming large expenses. But there are lots of ways to meet minimum spending. Here are 7 unusual ways to complete the minimum spending on a new credit card.
Pro-tip: This is my favorite way quick and easy way to earn unlimited miles and points.
Don't get confused by your credit card statement. The annual fee does NOT count towards your minimum spending.
Time to Complete: 5 to 60 minutes (varies on how you complete your spending)
Total: Southwest Companion Pass and 173,000 points (85,000 points + 80,000 points + 3,000 points + 5,000 points)
Conclusion
One of the easiest travel hacks to travel for free is the Southwest Companion Pass.
The Southwest Companion Pass lets your companion fly for free for up to two years when they travel with you. The only cost is airport taxes and fees of about $10.
Because Southwest flies to over 103 cities in the US (including Hawaii), Mexico, and the Caribbean including Cancun and Belize, you can use your Southwest Companion Pass for free travel.
If you earn your Companion Pass in January you'll get two years of free travel. That's because the Southwest Companion Pass is good for the entire year it's earned AND through the end of the following year.
You get a Southwest Companion Pass when you earn 135,000 Southwest points in a calendar year. But you can earn 173,000 points in less than a week by applying for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and completing the minimum spending.
That's because the sign-up bonus and all purchases made with the Southwest credit cards count towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Pro-tip: Search for the latest credit card offers.
Use Reward Points to Travel
- Review: Lufthansa 747-8 First Class Los Angeles to Frankfurt for $40
- Our First Class Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu to Sydney Flight for $63
- The How to Luxury Guide to Sydney on $85 a Day
- Two Weeks in Hong Kong & Australia on $93 a Day
How to Travel for Free
Read these blog posts on how to travel for free.
- How to Travel for Free
- Get a Free Hotel When You Buy a Ticket on These Airlines
- How to Fly Free for Two Years
- 7 Easy Ways to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles Without Flying
- How to Get Free Breakfast at Hotels
- Eat for Free at Disney World
- How to Get Free Internet at Hotels
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Another option for one of the two cards is the Southwest Plus card. A little more tricky because you have to catch it on one of it's 50K signup times (or find a referral on FlyerTalk). This is good if you don't have a legitimate business to get the Premiere Business card under as Chase has made this a little more difficult in the last couple of years.
Working on this currently, one companion pass for me and one on my wife's account ( 4 credit cards total), so we can fly the family of 4 for the price of 2. No, you won't find the first class seats pictured in the article that I know of (unless Debbie has a secret hack for that), but a good deal for 2 years of flying.
Hey Chris,
Unfortunately the Southwest Plus is only offering a 25,000 bonus right now. 🙁
If you already have one SW card would you just suggest that we open both cards with my husbands name?
Hi Lindsey,
If you already have the Southwest Premier card, then yes, open both cards in your husband's name.
If you have the Southwest Plus card, you can get the two Southwest Premier cards because they are different.
Wow, it's a process, but that's incredible. This is going to be a discussion with the husband tomorrow. 🙂
Hi Rob Taylor,
Exactly, right? You can get a lot of travel with that Companion Pass. It's an amazing deal for families.
Airfare is the most expensive part of travel! I wish Delta had something like this (my go-to airline in the United States). This would be so helpful and save us tons of money!
LiveLifeWell,
Allison
Hi Allison Jones,
While they don't have a Companion Pass per se, they have a Companion Certificate (for Platinum Delta Skymiles cc or Delta Reserve holders).
It lets you bring a companion for free on one flight, you just pay the taxes and fees.
Delta does. If you have an American Express Delta card. You don't even have to have near that amount if points either. I get one every year and I continue to fly free. Usually I split the cost with a friend so they don't have to pay so much. Delta is much better than Southwest too. They have had much better service, don't have to check in to stand in line for a seat, usually on time (more so than my experience with Southwest)
Hi Cal,
The Delta Companion Pass only gets you one flight.
Whereas the Southwest Companion Pass gets you unlimited flights. You can bring your companion for free on as many flights as you want for as long as the Pass is valid (up to two years).
This is awesome! I fly Southwest at lot in the US to see my sister and family. I didn't even know about their companion card but am going to sign up for it right now! Thanks for the info!!!
Hi Sadie,
Awesome, so glad this post helped. 🙂
This is brilliant. I just sent this post to my husband. Our hope is to travel a few months on, few months off when our oldest two are in college. Very glad I found your blog!
