FINAL DAYS: Earn 100,000 Bonus Points Towards the Southwest Companion Pass!

If you’ve wanted to kick the tires on “the airline of love” — and bring someone along for the ride — this could be your golden opportunity. But timing is the key here.

(All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card® Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer. It was neither provided nor reviewed by the card issuer.)

And, yes, Southwest card members and up to eight others on their confirmation number can check their first piece of luggage for free. They can also select a seat assignment when that kicks in next year.

Earn 100,000 Bonus Rapid Rewards Points!

All three of Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards® credit cards feature the same limited-time offer: 100,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases within five (5) months of being approved for card membership.

The offer expires on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

The eligible cards are:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Learn here how to apply.)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Learn here how to apply.)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (Learn here how to apply.)

So, What’s This About the Companion Pass?

Southwest has this nifty benefit called the Companion Pass.

Let’s use me as a real-world example. I have the Companion Pass now through December 31, 2026 (because I actually earned it this year). I can bring a designated companion for (almost) free on any Southwest flights I take — cash or award.

Yes, I said “flights.” Plural. The sky is literally the limit. This isn’t a once-per-year thing like the Delta Amex Companion Certificates. (There don’t appear to be any fare restrictions, either.) Right now, Mrs. Carley is my designated companion. I recently booked an award trip for my daughter and me. I added Mrs. Carley right after I made the reservations. It cost me about $12 (taxes and fees) for Mrs. Carley’s roundtrip.

I can bring Mrs. Carley along on as many Southwest flights as I want between now and December 31, 2026.

To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you must either take 100 qualifying one-way flights (stops don’t count) or earn 135,000 qualify points.

Points earned via on Southwest credit cards count toward the Companion Pass!

100,000 bonus points gets you pretty darn close to 135,000, doesn’t it?

BUT — here’s the thing.

When you earn the Companion Pass, it’s good for the rest of that calendar and all of the following calendar year. For example, I earned mine in June (I think). So, I’ll have for a total of about 18 months.

Here’s what I recommend you do if your finances permit: apply for a Southwest card now. If you’re approved, don’t spend a penny on it until January 1, 2026. 

Why? Because you have five months to meet the minimum spending requirement for the 100,000 bonus points deposit. You probably want to earn the Companion Pass in early 2026 — because you’ll have it for the rest of next year and all of 2027!

If you earn the 100k bonus now, you’ll have the Pass “only” through 2026.

This basically means you have from January 1 through until early-mid February to spend $4,000 for the 100k bonus.

Plus, you’ll earn at least  another 4,000 points knocking out your minimum spend — and that’s just with the 1X “all other purchases category.” Earn 2X per dollar on Southwest Airlines purchases, at gas stations and grocery stores (up to $5k each card member year), on internet, cable, and phone services and on select streaming, and local transit and commuting, including ride share.

Southwest Credit Cards

All three cards earn:

• 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2X on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• 2X on internet, cable, and phone services
• 2X on select streaming
• 1X on all other eligible purchases

The Priority and Premier earn 4X on eligible Southwest purchases. The Plus earns 2X on eligible Southwest purchases.

Each also gives cardholders 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year.

So, what are the major differences between the cards? Their bells, whistles, and annual fees. (The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card carries the highest: $149. But it’s also loaded with a bunch of Southwest travel benefits and awards.)

New twist: the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card no longer charges foreign transaction fees! They must’ve heard me complain. 🙂

Per the offers’ terms, a respective card isn’t available to either current Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card members or previous Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card members who received a new cardmember bonus within the past 24 months. The fine print also states, “This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.”

Here’s a quick peek at each Southwest card:

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

• 3X on Southwest Airlines purchases
• 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2X on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• 2X on internet, cable, and phone services
• 2X on select streaming
• 1X on all other eligible purchases
• Complimentary Preferred Seat at booking
• Group 5 boarding for you and up to eight others on your reservation
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year
• Receive 7,500 bonus points each year upon card renewal (starting the second year of card membership)
• Unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs)
  • Earn 2,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $10,000 you spend on the card. There is no limit on the number of TQPs you can earn!
• 25% back on Southwest inflight purchases
• Enjoy four (4) upgraded boardings (boarding positions A1-A15) for the rest of 2025
• No blackout dates or seat restrictions.
• $229 annual fee.
• Read more and learn here how to apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• 3X on Southwest Airlines purchases
• 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2X on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• 2X on internet, cable, and phone services
• 2X on select streaming
• 1X on all other eligible purchases
• Complimentary Preferred Seat within 48 hours of departure
• Group 5 boarding for you and up to eight others on your reservation
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year
• Receive 6,000 bonus points each year upon card renewal (starting the second year of card membership)
• Unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs)
  • Earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $10,000 you spend on the card. There is no limit on the number of TQPs you can earn!
• 25% back on Southwest inflight purchases
• Two (2) Early Bird Check-Ins for 2025 flights
• No blackout dates or seat restrictions.
• $149 annual fee.
• Visit this page and click on the Premier Card to learn how to apply.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

• 2X on Southwest Airlines purchases
• 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2X on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• 2X on internet, cable, and phone services
• 2X on select streaming
• 1X on all other eligible purchases
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year
• Receive 3,000 bonus points each year upon card renewal (starting the second year of card membership)
• Complimentary seat assignment within 48 hours of departure
• Group 5 boarding for you and up to eight others on your reservation
• 25% back on Southwest inflight purchases
• Two (2) Early Bird Check-Ins each year
• No blackout dates or seat restrictions.
• $99 annual fee.
• Read more and learn here how to apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Where are you going to go with a companion?