How to earn a Southwest Companion Pass based on current offers (Late December 2025)

Ready to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass? Here’s Exactly How to Do It

You might be wondering: Which cards should I open? How much will it cost? How do I earn enough points—and when?

Let’s break it all down step-by-step so you can time everything perfectly and maximize your rewards.

First, the basics:

You’ll need 135,000 qualifying points within a single calendar year to earn the Companion Pass. Once you have it, your designated companion flies with you for nearly free (just taxes and fees).

Two other things to note. This strategy assumes that you have not earned a bonus on a personal Southwest credit card in the last 24 months. I highly recommend applying from a desktop computer verses a mobile device, as toggling through the cards and ensuring you select the correct one can be tricky from a phone.

Okay now to the fun part!!

💳 Strategy 1: One Companion Pass

Step 1:  Open the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

• Annual Fee: $290

• Minimum Spend: $5,000 in 90 days

• Bonus: 80,000 points (plus 5,000 from spending) → 85,000 total

  
  

🕓 Wait about 30 days (or longer if needed) before opening your next card.

Step 2: Open the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

• Annual Fee: $99

• Minimum Spend: $1,000 in 90 days

• Bonus: 50,000* points (plus 1,000 from spending) → 51,000 total

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✅ Total Points Earned: 85,000 + 51,000 = 136,000 points

That’s more than enough for the Companion Pass—plus plenty of extra points for free flights!

💰 Total Out-of-Pocket Cost: $398 (first-year annual fees)

💳 Total Minimum Spend: $6,000

✈️ Total Points Earned: 136,000

👥 Strategy 2: Two Companion Passes (Perfect for Couples or Families)

This strategy works best if both partners want to earn the Companion Pass—so you can each fly with a child or friend. Timing is key here, so plan carefully!

Let’s call the first partner Player 1 (P1) and the second Player 2 (P2).

Step 1: P1 opens the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Make sure you select this one with the higher annual fee. You need the extra bonus points that come with this card offer.

• Annual Fee: $299

• Minimum Spend: $5,000 in 3 months

• Bonus: 80,000 points (plus 5,000 from spending) → 85,000 total

  
  

Step 2: P1 refers P2 to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Need help finding your personal referral link? Let me know and I can help.

• P1 earns 20,000 referral points

• P2 earns 85,000 points (80,000 bonus + 85,000 from spend)

• Annual Fee: $299

  
  

🕓 Wait 30 days

Step 3: P1 then refers P2 again—this time for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

• P1 earns another 20,000 referral points

• P2 earns 51,000 points (50,000 bonus + 1,000 from spend)

• Annual Fee: $99

  
  

📊 Here’s how it all adds up:

Player 1 (P1):

• 85,000 points from Performance Business Card

• 20,000 + 20,000 referral points = 40,000 referral points

• Plus 10,000 “boost” points from Southwest on Jan 1→ 135,000 qualifying points total ✅ (Companion Pass earned!)

  
  

Player 2 (P2):

• 85,000 from Performance Business

• 51,000 from Plus→ 136,000 total points ✅ (Companion Pass earned!)

  
  

💰 Total Out-of-Pocket Cost: $697 (first-year annual fees)

💳 Total Minimum Spend: $11,000✈️

Total Points Earned: 221,000

🧭 Is the Two-Player Strategy for You?

If you plan to travel frequently over the next couple of years—and can comfortably meet the minimum spends—this approach can unlock incredible value. Four round trip flights can easily surpass that cost of the annual fees. Two Companion Passes mean double the travel for almost the same cost as one!

⚠️ A Quick but Important Timing Tip-

(The original draft of this article was written in November 2025. If you're reading this in 2026, you can skip this section, as it won't apply to you.)

One crucial detail I haven’t mentioned yet: make sure your minimum spending is completed so that your bonus points post in January 2026 or later.

Since we’re getting close to the end of the year, this likely won’t be an issue—but if any of your bonus or referral points (especially in the two-player strategy) post in 2025, they’ll count toward this year’s total instead of next year’s. That means you could miss out on qualifying for the Companion Pass.

If all of this sounds a bit confusing or you’re not sure how to track when your points will post, don’t worry! Once you’ve opened your card, feel free to reach out—I’m happy to help you make sure everything lines up perfectly.