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How to get the Southwest Companion Pass welcome bonus offer before it ends (expired)
This offer is expired; new Southwest cardholders can now earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Check out Yahoo's roundup of available credit card welcome offers and bonuses.
Starting to plan your spring and summer travel? Don’t miss one of the best travel credit card welcome bonuses of the year so far — especially if you’re a Southwest Airlines fan.
New Southwest Airlines credit cardholders can earn Companion Pass through Feb. 28, 2025, as part of the cards’ welcome offers.
But this offer won’t last much longer. To take advantage, you must apply by the end of Monday, March 11, 2024. Here’s more about the limited-time Southwest deal and how to decide if it’s right for your travel plans.
Southwest Airlines Companion Pass welcome offer: What to know
You can earn Companion Pass (through Feb. 25, 2025) and 30,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening a Southwest credit card.
You’ll have until the end of March 11 to apply and qualify for the offer. It applies to all three of Southwest’s co-branded travel credit cards issued by Chase:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Benefits of Southwest Companion Pass
Companion Pass is one of the most coveted perks of flying with Southwest. With it, you can choose a companion to fly with you for free on flight bookings you purchase or redeem points for.
As long as the pass is eligible, you can use it unlimited times, and your companion will only need to pay taxes and fees for the flight. If you don’t always fly with the same person, you can even change your companion up to three times per calendar year.
Earning Companion Pass through the welcome offer
With the current welcome offer, your Companion Pass is good through Feb. 25, 2025. That makes it different from Southwest’s typical Companion Pass eligibility, which applies throughout the year you qualify and the entire following year.
If you want to extend your benefits beyond Feb. 25, 2025, you’ll need to qualify for Companion Pass in 2024. That means flying 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points over the rest of this year.
Luckily, having a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card can help you reach Companion Pass more quickly year after year.
Choosing a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card
Each of Southwest and Chase's three co-branded travel credit cards has different benefits to suit different types of Southwest travelers. Whether you go to Southwest Airlines destinations often and want to maximize upgrades and status, or you travel only a few times per year and want a low-cost card to help you save on travel costs, these cards have you covered.
The comparisons below can help you decide which is best for your budget and travel plans.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Annual fee: $69
Welcome offer: Earn Companion Pass through Feb. 28, 2025, plus 30,000 points when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months
Rewards:
2x points on Southwest purchases and partner Rapid Rewards hotels and car rentals
2x points on local transit and commuting; on internet, cable, and phone services; and on select streaming
1x points on all other purchases
Benefits: It may be lightest on benefits among this trio of Southwest cards, but the Rapid Rewards Plus can still help you save plenty of money with a few solid added benefits from the airline:
3,000 points each year on your account anniversary
2 annual Early Bird check-ins
25% back on in-flight purchases
Annual Companion Pass boost: 10,000 qualifying points each year
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Annual fee: $99
Welcome offer: Earn Companion Pass through Feb. 28, 2025, plus 30,000 points when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months
Rewards:
3x points on Southwest purchases
2x points on partner Rapid Rewards hotels and car rentals; on local transit and commuting; on internet, cable, and phone services; on select streaming
1x points on all other purchases
Benefits: For a slightly higher annual fee, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier offers a solid middle ground for flyers who prefer Southwest. This card’s added benefits include annual points bonuses and a boost toward elite status.
6,000 points each year on your account anniversary
2 annual Early Bird check-ins
Earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for A-list status with Southwest for every $10,000 spent on your card (no limit to the amount of TQPs you can earn)
25% back on in-flight purchases
Annual Companion Pass boost: 10,000 qualifying points each year
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Annual fee: $149
Welcome offer: Earn Companion Pass through Feb. 28, 2025, plus 30,000 points when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months
Rewards:
3x points on Southwest purchases
2x points on partner Rapid Rewards hotels and car rentals; on local transit and commuting; on internet, cable, and phone services; on select streaming
1x points on all other purchases
Benefits: This card has the most benefits for frequent Southwest travelers. If you often fly with the airline, it can be easy to recover the Rapid Rewards Priority’s cost with annual credits, yearly points boosts, and more.
7,500 points each year on your account anniversary
$75 annual travel credit for Southwest Airlines purchases
4 Upgraded Boardings: Each account year, get reimbursed when you purchase up to 4 Upgraded Boardings to positions A1-A15
Earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for A-list status with Southwest for every $10,000 spent on your card (no limit to the amount of TQPs you can earn)
25% back on in-flight purchases
Annual Companion Pass boost: 10,000 qualifying points each year
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers.