Southwest Airlines’ Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a friend for nearly free (you have to pay the taxes and fees) on unlimited flights, is one of the most valuable assets in the world of points and miles. It typically takes a lot of Southwest flights and/or credit card spending to nab one of these coveted passes — but sometimes the airline runs flash promotions that let you earn a Companion Pass much faster.
From now until Thursday, you can earn a two-month promotional Companion Pass by booking a single round-trip flight. Here’s how:
- Register here, then purchase one round-trip or two one-way flights by Feb. 20.
- You must travel by March 31.
- You’ll earn a promotional Companion Pass valid from Aug. 7 to Oct. 8.
Normally, earning a Companion Pass takes quite a bit more flying and/or credit card spending. You must earn 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying flights within a calendar year to get a Companion Pass for the remainder of the qualification year and the next calendar year.
However, sometimes Southwest runs promotions to let members earn a Companion Pass for a shorter time period by completing much easier tasks — like taking a single round-trip flight.
The current promotion is similar to others we’ve seen in the past, with one key difference. Typically, eligible flights must be paid at least partially with cash to earn a promotional Companion Pass. But in this promotion, flights booked solely with Southwest Rapid Rewards points are also eligible. According to the promotion terms and conditions, “Pay with cash, points, or Cash + Points.” (Keep in mind, though, that Cash + Points isn’t usually the best route for booking Southwest flights.)
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Southwest’s Companion Pass is almost legendary in the world of points and miles. It allows you to bring an additional guest for free (plus taxes and fees), effectively cutting your flight costs in half. Whether you book your ticket with cash, points or both, all your companion has to pay are the taxes and fees (starting at $5.60 one-way).
The one catch of the Companion Pass is that you can’t bring just anyone along each time you fly; you must designate a companion in your Rapid Rewards account. However, Southwest is still pretty flexible on this. You’re allowed to change your designated companion up to three times per year, and this rule applies to promotional passes as well.
If you haven’t finalized your spring travel yet, consider booking it with Southwest. You could snag a valuable Companion Pass to use next fall — perhaps for a Labor Day getaway or an epic leaf-peeping trip.
If you have your eye on a Companion Pass but can’t book a trip by Feb. 20, don’t worry. For a limited time, you can earn a Companion Pass by adding one of the following cards to your wallet:
The information for the Southwest Premier card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
From now through March 31, all three of these cards are offering the following elevated welcome bonus: Earn a Companion Pass good through Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This is one of the best offers we’ve seen on Southwest cards and another easy way to snag a valuable Companion Pass.
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