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Since we began writing this blog earlier this year, we have helped almost a dozen couples earn the Southwest Companion Pass! I strongly believe that this is the best perk in all frequent traveler programs, because it effectively doubles the value of all of your Southwest Rapid Reward (RR) Miles. Travel is best when shared with a companion, and this allows you to bring along a friend or loved one to share your adventures! With the 50,000 mile SW Credit Card offers available, now is the PERFECT time to earn your very own Companion Pass. Allow me to tell you why…
The SW Companion Pass allows you to add a free companion ticket to any ticket you book, even if you use points. The pass is good for the year you earn it and the following calendar year. This makes timing particularly important if you want to maximize your time with the pass. If you qualify for the pass in January, you will effectively have FREE FLIGHTS FOR TWO PEOPLE FOR TWO YEARS!!
To earn the Companion Pass, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- 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 50,000 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
- 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
Perfect Timing
So, why is now the perfect time to apply for these cards? The 50,000 offers tend to disappear without warning, so it is crucial to apply while they are available. You have 90 days from when you are approved for the cards to hit the minimum spending and earn the bonus. If you apply on or after 10/4/15, your 90-day spending window will extend into January 2016.
To execute this correctly, you should wait until your December statement closes and spend $2,000 per card. When the January statement closes, you will be credited with 104,000 RR miles. The additional 6,000 points are up to you. Either spend $6,000 more or transfer from SW reward partners (except for Chase). 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!!
Overall, for $168 – $198 in annual fees, two people will be able to fly for free on Southwest for up to two years!! We have already used our Companion Pass for trips to NYC and New Orleans, and we have plans for Atlanta and Austin coming up. Our friends have also planned trips to Charleston and Puerto Rico. The possibilities are incredible! Where will you go?
