Perfect Timing for Southwest Companion Pass

Jesse Points and Miles, , , ,

Southwest-Airlines

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Since we began writing this blog earlier this year, we have helped almost a dozen couples earn the Southwest Companion Pass!  I strongly believe that this is the best perk in all frequent traveler programs, because it effectively doubles the value of all of your Southwest Rapid Reward (RR) Miles.  Travel is best when shared with a companion, and this allows you to bring along a friend or loved one to share your adventures!  With the 50,000 mile SW Credit Card offers available, now is the PERFECT time to earn your very own Companion Pass.  Allow me to tell you why…

The SW Companion Pass allows you to add a free companion ticket to any ticket you book, even if you use points.  The pass is good for the year you earn it and the following calendar year.  This makes timing particularly important if you want to maximize your time with the pass.  If you qualify for the pass in January, you will effectively have FREE FLIGHTS FOR TWO PEOPLE FOR TWO YEARS!!

To earn the Companion Pass, you must meet one of the following criteria:

  1. Fly 100 segments on Southwest Airlines within one calendar year. Ouch!  That is WAY too much work! Maybe option two will be easier…
  1. Earn 110,000 Rapid Rewards (RR) Miles within 1 calendar year. Ouch again! Think of how many flights it would take to earn that many miles. But wait, maybe there is another way…
Earned in Feb 2015 using Method 2 – Good thru 12/2016!

Southwest offers three credit cards co-branded with Chase. These cards are Personal Premier, Personal Plus, and Business Premier. The standard sign up bonus for these cards is 25,000 RR Miles. However, at different times, the bonuses increase to 50,000 RR Miles!  Here comes the strategy!

Currently, Chase is offering the following limited-time sign up bonuses:

southwest-cards

Perfect Timing

So, why is now the perfect time to apply for these cards?  The 50,000 offers tend to disappear without warning, so it is crucial to apply while they are available.  You have 90 days from when you are approved for the cards to hit the minimum spending and earn the bonus.  If you apply on or after 10/4/15, your 90-day spending window will extend into January 2016.

To execute this correctly, you should wait until your December statement closes and spend $2,000 per card.  When the January statement closes, you will be credited with 104,000 RR miles.  The additional 6,000 points are up to you.  Either manufacture spend $6,000 more or transfer from SW reward partners (except for Chase).  Even better, Southwest does not “charge” you 110,000 miles for the Companion Pass; they just require that you earn that many. So, you get to KEEP the 110,000 miles to use for FREE FLIGHTS X 2!!

Overall, for $168 – $198 in annual fees, two people will be able to fly for free on Southwest for up to two years!!  We have already used our Companion Pass for trips to NYC and New Orleans, and we have plans for Atlanta and Austin coming up.  Our friends have also planned trips to Charleston and Puerto Rico.  The possibilities are incredible!  Where will you go?

22 thoughts on “Perfect Timing for Southwest Companion Pass”

  2. I do not qualify for the business card but was able to get a 40,000 deal on plus, and 50,000 on premier. I now have to spend $16,000 to get the pass… You recommend waiting till the close of Dec. to do spending on both… SInce I have to spend so much, would it matter if I waited until the close of the December statement since it will probably take me a little bit of time to spend that much?

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    • DEFINITELY wait until the December statement closes. Anything spent before December will not count toward the 110,000 requirement for 2016, because all points must be earned during the calendar year. You likely could qualify for the business card… See the “Getting Started with Miles & Points” post for how this works. Good luck!

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      • If you eclipse the $2000 requirement with spending in December 2015 but after December 2015 statement closes (therefore being part of the January 2016 close), will it still count towards your 2016 points?

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      • Thanks so Much. I just got the card so my billing cycle ends Dec. 22nd, does that count as the December statement? or would the statement that closes Jan 15th be the December statement?? ( it’s rough being blonde! sorry!)

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    • There have been reports that it is gone. However, if you can find someone with a referral code, you may be able to call in and get the 50k offer. Otherwise, the business Premier is still available.

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  4. Hello,

    I got the Companion Pass in 2014. To do this I got the Personal Premiere Card and received my 50,000 bonus points on April 12, 2014. I want to get my Companion Pass again in 2016, but I know there is that 24 month wait until you can get the bonus again. Can I apply and get the Business Premiere and Personal Plus Card bonuses and not worry about waiting that 24 months? Since they are technically different cards? Or should I wait till the bonus comes up again after April 12, 2016 to get those 50,000 bonuses?

    Thanks,
    Alex

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