Reading Time: 4 minImagine flying a friend or family member with you for free — on every Southwest flight — for up to two years.
That’s the power of the Southwest Companion Pass. This no-strings-attached pass is one of the most valuable benefits in the airline industry, and while it’s traditionally tough to earn, current credit card sign-up bonuses make it more accessible than ever. Here’s how it works.
The Southwest Companion Pass lets you add one person to any Southwest flight you book — paid with either cash or Rapid Rewards points — as long as a seat is available for sale. The only cost is taxes and fees: $5.60 each way for domestic flights, and slightly more for international routes.
The pass has no limit on use, so your companion could join you on every trip. You can also switch your designated companion up to three times each calendar year.
Once earned, the pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year plus all of the following year. For example, if you earn the pass in January 2026, you’ll enjoy free companion travel through December 31, 2027 — giving you almost two years with the pass.
Best of all, the pass can be added to a previously booked flight, so if you already have a flight booked — prior to earning the pass — your companion can still fly with you for free. Your pass just needs to be active during the time of flying.
To earn the pass, you need to accrue 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a single calendar year. While that may sound daunting, the Southwest credit card welcome bonuses make it much easier.
Currently, all three Southwest personal credit cards are offering 50,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months:
This means, after meeting the spend requirement and earning the welcome bonus, you'll end up with 51,000 points. Plus, as a cardmember, you’ll also receive 10,000 qualifying points toward the Companion Pass each year, bringing your total to 61,000.
That still leaves you 74,000 points short of the 135,000 you need. You could earn those remaining points from additional credit card spending, the Southwest shopping portal, partner offers, or from flying Southwest.
But another option is pairing a personal card with a Southwest business credit card, which can easily put you over the threshold. Unlike personal cards, you’re allowed to hold both a personal and a business Southwest card at the same time. The two options are:
Right now, the bonus on the Southwest Performance card alone — plus the amount you'd need to spend to earn it — could earn the entire 135,000 points needed for the Companion Pass. Just keep in mind if you’re planning for the 2026 pass, it’s best to wait until at least October 1, 2025 to apply for the business card.
Because all 135,000 points must be earned in a single calendar year, timing is everything. The best approach is to wait until January 1, 2026, to complete your minimum spend, giving you most of 2026 and all of 2027 with the pass.
Note that the bonus points earned from the welcome offer typically post to your Southwest account 2-5 business days after your statement close date for the month when you cross over the minimum spend threshold.
With three personal cards available, here’s how the benefits stack up:
The right choice depends on how often you fly and whether you value the added perks enough to justify the higher annual fee.
Absolutely. The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in travel as it lets you fly a friend for free — again and again. As a longtime passholder of more than 15 years, it has saved my family tens of thousands of dollars over the years.
And with the current elevated welcome offers, now is one of the easiest times to earn it. If you want to stretch your travel budget and bring someone along for free, the Companion Pass is well worth going after. Just make sure to time your application carefully, and you could enjoy nearly two years of unlimited companion flights.
