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The Southwest Companion Pass is coveted for a reason — it lets you bring a companion for free on any flight. You usually have to earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year to get it.
But from Feb. 4 through March 31, 2025, new cardholders can score the Companion Pass — plus 30,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points — by spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening. Once successfully completed, you can bring a traveler with you on as many flights as you want through Feb. 28, 2026. You’ll only pay taxes and fees for that person.
This is a generous welcome offer for anyone who flies Southwest at least a couple of times a year, but not enough to organically earn the Companion Pass.
Which Southwest cards qualify?
Applying for any of the following Southwest credit cards will let you earn the Companion Pass:
Depending on the card, you’ll earn 2X or 3X points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines purchases. You’ll earn 2X points on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshare, as well as internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming purchases. Earn 1X points on everything else.
Southwest cardholders also get perks like:
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins per year on the Plus and Premier cards
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year on the Priority card, when available
- 3,000, 6,000 or 7,500 anniversary points, respectively
- $75 annual travel credit on the Priority card
- 25 percent back on Southwest Airlines in-flight purchases on all three cards
Southwest business cards aren’t eligible. You also can’t access the bonus if you already have a Southwest Rapid Rewards card or have received a bonus on a Southwest card in the past 24 months.
Supplemental link: Best airline rewards credit cards
How much do I have to spend to get the welcome bonus?
To earn the welcome bonus, you need to spend $4,000 within three months of account opening, you’ll need to spend an average of $1,333 per month. You could time a big expense for those three months, or put all your monthly purchases like groceries, gas and shopping on the card.
But keep in mind that credit card rewards are never worth going into debt for.
This bonus opportunity is a steal compared to the normal way of earning the Companion Pass. You typically have to earn 135,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs) in a calendar year by buying Southwest flights and earning Rapid Rewards with your credit card. You do get a bonus of 10,000 TQPs each year with a Southwest card. Or, you have to fly 100 one-way flights in a calendar year.
How long does a Companion Pass last?
When you earn a Companion Pass through Southwest’s new offer, the pass is valid through Feb. 28, 2026. That means you’ll have around one year of flying with a travel buddy for just the $5.60 one-way cost of taxes and fees.
Normally, a Companion Pass is valid through the remainder of the calendar year in which you earn it, plus the entire next year. It’s a longer deal, but much harder to earn.
Past Southwest Companion Pass promotions
This welcome offer isn’t unheard of. Offers from February to March 2023, as well as from 2021 and 2022, also let new applicants earn the Companion Pass after spending a certain amount within the first three months.
If you’re not ready to apply for a Southwest card now, you might be able to secure the bonus if the issuer offers it again in early 2026 or 2027.
The bottom line
The Southwest Companion Pass is a bargain for anyone who travels with friends or family and often chooses Southwest. But if you’re not a super spender or flyer, the Companion Pass can usually be hard to get.
The time is now to jump on this boosted welcome bonus. You have until March 31, 2025, to apply for a Southwest card and start spending if you’re approved. And once you earn the Companion Pass, you can change your companion up to three times a year — so pick your favorite fellow travelers and get those trips on the books.
*The information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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