Southwest Companion Pass: How to Earn It Before the 2027 Changes

What the Southwest Companion Pass actually is

The Southwest Companion Pass lets you pick one person, your designated companion, to fly with you on every Southwest flight you take. You book your own seat like normal, add them to your reservation, and they only pay the government taxes and fees.

Here are some of the details I love that make it great to use:

• It works on paid and award tickets. Pay cash or book with Rapid Rewards points, and your companion still flies for just the taxes and fees.
• There are no blackout dates. Holidays included. As long as there’s a seat for them, your companion can come!
• You can switch companions. You get up to three changes per calendar year, so it doesn’t have to be the same person the whole time.
• You keep your points. Earning the pass doesn’t use up the points you earned to qualify. They stay in your Rapid Rewards account, so you can book your own flights with them and your companion still flies free.

That last one is what makes the math so good. You earn a big stack of points, use them for free flights, and every one of those flights is really two flights.

What’s changing with the Southwest Companion Pass in 2027

On October 15, 2026, Southwest announced an overhaul of Rapid Rewards that starts January 1, 2027, and the Companion Pass is a big part of it. Here’s how the old and new rules compare.

The biggest change for this strategy is that new cardmember welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus category points (like 2x on gas), and partner spend won’t count anymore. Those points still land in your account for booking flights, they just won’t help you earn the pass.

Anyone who earns the pass under the current rules in 2026 keeps unlimited companion trips through December 31, 2027, and that’s the window this guide is built around. You can read the full details on Southwest’s Companion Pass changes page.

How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass before 2027

You need to either earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points by December 31, 2026 or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in 2026.

Unless you’re commuting on Southwest every week, the 100 flights route isn’t really happening (that’s a LOT of airport time). Pretty much everyone goes the points route, and the easiest way to get there is with two Southwest credit cards. The sooner you start, the more time you have. Here’s exactly how it works, step by step.

Step 1. Know How Many Points You Actually Need to Earn: 125,000

Every Southwest credit card comes with an automatic 10,000-point boost toward the pass each year. If you open a new card now, the boost lands within 30 days of opening your account, so it counts toward 2026. That means you only need to earn 125,000 points yourself.

Two small notes.

• You only get one boost per person per year, even with two cards, and the boost only counts toward the pass (you can’t book flights with it).
• The points that count are called Southwest Companion Pass qualifying points, and through the end of 2026, almost everything you earn from Southwest cards counts, including welcome bonuses.

Step 2. Open a Southwest business card

The Southwest Premier Business card currently has a limited-time offer of 80,000 points after you spend $3,000 in 3 months. Through this link specifically, that offer ends November 2, 2026, but with the December 31 deadline, earlier is better anyway. That’s more than half of what you need in one card, which is why it’s the heart of this plan.

If you don’t think you have a business, you might be surprised. Freelancers, contractors, landlords, and anyone selling things for a profit (on eBay, Etsy, or Facebook Marketplace, for example) can apply as a sole proprietor using their Social Security number. You don’t need an EIN or an LLC. Chase makes the final call, so just be accurate about what your business does and what it earns.

Apply for the business card first, before the personal one. Chase may now be stricter about how many new cards you’ve opened when you apply for a business card, and a new personal card adds to that count (I explain this in the rules section below).

Step 3. Open a Southwest personal card

Next, pick one personal Southwest card. Any of the three works, so this really comes down to which annual fee and perks you want. Just know you can’t get one if you already have a personal Southwest card, or if you earned a bonus on one in the last 24 months.

These are the offers on Chase’s site as of September 28, 2026, and they change often, so double-check before you apply. If you just want the pass, the Plus is the cheapest way in (and with the lowest minimum spend, it’s also the fastest). The Priority has the most perks (like picking your seat when you book) if you fly Southwest a lot.

Step 4. Add it up

Here’s the math if you pair the Premier Business with the Premier personal card, which is the Southwest Companion Pass credit card combo I’d go with.

That clears the 135,000 requirement with room to spare (the Plus gets you to around 144,000, and the Priority to around 155,000). This time, every point from your minimum spend counts too, since it all posts in 2026.

The only catch is making sure everything posts before December 31, which is where the timing comes in.

Timing the Southwest Companion Pass before the 2026 deadline

Under the old strategy, you’d wait until January so your bonuses posted in the new year. With the 2027 changes, you want everything to post in 2026 instead.

Your points count when they post to your Rapid Rewards account, and card points post after your statement closes. So your bonuses need to land on a statement that closes, and posts to Southwest, before December 31. This is the order I’d follow.

1. Apply as early as you can. The sooner you’re approved, the more statements you have to work with before the end of the year. Business card first, then the personal card.
2. Hit the minimum spend fast. Move your regular spending (groceries, gas, bills) to the new cards right away. There’s no reason to hold back this time.
3. Finish before your first statement closes. Find your statement closing date in your Chase account. Ideally, you’ll finish both minimum spends before your November statement closes, so the bonuses post with plenty of time to spare.
4. Watch your Rapid Rewards account. Make sure both bonuses and your 10,000-point boost show up. If anything is missing by early December, call Chase right away.
5. Don’t count on your December statement. If it closes late in the month, those points may not post until January, and that’s too late. Treat November as your real deadline.

Do this on both cards. Once you hit 135,000, the pass shows up in your account and you’re set through December 31, 2027.

How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass without a business card

It’s possible, but with the 2026 deadline, it’s a lot harder now. You can’t open two personal Southwest cards instead, because Chase won’t approve you for a personal card if you already have one, or if you’ve earned a bonus on any personal Southwest card in the last 24 months.

