CHAD SHEPPARD

    The Southwest Companion Pass Guide

    Southwest Companion Pass: Two Years of Two-for-One Flights

    The Companion Pass is the single best domestic-travel hack in the U.S. — one designated person flies with you on every Southwest flight for just taxes and fees, for up to 24 months. This guide walks through the exact timing, credit cards, and booking steps to earn and use it.

    Informational only — not financial advice. Confirm current card offers and program terms on Southwest.com and Chase.com before applying.

    The short version

    Earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. Fly two-for-one for up to 24 months.

    The Southwest Companion Pass is a Rapid Rewards benefit. Hit 135,000 qualifying points (or 100 one-way flights) in a single calendar year and Southwest lets one person you designate fly with you for free — minus taxes and fees, roughly $5.60 each way on domestic routes — for the rest of that year plus all of the next.

    Proof — how I actually earned mine

    Sign-on bonus + normal spend. That's it.

    I earned the Companion Pass with a Southwest Chase card sign-on bonus plus hitting the minimum spend requirement for the year — no manufactured spending, no flying 100 segments. The card bonus points count toward the 135,000-point threshold, so a single elevated offer plus normal monthly spend gets most people there. My pass is good through 12/31/26.

    Screenshot from my Southwest Rapid Rewards account — "Companion Pass earned through 12/31/26".

    Screenshot of Chad Sheppard's Southwest Rapid Rewards account showing Companion Pass earned through 12/31/26

    How to earn it

    Five steps. One calendar year.

    1. Step 01

      Time it right — start in January

      Companion Pass qualification resets every January 1. Earning it in January gives you the pass for the current year AND the entire next year — up to 24 months of two-for-one flights.

    2. Step 02

      Open two Southwest credit cards

      Open one personal Southwest Rapid Rewards card and one Southwest business card (Chase). Watch for elevated sign-up bonuses — 75k–100k+ points offers appear a few times a year and are the fastest path to the 135,000-point threshold.

    3. Step 03

      Hit both bonuses fast

      Meet each card's minimum spend within the first three months. Card sign-up bonus points count toward the 135,000-point Companion Pass qualification threshold.

    4. Step 04

      Designate your Companion

      Once you qualify, log in at Southwest.com and name your Companion. You can change them up to three times per calendar year — spouse, kid, travel buddy, whoever.

    5. Step 05

      Book flights and add your Companion

      Book any Southwest flight (paid or points). Add the Companion after booking — you only pay taxes and fees (usually $5.60 each way on domestic). Works on nearly every route Southwest flies.

    Go deeper

    Supporting guides

    Deep dives on the specific parts of the Companion Pass workflow — pick the one that matches where you are.

    Frequently asked

    Companion Pass FAQ

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