The Southwest Rapid Rewards program’s 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 Southwest Airlines flights, leaving you only the taxes and fees to pay.
Whether you’re looking to fly to Las Vegas, take the family to Orlando or explore Cancun, Mexico, this guide will walk you through the current ways to earn the Companion Pass fastest. We’ll cover what counts and what doesn’t, and how to maximize the benefit through 2026 and potentially into 2027.
Related: Southwest Airlines set to turn on new high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi
What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
You’ll earn the Southwest Companion Pass 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 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 mid-2026, your Southwest Companion Pass is good through the rest of 2026 and all of 2027, until Dec. 31, 2027. The earlier you hit the goal, the longer you have to enjoy the pass.
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:
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The following do not count toward your qualifying points goal:
Check out Southwest’s guide to qualifying transactions to see the full list.
How much does it cost to earn a Companion Pass from flying alone?
Southwest 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 |
|---|---|---|
|
2 points per dollar |
$67,500 |
|
|
6 points per dollar |
$22,500 |
|
|
10 points per dollar |
$13,500 |
|
|
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 currently offer increased limited-time-only welcome bonuses until July 1:
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:
All of these cards also provide a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year, though note that the boost is limited to one per Rapid Rewards member, per calendar year (not per card).
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 and Budget 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: Laithwaites 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 in the year. It’s not too late to plan your strategy to earn the pass in 2026, so you can enjoy it for the rest of the year and all of 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.
And with increased welcome offers on Southwest credit cards until July 1, it’s easy to earn a valuable Companion Pass.
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Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
