Fly with a companion for free all year long with this credit card offer

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Imagine being able to fly a friend or family member with you for free an unlimited number of times for over a year.

With the truly no-strings-attached Southwest Companion Pass, you can do exactly that. And while this pass is traditionally hard to earn, right now you can use the sign-up bonus offers on Southwest's credit cards to make it easier than ever. Let me show you how it works.

With the Southwest Companion Pass, you can book a second person on any Southwest flight with you as long as there's at least one seat left for sale. The only cost are the taxes and fees, which are typically just $5.60 per passenger each way for domestic flights, and slightly more for international flights, depending on the destination.

To use the pass, you just book a Southwest flight for yourself with either cash or points, and then add your companion to the same reservation. You can do this as many times as you'd like, and can also change your companion up to three times each year, in addition to the person initially designated as your companion pass holder. This means over the course of 2024 and 2025, you can have seven different people fly with you for free.

To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you need to accrue 135,000 qualifying points within the calendar year. But the sign-up bonus points on Southwest's credit cards count as qualifying points, and right now if you get a Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, you can earn up to 120,000 bonus points — 60,000 points after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months; plus an additional 60,000 points after $15,000 total spend in the first 9 months.

• Click here for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
• Click here for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

With just one card application — and earning the bonus points — you will have enough points to earn the pass, without having to earn anymore qualifying points. This is truly the easiest way to earn the pass and the best card offer we've seen amongst the Southwest suite of cards.

This is because, as long as you meet the fill minimum spend requirement in 2024 — and all the bonus points post in this calendar year — you'll earn 120,000 points from the bonus offer, plus 15,000 points from meeting the minimum spend requirement. This nets 135,000 qualifying points, which is the exact amount needed to earn the pass.

And since this all-access pass is valid for the rest of the year it's earned, plus the entire following year, if you earn the pass now, you can essentially fly buy-one-get-one-free all the way through December 31, 2015.

You just want to ensure that all points post this year. This means you'll want to hit the full minimum spend requirement by your December 2024 statement close date. Points then typically post to your Southwest account within 2-5 business days. But to make sure your points post in a timely manner, and within this calendar year, best practice would be to meet the minimum spend requirement by your November 2024 statement close date.

If you aren't eligible for a business card, Southwest also offers three personal credit cards. While these cards aren't offering the same increased welcome offer, the bonus points earned still count towards the Companion Pass and can get you one step closer to earning the pass.

• Click here for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
• Click here for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
• Click here for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

With five Southwest credit cards — three personal and two business — you're probably wondering which one is best for you.

The Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier are similar, although the Southwest Plus costs $69 a year while the Southwest Premier costs $99 a year. Both cards offer a 10,000-point boost toward the Southwest Companion Pass, 25% back on inflight purchases, and two EarlyBird Check-In's per year.

The big difference, is that each year on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll earn 3,000 bonus points with the Southwest Plus, but a higher 6,000 bonus points with the Southwest Premier. And if you're a big spender, the Southwest Premier can help you earn A-List elite status.

But the Southwest Priority Card offers the most benefits of the three personal cards. It carries a $149 annual fee, but you'll get four upgraded boarding positions per year, a $75 annual travel credit, and 7,500 bonus points each year on your cardmember anniversary. You'll also get the same 25% back on inflight purchases and 10,000-point boost toward the Companion Pass.

For those eligible for a small business card, the Southwest Premier Business is very similar to the personal version of the card. You’ll earn bonus points on Southwest purchases, 25% back on inflight purchases, and two EarlyBird Check-In credits per year. The card also costs $99 a year and comes with 6,000 bonus points on each account anniversary.

The Southwest Performance Business card is the most expensive of all five cards, with a $199 annual fee per year. But you’ll get four upgraded boarding positions, up to 365 Inflight WiFi credits per year (which essentially means having complimentary Wi-Fi on every Southwest flight you take), a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement, and 9,000 bonus points on every account anniversary.

The Southwest Companion Pass is an unbelievable way to travel for free. I've been a passholder for 15 years, and it's saved my family tens of thousands of dollars. I've flown to many Southwest Airlines destinations on the pass, with my husband, my daughter, my son, my mom, and sometimes even friends.

With no blackout dates, seat restrictions, or fare restrictions, the Southwest Companion Pass is really one of the best airline benefits you'll find. And with the limited-time offers on these Southwest credit cards, right now earning the pass is easier than ever.