Hi Julie@MomFabulous,
Thanks for the compliment. Looking forward to seeing where you'll go with your companion pass.
Oh wow, this is incredible! I was thinking it would be expensive for the first person or this wouldn't be possible but this is really cool! I think I can definitely rack up 110,000 points to do it.
Thanks for sharing this I am going to research it today!
xo
Krista
http://www.hundredblog.com
Hi Krista Williams,
So glad you enjoyed the post.
And the beauty is that you can use those 110,000 points to "pay" for your flight. So you use points for your flight and your companion flies free and your total out of pocket is just airport taxes and fees.
thanks for sharing this is a very valuable tool for so many that do fly.
Hi Angie,
Thanks 🙂
I love the Southwest Companion Pass - such a fantastic perk, I really wish that more airlines would offer something similar. I'm currently a solo traveler so I haven't been able to really take advantage of it yet, but I hope this perk is still around someday if I find myself with a partner.
xo,
Tami
Hi Tami,
Yeah, it's harder to really maximize the Companion Pass when you travel solo.
Agreed, hope it stays around for a long time. It's such a great value.
This is awesome!!! I've only flown SW a handful of times.
Hi Tiana,
It's great for positioning flights. 🙂
Certainly very good tips for those that spend a lot of time flying Southwest. Now if they ever fly to Northern Europe, we'd be in!????
Hi Arnie,
You can use the Companion Pass to get to a city that does fly to Northern Europe such as Boston or Washington, DC. Then take one of those cheap $99 WOW flights to Iceland.
We are always traveling I am surprised I had not heard of this program! I love finding ways to cut out costs down when we travel it can add up fast!! I did not know that Hyatt was partnered with Southwest like this as well.
Hi Tammilee Tips,
Glad you enjoyed the tips.
I am definitely bookmarking this post because you offered some really helpful tips that I was not aware of! And since I am a travel bug I would love to start traveling for free! I did not even know about Southwest Airlines companion pass...and I use this airline a lot! Oh my! Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Hi Cara,
Thanks, glad the post was helpful. Hopefully you can start traveling for free soon. 🙂
I had no idea that existed. That is one of the great things about the US - so many airlines to choose from, and much better airfares too.
Hi Sicorra@NotNowMomsBusy,
Thanks, happy that you liked the post. 🙂
This is a really great travel hack for those in the US. If I lived there I'd probably take out those cards just to rack up those points so that my partner or son could travel for free with me. Airline tickets are so expensive so every little helps when it comes to being able to afford travel.
Hi Fi Ni Neachtain,
Too true, airline tickets can be the most expensive part of traveling. That's what makes this such a great deal. 🙂
I love that they offer a companion pass. t would be easy to rack up the $2000 in 3 months. Just use it to pay any bills you normally would pay out of your bank account then pay it off with your bank account so you don't have debt!
Hi Toni,
Exactly. Or prepay your utilities. There are so many ways to easily meet the minimum spending. 🙂
I've only ever flown a few times to see my Dad. I've never heard of the companion pass though, but that would be amazing. I could start a mom and daughter travel journey 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Hi Amy Ditmore,
So glad you found the post useful. Hope you can begin that mom and daughter travel journey.
I have only flown Southwest and always had a good flight. Wait, I did fly Delta before too but the rates were much higher. I haven't flown in quite some time, but it's on my 2016 list! I want to hit the northeast soon!
Hi Krystal,
Hope you're able to reach your travel goals in 2016.
Honestly, that is a total steal of a deal and with some savvy (like you've shown) you can really get to that 110K mark pretty easily. Now if Southwest would just fly from here, I'd be all set! I have to drive a couple hours to find them.
Hi Liz Mays,
A couple hours drive could be worth the money you save with the Companion Pass.
Wow this seems like it would be a great card to get, the benefits are absolutely amazing! I wish we had this airline in Canada- I don't think we do but I will have to look and see if we could still benefit from it!
Hi Chantal,
Glad you like the post. Right now Southwest doesn't fly in Canada but they've been talking about it for years. So maybe one day? 🙂
Great tip. I have one SW card, and I am a huge proponent of using credit cards smartly to get points (provided that you use credit responsibly).
Hi Tyra,
Thanks. 🙂
Yep, use your card and then pay it off immediately and never carry a balance.
