Southwest opened the New Year with an announcement that upset many people in the miles/points game.  They issued a statement that they would be “closing the loophole” allowing customers to transfer loyalty points to earn a Companion Pass, effective immediately.  This move actually made sense, and we honestly expected it to happen at some point.  However, the change without warning left people frustrated.  Many people complained, so after yesterday’s email snafu, Southwest decided to bring a little joy to 2017 by temporarily re-opening the loophole.  

This is a HUGE deal for a couple reasons.  First, it shows that Southwest actually listens to its customers.  Unlike other airlines (AA, United, Delta), who continue to devalue their award programs, Southwest decided to let customers know that they heard the frustration.  Second, this opens a clear path to the Companion Pass for those impacted by 5/24.  I’ll explain…

How To Earn the Companion Pass (5/24 workaround)

We have covered the “traditional” way to earn the companion pass a few times.  This method involves getting the Southwest Plus and Premier credit cards, earning 50,000 miles per card, and then earning or transferring enough points to reach 110,000 total.  You can read more about this method here.  Unfortunately, this only works for people who are not under 5/24 and still have access to Chase cards.

If you fall into the group of people who are impacted by 5/24, there is hope!  Southwest announced yesterday that they will allow hotel and loyalty point transfers to count toward the Companion Pass until March 31, 2017.  The also made it very clear that this is a hard cutoff, and no additional exceptions will be allowed!  Keep in mind, points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards DO NOT count.

Marriott Flights and Hotels Packages

So, what should you do between now and March 31st?  I’m glad you asked!  The best method is to utilize the Marriott Flights and Hotel Packages (package #3).  This allows you to exchange 270,000 Marriott points for seven nights in a category 1-5 Marriott hotel and 120,000 Southwest Miles!  BOOM, Instant Companion Pass!

Since Starwood and Marriott have merged, you can also transfer SPG points to Marriott at a 1:3 ratio.  This means, that you can get this deal for only 90,000 SPG points!

How to Get 270,000 Marriott Points

At this point, you may be wondering how-in-the-world you can get 270,000 Marriott points before March 31st.  Fortunately, there a quite a few options to get these points:

Amex offers two cards that earn SPG points.

• Amex SPG Personal Card – 25,000 SPG Point Bonus (75,000 Marriott)
  • $3,000 spend
  • $95 fee waived first year

• Amex SPG Business Card – 25,000 SPG Point Bonus (75,000 Marriott)
  • $5,000 spend
  • $95 fee waived first year

Chase offers three credit cards that earn Marriott/Ritz Carlton Points.  However, only two offer a sign up bonus at this time:

• Chase Marriott Personal Card – 80,000 Marriott Point Bonus + 7,500 for Authorized User
  • $3,000 spend
  • $85 fee NOT waived first year
  • Free cat 1-5 night annually
  • Under 5/24 rule

• Chase Marriott Business Card – 80,000 Marriott Point Bonus
  • $3,000 spend
  • $99 fee NOT waived first year
  • Free cat 1-5 night annually
  • NOT under 5/24 rule

Additionally, if you need to top off your point balance, you can transfer points from Chase to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio.  This isn’t a great value for your Chase points, but it can get you to the 270,000 mark in a pinch.  Chase Ultimate rewards card options include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, Chase Ink Preferred, Chase Freedom, and/or Chase Freedom Unlimited!  See our main menu tab for more info on these offers.

Final Thoughts

This really is a great move by Southwest, and a great opportunity for many of you.  If you want to lock in a Companion Pass for the next two years, you should act quickly on this!  If you’re over 5/24, this may be your last chance to earn the Companion pass for a couple years.  Cheers!