Southwest’s New Credit Card Bonuses Offer Up To 90,000 Points Toward Companion Pass—Last Chance Before Rules Change

I receive compensation for content and many links on this blog. Be aware that websites may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. Citibank is an advertising partner of this site, as is American Express, Chase, Capital One, and others. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners. I do not write about all offers that are available -- instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). Terms apply to the offers and benefits listed on this page.Southwest’s Companion Pass lets someone fly with you for just taxes and fees, even when you redeem points for your own ticket. For someone who flies Southwest with a partner a few times a year, it’s the single best deal in domestic air travel. And the easiest way to earn it is about to disappear. There’s still a final window to use an 80,000- or 90,000-point credit card initial bonus toward a pass valid through December 31, 2027. You need to apply by December 2, 2026 and get approved. Neither bonus gets you all the way there on its own, but both give you a huge head start. Two Offers Before The Rules Change The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (See rates and fees) offers 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It has a $229 annual fee. This is the premium Southwest co-brand card, really designed for folks who fly the airline. It makes those trips better, and spending helps earn both elite status and Companion Pass®. The travel benefits cover the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation: First checked bag free. Preferred or Standard seat selection at booking, at no additional charge, when available. Extra Legroom seat upgrades within 48 hours of departure, at no additional charge, when available. Boarding with Group 5 or earlier if another benefit qualifies you for a better group. You earn 4 points per dollar on Southwest Airlines® purchases, including flights, inflight purchases and Southwest gift cards; 2 points per dollar at gas stations and restaurants; and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. There are also 7,500 anniversary points each year. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (See rates and fees) offers 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Its annual fee is $99. That’s a much lower spending requirement for a bonus that’s only 10,000 points smaller. First checked bag free for the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. Standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure, when available, for the same group of travelers. Group 5 boarding or earlier if you otherwise qualify. 3,000 anniversary points each year, plus a 10% anniversary flight discount code that excludes Basic fares. The Plus card earns 2 points per dollar on Southwest Airlines® purchases, and 2 points per dollar at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year. Other purchases earn 1 point per dollar. I’d choose Plus for the lower cost of getting the bonus. Priority costs $130 more per year, but gives you better seat benefits, 4,500 more anniversary points and a larger initial bonus. For a family that flies Southwest regularly, those seating benefits can easily be worth the difference. How Close These Bonuses Get You To Companion Pass Under the 2026 rules, earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a calendar year gets you the pass for the rest of that year and the following year. Southwest credit card customers receive a 10,000-point qualifying boost, so they effectively need 125,000 more. Priority: 90,000 bonus points plus the 10,000-point boost gets you to 100,000. You need another 35,000 qualifying points. Plus: 80,000 bonus points plus the 10,000-point boost gets you to 90,000. You need another 45,000 qualifying points. The purchases you make to earn the bonus also earn points. Assuming those purchase points post in 2026, spending the minimum at 1 point per dollar reduces the remaining gap to 32,000 points with Priority or 44,000 with Plus. Bonus category spending and qualifying points you’ve already earned reduce it further. Qualifying flights and eligible partner activity can help fill the gap, too. Check your Companion Pass progress in your account. Once you have the pass, book your own Southwest flight with cash or points and add your designated companion, as long as there’s an available seat. Their taxes and fees start at $5.60 one-way. You can use the benefit repeatedly and change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year. How Optimal Timing Of The Companion Pass Has Changed As I covered in Southwest’s 2027 Rapid Rewards overhaul, unlimited Companion Pass becomes a benefit of the new Platinum elite tier next year. Initial bonuses generally stop helping you qualify. Anniversary points, referral bonuses and extra points from card bonus categories stop counting, too. Southwest’s transition exception preserves the initial bonus for customers who apply by December 2, 2026, are approved, and meet the offer’s requirements. Even if you finish the required spending in early 2027, the bonus can count toward 2026 qualification for a pass ending December 31, 2027. So the old strategy of waiting until January to earn nearly two years of Companion Pass doesn’t work here. A bonus earned under this exception won’t get you a pass through the end of 2028. And Chase’s terms distinguish the initial bonus from ordinary purchase points. Those purchase points must post to your Rapid Rewards account in 2026 to count toward this pass. Spending after your December statement closes generally posts in January. You also want the 10,000-point qualifying boost credited in 2026; Southwest allows up to 30 days after account opening for it to arrive. You still have to meet the initial bonus spending requirement within the first 3 months from account opening. The transition rule doesn’t extend that deadline. I’m a former Companion Pass holder, and a promotional Companion Pass holder.Southwest still represents about 40% of the seats out of my home airport in Austin. Even with all the changes they’ve made, being able to bring someone along on those flights for just the taxes is huge. Before applying, you can’t currently hold a Southwest personal credit card, and you can’t have received an initial bonus on any Southwest personal card in the past 24 months. Southwest business and employee cards are excluded from that restriction. Chase’s usual 5/24 rule also applies: generally, you need fewer than 5 new credit card accounts on your credit report in the past 24 months. If you’re eligible, can handle the required spending, and have a path to the remaining qualifying points, I’d take advantage of this before December 2. Topics on this page Editorial note: any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Comments made in response to this post are not provided or commissioned nor have they been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any bank. 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