Your complete guide to the
Southwest Companion Pass
What is it?
The Southwest Companion Pass (CP we'll call it) is one of the most valuable perks offered through the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program. With it, you can choose one person to fly with you for almost free—just covering taxes and fees—every time you travel. Best of all, it works whether you book your flight with cash or points, and there’s no cap on how many times you can use it during the time it’s valid.
How do I qualify?
There are two ways to qualify:
1. Fly 100 one-way flights in a calendar year. (Let’s be real… who actually has time for that and how much would it cost?!)
2. Rack up 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. This one’s much more realistic—and yes, you can totally do it without dropping a fortune if you play it smart.
The quickest path? Southwest Credit Cards. But don’t rush off to Chase just yet—Offers change often and your strategy may differ a bit depending on when you apply.
Speaking of timing, there is an ideal time to apply for the cards. I’ll walk you through this in the next section.
Jump to “this” section once you’ve understood how it all works and are ready to decide which cards you want to get.
How long does CP last?
Once you earn it, the pass is yours for the rest of the current calendar year and all of the next calendar year. Pretty sweet, right? Play your cards right and you can have a CP for up to 23 consecutive months.
When is the best time to apply?
Here’s where timing makes all the difference.
Scenario 1: Let’s say you open the cards in the summer of 2025, hit your spending by September, and your bonus points post then. Great! Your Companion Pass runs from September through December 2025, plus all of 2026. 16 months total. Not bad.
Scenario 2 (my favorite): Now imagine you wait until late 2025 to apply, but you don’t finish your minimum spend until January 2026. Your points post in February, and boom—you’ve got the Companion Pass from February through December 2026 and all of 2027. 23 months total!! That’s almost two full years of flying with a buddy for free (just pay taxes/fees).
How many cards will I need to open?
Traditionally, you’ll need to open 2. One business and one personal. I recommend waiting 30 days between applying for the two cards. There's even a way for a family to earn 2 companion passes by only opening 3 cards.
Welcome offers change regularly and strategy here will vary based on personal circumstances and ability to open business cards. Not sure if you qualify for a business card? Check out this blog post.
Ready to earn a companion pass? Click HERE to go to the most current offers (as of November 2025) and step by step instructions on how to apply.
Still have questions? Contact me here.
