Southwest Companion Pass Guide
Southwest Companion Pass Guide for Families
How to Fly 2-for-1 All Year Using Points & Miles!
Dreaming of family getaways without draining your bank account? What if I told you there’s a magical little travel hack that lets one person fly FREE with you every time you fly, even when you use points?!
Yup, it’s called the Southwest Companion Pass and it’s basically the holy grail of family travel savings!!!
What Is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass lets one person (your companion—usually your spouse or kiddo!) fly FREE with you on any Southwest flight, whether you pay with cash or points.
That means every single flight = 2-for-1 ✌️
You just pay taxes & fees (usually around $5.60 one way).
Why It’s PERFECT for Families
- ✅ Works with points (hello, almost-free travel!)
- ✅ No blackout dates
- ✅ You can change your companion up to 3 times per calendar year (girls trip or one-on-one travel with your kids!) PRO TIP: The first time you designate a companion counts as change 1 (weird I know). So technically you can only change your companion twice. So if you do want to bounce around between people make sure you are strategic with when you do it so you don't end up getting stuck with a friend for a girls trip being your only companion for the rest of your flights/trips for the year. I plan to have my spouse as my companion since he will usually be on all our trips and maybe we will take a few one on one trips. You'll have to figure out what works best for your family.
- ✅ Works even on last-minute bookings
- ✅ Covers domestic AND international Southwest routes (Mexico, Caribbean, etc.)
- ✅ Valid for up to two years depending on when you earn it
How Do You Earn the Companion Pass?
You need to earn 135,000 qualifying Southwest points in a calendar year. But here’s the secret sauce: Most families earn this by getting TWO Southwest credit cards with welcome bonuses.
For example:
- One personal Southwest card 💳
- One business Southwest card (yes, even your side hustle counts as a business!)
If each card gives you 75,000 points after meeting the minimum spend, BOOM you’re there.
Timing Tip (HUGE!)
Earn your Companion Pass in January or February and it’s valid for the rest of that year AND all of the next year!
So if you earn it in Jan 2026, it’s good through Dec 2027. That’s nearly two full years of BOGO flights!
PRO TIP: Be very very careful WHEN you get your cards. Southwest puts out really good welcome offers each fall. People get SO excited and apply too early. As I write this Southwest released an elevated welcome offer on the personal cards. It's July 25. You have 5 months to earn the welcome offer. If you apply for the card now you have until Dec 25 aka you will earn your 100k in points THIS year. You don't want to earn the 100k in points until NEXT year.
Also make sure to CHECK YOUR TRACKER! You can find this in your Chase app under the card you are working on for your welcome offer. The second most common mistake people make is accidentally meeting the welcome offer too soon. If you have to spend 4k in 5 months and you want to meet the welcome offer in January of the following year (you apply for the card in the fall) you want to make sure to SAVE at least $500 for January in spend. You don't want to cut it too close and you forget and use the card, an automatic payment comes out, of your hubby buys something at the store and forgot he couldn't use the card. All of these have happened to me. Thankfully I didn't go over. Last year I think I had $100 left in December because of automatic payments coming out. You never want to cut it that close!
Which Cards Should I Get?
These change often, but here are your basics:
- Personal Cards: Southwest Plus, Premier, or Priority
- Business Card: Southwest Performance Business
Since this guide is a broad overview I’ll always have the latest offers saved—just DM me on Instagram and I’ll send you links and help you figure out the best combo!
I also have an IN DEPTH post about the latest changes to Southwest (including the increase in annual fees and changes to benefits). Click HERE and that will send you to the blog post so you can read more about that!
Real Life Example
Let’s say you earn the pass in February. You and your husband/kid/bestie can now fly 2-for-1 to:
- Florida for spring break
- Colorado for summer hikes
- Grandma’s for the holidays
ALL using points—and only paying $11.20 round-trip in taxes. Total per person!
Final Thoughts
If you're a mom who loves saving money, making memories, and showing your kids the world,
this is for you!
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