So your math looks like this. One personal card bonus (50,000 to 60,000 points) plus the 10,000-point boost gets you to 60,000 to 70,000. You’d need to earn the other 65,000 to 75,000 points before December 31.

• Refer friends. Chase gives you 20,000 points for each friend who gets approved for a Southwest card, up to 100,000 points a year, and Southwest’s 2027 announcement lists referral bonuses among the things that stop counting next year, which means they still count through the end of 2026. Three or four approved referrals would close most of the gap, but referral points can take up to 8 weeks to post, so they need to happen soon.
• Fly Southwest. Paid Southwest flights earn points that count, so this path is a lot easier if you already have trips booked before the end of the year.
• Use your card for everything. Every point from your Southwest card counts, but most purchases only earn 1 point per dollar. With only a couple of months left, spending alone won’t close the gap, but it helps.
• Book with partners. Southwest’s partner hotels, rental cars, dining program, and shopping portal all earn points that count.
• Add the debit card. Southwest’s Rapid Rewards debit card comes with its own 7,500-point annual boost, and it stacks with the credit card boost.

Realistically, this route only works in 2026 if you already fly Southwest a lot or have a few friends ready to apply. For everyone else, the two-card route is the way to go.

The rules that get people denied

Most denials come down to one of these, so check them before you apply.

Chase 5/24 (or 3/24)

If you’ve opened five or more new credit cards in the last 24 months, Chase will very likely deny you (I break this down in more detail in my free Chase guide). Chase business cards generally don’t add to that count, but personal cards do, and you still need to be under 5/24 to get approved for a business card.

There are also reports that Chase may have tightened this to 3/24 for some business card applications, especially for sole proprietors. It started coming up in mid-September 2026, it isn’t confirmed, and some reports say it may only apply to Chase’s Ink cards, not the Southwest ones. Still, if you’ve opened three or four cards in the last 24 months, a business card denial is more likely right now.

That’s why the business card should come first. Say you’ve opened two cards in the last 24 months. Apply for the business card now and you’re still at 2/24, so you’re under both limits. Open the personal card first and you jump to 3/24, which could get the business card denied if the new rule is real. Business first, then personal, and you avoid the problem either way.

If you’re already at 3/24 or 4/24, the business card is more of a gamble right now, and the no-business-card route above might be the safer plan.

One personal card at a time

You can’t get a personal Southwest card if you currently have any personal Southwest card, or if you’ve earned a welcome bonus on one in the past 24 months. The Plus, Premier, and Priority all share the same rule, and it doesn’t apply to the business cards.

Business card bonuses are per card

You’re not eligible for a business card bonus if you currently have that card or earned its bonus in the last 24 months. It’s not a lifetime ban, and each Southwest business card has its own 24-month clock.

Statement dates, not purchase dates

Your points count when they post, not when you buy something. A purchase on December 28 only counts toward 2026 if your statement closes and the points post by December 31, so plan around your closing date, not the calendar. Before the 2026 deadline, that’s the difference between earning the pass and missing it.

How the Southwest Companion Pass works in 2027 and beyond

If you miss the 2026 deadline, the Companion Pass isn’t going away. It just gets a lot harder to earn with credit cards. Starting January 1, 2027, there are two levels.

• Three companion trips. Earn 95,000 TQPs or fly 75 qualifying one-way flights in a year. Each trip lets your companion fly with you one-way or round-trip.
• Unlimited companion trips. Earn 140,000 TQPs or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights to reach the new Platinum status.
• Card spend counts at 1 TQP per dollar. Every Southwest card earns this starting in January 2027, including the Plus card.
• Promotions may still help. Southwest says select promotions may offer Companion Pass flights, so it’s worth signing up for their emails.

Since welcome bonuses won’t count, earning unlimited trips through card spending alone would take about $140,000 a year on a Southwest card. For most people, the new version really only works if you fly Southwest constantly, which is what makes the 2026 window such a big deal.

How to use your Companion Pass (Even Before You Earn It)

Once the pass is in your Rapid Rewards account, using it is pretty simple.

• Add your companion. Designate them in your Rapid Rewards account. You can change who it is up to three times per calendar year, but you’ll need to cancel any existing companion reservations first.
• Book your flight, then add them. Book your own ticket with cash or points, then add your companion to that reservation for just the taxes and fees. You can do this now. Once you earn the companion pass, so long as there’s a seat on the plane, you can add them.
• Pick their seat. Southwest has assigned seating now, so (once you’ve earned the pass) you can choose a seat for your companion. You both get the best seat and boarding perks either of you has from status, a Southwest card, or your fare.
• Skip vacation packages. The pass doesn’t work with Getaways by Southwest bookings.

Southwest Companion Pass FAQs

Final thoughts on the Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Companion Pass is still one of the best deals in points and miles, but the easy card route closes on December 31, 2026. Apply early, hit your minimum spend fast, and make sure your bonuses post before the end of the year.

Do that, and someone you love flies with you through the end of 2027 for the price of taxes and fees. That’s a lot of trips home and beach weekends for two.

If you want more strategies like this one, join the Inside the Upgrade email list. And if you’re not sure which cards make sense for you, you can always book a free card consultation with me and we’ll map it out together.

Cheers to your next adventure ✈️

Card links in this post are my mom’s Chase referral link, and she may earn bonus points if you’re approved. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Card offers and terms change often, so always confirm the current details on Chase’s and Southwest’s websites before you apply.