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NOTE: THE CREDIT CARD OFFERS FROM THIS POST HAVE EXPIRED. PLEASE SEE THIS UPDATED COMPANION PASS GUIDE FOR UPDATED OFFERS.
The headline on this post may seem absolutely absurd, but I assure you that it is entirely possible. Here I will teach you how to get your hands on what most people consider the greatest perk offered by any airline worldwide – the Southwest Companion Pass! Come along with me through the loophole!
This credit card-sized token enables you to book a second ticket for a companion when you fly on Southwest Airlines. The best part – even if you pay with points, you can still add your companion for only the cost of the $5.60 TSA Fee per segment. So, how do you get this magical pass? There are two methods.
- Fly 100 segments on Southwest Airlines within one calendar year. Ouch! That is WAY too much work! Maybe option two will be easier…
- Earn 110,000 Rapid Rewards (RR) Miles within 1 calendar year. Ouch again! Think of how many flights it would take to earn that many miles. But wait, maybe there is another way…
Earned in Feb 2015 using Method 2 – Good thru 12/2016!
Southwest offers three credit cards co-branded with Chase. These cards are Personal Premier, Personal Plus, and Business Premier. The standard sign up bonus for these cards is 25,000 RR Miles. However, at different times, the bonuses increase to as much as 50,000 – 60,000 RR Miles! Here comes the strategy!
Currently, Chase is offering the following limited-time sign up bonuses:
- Southwest Personal Premier Card – 50,000 RR Miles
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months
- $99 annual fee not waived
- Southwest Personal Plus Card – 50,000 RR Miles (bonus does not show on application)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months
- $69 annual fee not waived
- Southwest Business Premier Card – 50,000 RR Miles
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months
- $99 annual fee not waived
How great is that?? If you apply and hit the bonus on both cards, you will have 104,000 RR miles. This leaves you 6,000 short of the amount required for the Companion Pass. You can either spend an additional $6,000 to earn the points or transfer points from other programs (except for Chase as UR points do not count toward the Companion Pass). I chose to transfer some Marriott points to hit the 110,000 RR miles. Hyatt, Choice Hotels, Best Western, and Wyndham points also transfer to Southwest.
Even better, Southwest does not “charge” you 110,000 miles for the Companion Pass; they just require that you earn that many. So, you get to KEEP the 110,000 miles to use for FREE FLIGHTS X 2!! I honestly thought this was too good to be true until I earned my very own companion pass this February. We have already booked round trips to New York, NY; Austin, TX; and Atlanta, GA. We are also planning a trip to Denver this winter and possibly Puerto Rico! The possibilities are incredible!
The Companion Pass is good for the duration of the calendar year in which you earn it AND the entire following calendar year. Ideally, you would earn it as early in a year as possible to maximize your time. However, if you plan correctly, your companion could earn the pass by the time yours expires!
Overall, for $168 in annual fees, two people will be able to fly for free on Southwest for up to two years!!
