Southwest Airlines Companion Pass -Now to 2/28/2023

[Thunder Up]

Chase has just announced a special offer on the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass, good thru 2/28/2023. Offer ends 3/14/2022.

The Southwest Companion Pass is the best travel perk out there, IMO.

Go to the Chase.com website and look under the credit cards tab.


Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. The card comes with a $69 annual fee. $5000 spend requirement in the first 3 months. You should make the $5000 spend ASAP, like the first month, so that you get the pass after the first month’s billing cycle posts. There are some limitations on the card, for example, you cannot receive a prior Southwest bonus in the last 24 months, cannot have 5 or more new credit card applications in the last 24 months.

You can use the pass as many times as you fly Southwest during the next year. Not just 1 time. As long as a seat is open on the flight, you can use the Companion Pass. Companion Pass fare is $5.60 for flights in the USA. Flights to Mexico, Aruba, the Caribbean, the cost is higher due to their higher taxes, still a bargain.

Just returned from a trip to Hawaii. Spouse flew as my Companion and her outbound fare was $5.60, as we flew from Oklahoma to Maui; her return fare was $11.60 as we spent the night in Las Vegas.

Happy Travels

 

[PaunchyPirate]

At what time do you find out if a seat is available to use the pass?

 

[Montecfo]

I saw that. After not flying Southwest in a while we flew them twice recently and will again here in 3 weeks. We liked the experience and so did our bags (they like flying free).

I am tempted to do this card but I'm right in the middle of a similar offer for 100,000 Aviso from British. Maybe should stop and do the SWA so will have both.

Edit to add: But one additional thought: our last 3 tickets cost $54, $64 and $ 104 so maybe the cheap fares muddle the value proposition especially given there is an annual fee.

 

[Thunder Up]

As long as a seat is available to book, ie cash rate or points, you can book the companion fare ticket.

You can go to Southwest’s web site at any time and see if a flight has available seats; you can start a reservation from 1-8 persons and see if there is availability. This will give you a good indication that seats are available. I have also booked a reservation with the last seat. Unable to book the companion ticket. Between the time of the reservation and the flight, I check back on Southwest’s website at least daily, and another seat has always become available and I book the Companion ticket at that time.

 

[ktdtx]

I've had the Companion Pass for a number of years and believe it to be a good deal--if you go where AW Air goes.

 

[Sojourner]

Having had the Companion Pass for the past 11 months (by doing an identical credit card sign up bonus they offered early last year), I can say that for me, it was not the "best travel perk out there". I would only strongly recommend it to folks who already fly Southwest a lot and who have a fair amount of travel already planned (or anticipated) to cities where Southwest has good routes and schedules for their travel. Just make sure you look carefully at the Southwest route map and flight schedules to see if they naturally and comfortably fit within your travel lifestyle. Otherwise you might feel a bit like you're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole just to be able to use the Companion Pass.

 

[Librarian]

We have had CP for about 10 years

First we manipulated sign up bonuses (first me, then DH), then private college tuition charged to the card allowed us to continue it.

For us it has saved us SO SO much $.
Years of college hunting.
Our 2 oldest who went to college a 10 hour drive away.
Plus our love of travel.

We thought once private college was done, so was companion.
Then we jumped on an offer late last year if we charged $25K we would get 100K in SWA points. (125K points gets you CP) We had to time it so we didn't start charging until the December statement closed. If any of the kids had large things to charge, we had them do it on the card & pay us back. Luckily we had a few large purchases to cover (a cruise final payment, Xmas, new golf clubs, estimated federal taxes, etc)
So we will have it thru 2023. Works well--we look to have 4 cruises a year this year & next (tho some are international, which SWA is not good for outside MX/Caribbean).

This new deal is great--we sure would have jumped had we not gotten the other one.

Unfortunately, I think we will see higher prices because of it.