I love earning rewards. I have yet to get the SW card but I have been thinking about it.
Hi Chanel | Cultural Xplorer,
It's the fastest way to get a lot of travel. 🙂 If you decide to get the Southwest credit card, now's the best time that way you get almost two full years of free travel.
Hi Debra, is this possible for me? I'm from Philippines.
Hi Nicole Escat,
You could get a Southwest credit card if you have a US address. Southwest doesn't fly from the Philippines or other Asia countries.
But if you visit the US, Caribbean or Mexico a lot, it could be worth it.
I'd never heard of the companion pass before. I'll have to show my husband.
Hi Christy D,
Let me know if you have any questions about the Southwest Companion Pass.
Hi, so do I have to use up the $2000 before they give the right to fly for free. When can I start flying? And can I cancel my yearly membership after the year is over?. Thanks so much for you help and sharing this nice tips.
Hi Danay,
It's not a yearly membership, but a Companion Pass that's valid for the entire year you earned it and the following year. So the earlier in the year you earn it, the more flying you can do.
To get the Southwest Companion Pass, you have to earn 110,000 Southwest points in a calendar year.
To do it quickly you can earn 100,000 of those points by getting the Southwest personal and Southwest business card and completing the required $2,000 spending.
You can get the remainder of the points by additional spending or transferring hotel points (as outlined in the post).
You can start flying using your Companion Pass as soon as you earn it.
OMG...seriously I need to read these types of blogs more often, I learn so much about traveling.
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for the compliment. Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter. That way you won't miss any posts.
That's really neat! One of my good friends is always flying with someone, I'll have to share this with her. Great tips, thanks!
Hi Christina @ Youthful Homemaker,
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the tips. Yes, please share my post with friends and family. 🙂
Great tips! We are loyal Southwest people, so that is really good to know!
Hi Nikki,
Glad the post helped. 🙂
wow. I have to get back to this post to do the steps. Thanks for the info
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
This is good information to know. I have never heard of that. We are planning a trip soon so this will come in handy, Thank You.
Hi Ashley,
Happy to hear that my post was timely. Let me know if you end up getting a Southwest Companion Pass.
If I ever decide to get a credit card again, this would be a great option to do.
Hi Misty Eilar,
Thanks. Definitely a great deal if you use credit cards.
Wow, I would never think of something like that! Creative way for cheaper travelling! Thanks for the great post!
Hi Maaike,
So glad you liked our tip to travel cheaply. 🙂
Amazing! I have never heard anything like this before! I will definitely look into this more because I want my daughter to be able to fly for free!
Hi Elizabeth Edgar,
Thanks, glad you liked the post. Hope your daughter can fly for free.
My fiance and I did this all through college with American Airlines. Credit cards are definitely the fastest way to get free tickets! This is a great post for specific details though! We have a Southwest hub nearby so it might be worth investing in for us!
Hi Jordyn,
Awesome, sounds like you did quite a bit of traveling in college.
With a Southwest hub near you, you'll save a lot with the Companion Pass, even if you only use it to get to gateway cities.
Very helpful post. Thanks for sharing ...
Hi Nimi Popat,
Glad you like the post. 🙂
I am really trying to understand this... How is a family of four traveling free if the parents are buying tickets and using the companion pass for the children?
Aren't they paying for the parents to fly and the children are flying free?
I can't figure it out.
Hi Tammigirl,
For a family of four with 2 Companion Passes, you can travel for free because you can use those 220,000 points (110,000 per parent) to pay for the parent's flight and the children fly free as companions.
Wow! This is amazing. Thanks for that. I typically fly Delta but I might just have to switch.
Hi Jenn @ The Art of Better,
Happy that you appreciated the post. It might be worth it to switch from Delta to Southwest. 🙂
I love traveling and this year I have some great trip I need to go on. Thanks for the tips, I can easily earn 110,000 points.
Hi Lakisha,
Awesome, glad to hear it. Love to hear about all the trips you'll take once you earn your Companion Pass.
Thanks for the article; very compelling. Just one question/correction: Southwest site indicates they DO NOT accept transferred, gift-ed or bought points towards the 100K needed for the companion pass:
" Points purchased for personal use or as a gift, transferred points, points earned from program enrollment, Tier bonus points, flight bonus points, and Partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not qualify as Companion Pass Qualifying Points."
so it sounds like we need to earn the point thru flights or credit card use...
thanks again!
