14/04/2023
Some people have asked about how to get the Southwest Companion Pass. There are loads of info out there on how to earn, but thought I would share here in case anyone has any questions.
The Southwest Companion pass allows you to bring a companion for “free” anytime you book a flight with cash or points. You need to accumulate 130k Southwest Points in a calendar year in order to earn the pass. Once you earn the pass, it is good for the remainder of the year you earned it as well as the entire following year. So if you were to accumulate 130K points in June 2023, you would have the pass the rest of 2023 and all of 2024. So if you earn the pass in January of 2024, you would have the pass for all of 2024 and all of 2025. That’s why most people wait to start the process towards the end of the year.
The easiest way to earn the points is by signing up for one personal credit card and one business credit card. You can NOT hold two personal cards. But you CAN hold two business cards. The best option is one biz and one personal though. And the two cards I think give you the most bag for your buck is the Priority personal card and the business Performance card. I did a breakdown of the benefit you get with those two cards.
There are 5 different SW credit cards. 3 Personal and 2 Business:
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/226m/U6TOKYE7QX
The trick to getting the companion pass for the most amount of time is by signing up for the business card at the End of October/beginning of November and signing up for the personal card a few weeks later. This is because you have 3 months to hit the minimum spend. BUT you don’t want to hit the minimum spend until January. This way you accumulate the sign up bonus points in January so you get the companion pass for nearly 2 full years. If you hit the minimum spend before January, you will only have the pass for one year.
The minimum spend for the business card is $5k and the personal card is $1k. Meaning, you need to spend $6k within 3 months. That’s why planning is important. I am a pretty thrifty person but when I know I need to hit a minimum spend to get sign up points for a card, I plan ahead. I will plan big expenses to hit the spend. For example, I’ll pay for my 6-month car insurance premium at the end of the year, I will plan to do dental work at the end of the year since it’s a bigger expense, and I’ll pay my pets insurance policy for the year. Other ways to hit spend is by pre-paying utilities, putting Christmas present purchases on the card, and even buying gift cards to places you normally shop; Amazon, gas stations, grocery stores, Wal-mart, Target, Costco…
Anyone can sign up for a business card. Here is a link with more information about it. But basically, if you have ever sold anything to anyone, like through FB marketplace, a yard sale, Ebay, Craigslist, you are a sole proprietor and eligible for a business card. You are a business, albeit a SMALL business.
How to apply for a business card as a sole proprietor:
https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/business/how-to-apply-and-qualify-for-a-small-business-credit-card/
Once you hit the minimum spend in January, and you get your 130K sign up bonus points, you will have enough points that you will automatically earn the Companion Pass. Then you are free to use your points to book a flight for yourself. And assign someone to be your companion. Flights booked on points and flights booked by your companion are subject to a $5.60 fee for taxes. So, on a roundtrip flight, it would be $11.20 per person.
If you have questions, please ask them. I love sharing this kind of information.