It’s the best time of year to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, because you can get almost 2 full years of 2 for 1 travel!
But it’s rumored that Chase will soon change their application rules for all credit cards. The Chase Southwest cards may be harder to get for many folks, and readers have been asking me a lot of questions!
I’ll answer many of the common questions here!
10 Frequently Asked Southwest Companion Pass Questions & Answers
Link: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Link: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Link: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Link: How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
With the Southwest Companion Pass, a friend or family member can fly with you for (almost) free for up to 2 years!
To get this benefit, earn 110,000 Southwest points within a calendar year. You can get most of the way there by earning the 50,000 point sign-up bonus from the Chase Southwest Premier personal and the Chase Southwest Premier small business card.
The Southwest Companion Pass is 1 of the best deals in travel. So it’s no surprise folks often have a ton of questions about how it works.
Here are answers to your frequently asked questions about the Southwest Companion Pass:
1. Are You Sure the Sign-Up Bonuses From the Chase Southwest Cards Count?
Yes. The sign-up bonuses from the Chase Southwest Plus, Premier personal, and Premier small business DO count towards the Southwest Companion Pass.
2. What’s the Difference Between the Chase Southwest Plus & Premier Cards?
The Chase Southwest Plus currently has a lower sign-up bonus (25,000 Southwest points after completing minimum spending) and a lower annual fee than the Chase Southwest Premier personal and small business cards.
And it also comes with a lower cardholder anniversary bonus and a 3% foreign transaction fee.
So make sure you choose the right card for you!
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the 3 cards.
| Southwest Premier Card | Southwest Premier Business Card | Southwest Plus Card | Southwest Priority Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spending | • 2X Southwest points with Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases • 1X Southwest points on all other purchases | • 2X Southwest points with Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases • 1X Southwest points on all other purchases | • 2X Southwest points with Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases • 1X Southwest points on all other purchases | • 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards car and hotel purchases • 1X points per $1 on all other purchases |
| Anniversary Points | 6,000 | 6,000 | 3,000 | 7,500 |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | None | None | 3% | None |
| Annual Fee | $99 | $99 | $69 | $149 |
3. Can You Apply for 2 Chase Southwest Personal Cards to Qualify?
Yes. It’s easier to get approved for 1 Chase Southwest personal card and the Chase Southwest Premier small business card. But many folks earned the Southwest Companion Pass with 2 Chase Southwest personal cards as well.Just be prepared to answer questions about why you need a 2nd Chase Southwest personal card. For example, is it because you’re interested in the lower annual fee? Is it because you’d rather have the larger anniversary bonus? Or do you want to keep your expenses separate?
Again, starting April 2016, it’s rumored that Chase will no longer approve folks for these cards if they’ve opened ~5+ credit cards in the past 24 months. So apply soon if you’re interested in earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
4. Can You Transfer Points From Other Programs to Earn the Companion Pass?
Transfers from certain hotel programs like Choice Hotels, Hyatt, and Marriott DO count towards the Southwest Companion Pass. And this can be an easy way to earn the final points you need.But there are other transfers that will NOT help you on your journey to the Companion Pass such as:
5. What’s the Best Timing for the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass is good for up to 2 calendar years. If you want to take advantage of this benefit for the full 2 years, apply for 2 Chase Southwest cards in the last quarter of the year and complete the minimum spending after your December or January statement closes.
Here are some other links that you may find helpful:
- How to Time Your Spending for the Southwest Companion Pass
- How to Not Mess Up the Southwest Companion Pass Timing
- To Get the Southwest Companion Pass It’s When You Earn the Points
And the timing is the same if you’re looking to earn the Southwest Companion Pass again.
6. If I Use My Southwest Points Will I Still Earn the Companion Pass?
Yes.The Southwest Companion Pass is based on how many points you earn within a calendar year, NOT how many are in your account.
Suppose you earn 50,000 Southwest points this week and use 25,000 points to book a round-trip flight to New York City. Then earn another 60,000 Southwest points a couple of months later. You’ll still earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
7. If You Cancel Your Cards Will You Lose the Companion Pass?
Canceling your Chase Southwest credit cards will NOT impact your Southwest Companion Pass.
Keep in mind, I recommend evaluating a card for ~10 months and deciding if it’s worth the annual fee before canceling. This helps establish a good relationship with the bank.
8. Can You Use the Southwest Companion Pass on a Previously Booked Flight?
If you haven’t earned the Southwest Companion Pass yet, you can still book your flight now to lock in a lower price and add your companion later.
9. Can You Change Your Companion?
Yes. You can change your companion 3 times per calendar year.
10. When Can You Earn the Sign-Up Bonus on the Chase Southwest Cards Again?
The terms for the Chase Southwest Plus and the Chase Premier personal and small business cards say:
This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.
So wait at least 24 months after you’ve earned the bonus before applying again.
Bottom Line
By earning the Southwest Companion Pass, you can bring a friend along with you on Southwest paid and award flights for (almost) free for up to 2 years! This can save you thousands of dollars!
And earning the sign-up bonus on 2 Chase Southwest credit cards, makes it easy to get most of the way to the 110,000 Southwest points you have to earn in 1 year to get the Companion Pass.
Because there are rumors Chase will make it harder to be approved for airline and hotel cards starting April 2016, you may want to consider applying for the Chase Southwest cards soon if you want to earn the Southwest Companion Pass this year.
Hopefully this FAQ page answers the questions you have about this incredible deal!