Hi lee conklin,
You can earn the points through flights, credit cards, and partners.
Where you referenced, they are referring to bonus points. For example, if you normally earn 500 points for renting a car, if Avis had a promotion that offered 1,000 points, only the first 500 would count towards the Companion Pass.
You can't buy Southwest points to qualify for the pass. But you can buy hotel points and transfer those and earn the pass that way. 🙂
Great source of information. Thank you for sharing
Hi Celest Choi,
Glad you enjoyed it.
I'm from India ..I don't think southwest is avaible over here..can u give some alternative ?
Hi Ahamed,
Unfortunately, Southwest isn't available in India.
I'm not sure what options you have. But I can do some research to find out. It'll take me a little while, but I'll get back to you.
What happens once the two years are up? How do you earn additional points? Do you continue to apply for cards for the sign up bonuses?
Hi SC,
After the two years you'll need to earn another Companion Pass to get 2 more years of free flights.
You earn additional points every time you use the credit card, buy things through their partners and when you fly on purchased tickets.
With Chase credit cards you can only get the sign-up bonus again after it's been 24 months (2 years) since you last got the sign-up bonus. So you'd have to wait to reapply for the sign-up bonus.
Do the Southwest Primier Card & the Business Card give you one point for every dollar spent on the cards? Do purchases you make with your cards at all grocery stores, gas stations, & restaurants count, or are there exclusive places you must patronize to earn points? We have several monthly bills paid automatically with our Am.Express card. Could we earn points if we paid these with the Southwest cards?
Hi Branna Snow,
You get 2 points for every dollar you spend on Southwest tickets, vacation packages, and through the Rapid Reward partner hotels and car rental companies.
You get 1 point for every dollar you spend everywhere else. So grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, stores, etc.
Yes, you could earn Southwest points if you paid your monthly bills with the Southwest cards instead of with your American Express cards.
Could you explain how to get more than one southwest credit card? I have a SW CC currently and when I applied for the business card they refused me saying I already had a SW personal card. Also, they told me there is no such thing as "reapplying" after two years in order to get points....I think your information is misleading....
Hi Mary,
Here's how to get more than one Southwest credit card:
The Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus cards are different personal credit cards with different benefits and annual fees.
So if you currently have the Southwest Plus card, you can apply for the Southwest Premier card.
Of if you have the Southwest Premier card, you can apply for the Southwest Plus card.
In terms of getting a business card, you have to have a business. You can't get a business card if you don't have a business. So if you have a traditional business or have a untraditional business like a daycare or babysitting business, sell things on eBay or Etsy, etc. you can apply for a business card.
You can reapply for a new Southwest card 2 years (24 months after you received your sign-up bonus) if you have cancelled your card.
So with your current Southwest credit card, if you applied for and received the sign-up bonus 2 years (or 24 months) ago, then you could cancel your existing card and reapply for a new Southwest card and get the sign-up bonus again.
But a word of caution, Chase is getting stricter with people doing this. Because many people were doing this on a regular basis (every 2 years) and getting the sign-up bonus multiple times.
Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Hello
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. ;(
Hi Amy,
Not sure where you looked, but they do count. And have for years.
https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/faqs.html?topic=rapid_rewards_program_terms_and_conditions - under Companion Pass
Let me know if you have any additional questions or need help.
From that exact faq “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. Points purchased for personal use or as a gift, transferred points, points earned from program enrollment, Tier bonus points, flight bonus points, and Partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not qualify as Companion Pass Qualifying Points. "
Hi Zach Regan,
I know it's kinda confusing, but this part is key: "...(with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase)..."
All points from the Southwest credit cards including the sign-up bonus count towards the Southwest Companion Pass and have for years.
I'll see if I can find a screenshot from when I earned my pass a couple of years ago and include it in the post.
This is great! My family lives out of state! This would make me visit way more! It's only the plane tickets that hold me back.
Oh this is really great information. I'm going to share this with my hubby who is a frequent flyer.
Wow, that sounds like a great deal. Unfortunately, Southwest doesn't have many flights out of my home airport
Thanks for all that info! I would LOVE to fly free for two year, and it all seems too good to be true. This was very informative.
I would love this! And I do love Southwest, so I'll look into this.