How Long Does It Take to Get the Southwest Companion Pass Once You’ve Earned the Points?

Million Mile Secrets readers, marshall, commented:

Thanks to your tips WE JUST HIT OUR SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS, YAY!  We got in on the action a little late and are college students so it took a little clever work but we did it nonetheless.

My question is how long do we have to wait until Southwest issues the pass or gives some notification?  We are at 116,000 Southwest points right now but haven’t been able to click on anything or sign up.

Congratulations on earning the Southwest Companion Pass, marshall!  This is 1 of my top 10 best deals in travel, so I hope you can get as much value out of it as Emily and I have over the years!

Find out what you can expect once you earn the points required to earn the Southwest Companion Pass!

Once you’ve earned the 110,000 Southwest points in a calendar year for the Southwest Companion Pass, you’ll see the status added to your account within a few days.

What’s the Southwest Companion Pass?

Link:   How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass in 8 Easy Steps

Link:   Chase Southwest Plus

Link:   Chase Southwest Premier

Link:   Chase Southwest Premier Small Business

With the Southwest Companion Pass a friend or family member can fly with you for (almost) free anytime you fly Southwest for up to 2 years!

To achieve this status, earn 110,000 Southwest points within 1 calendar year.  What makes this easy is the sign-up bonuses you get with the Chase Southwest Plus, Premier, and Premier Small Business cards count towards this goal.

And these cards frequently offer a sign-up bonus of 50,000 Southwest points when you complete the minimum spending.

So by signing-up for 2 cards (the easiest is 1 business and 1 personal, but folks have also been able to get 2 personal cards), you’ll get most of the way to earning the Southwest Companion Pass!

Here’s a look at how many points you’ll currently earn with each card:

• Chase Southwest Plus Personal Card – 50,000 Southwest points when you spend $2,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account

• Chase Southwest Premier Personal Card – 50,000 Southwest points when you spend $2,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account

• Chase Southwest Premier Small Business Card – 50,000 Southwest points when you spend $2,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account

With 2 of these cards, you’ll get most of the points you need.  You can earn the remaining points by doing a bit more spending on your Chase Southwest cards or using these tricks!

The Southwest Companion Pass has saved Emily and me lots of money over the years!  And more importantly, it’s given us the opportunity to visit with friends and family across the country more often!

We also love Southwest because everyone gets 2 free checked bags and you can cancel your flight without penalty.

When you reach the 110,000 Southwest points you need for the Southwest Companion Pass, the status should automatically credit to your account within a few days.  As long as the status is listed in your online account, you can begin enjoying the savings.

You’ll receive a card in the mail with 1 to 2 weeks of earning the Companion Pass.  But you don’t need the card to make a Companion Pass booking.

Read this post to see how to add a companion to your reservation!

Watch Out for These Common Mistakes!

Link:   3 Mistakes That Won’t Get You the Southwest Companion Pass

There are a few mistakes folks tend to make on the road to the Southwest Companion Pass.

So marshall should be sure he’s avoided these pitfalls:

• Moving points from 1 Southwest account to another does NOT count
• Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest also will NOT count towards the Companion Pass
• Applying for 1 Chase Southwest card in your name and 1 Chase Southwest card in your friend’s or partner’s name will NOT count

If you’ve met all the requirements and don’t see the Southwest Companion Pass status credited to your account within a few days, give Southwest a call at 800-435-9792.

Bottom Line

When you earn the Southwest Companion Pass a friend or family member can fly with you for free anytime you fly Southwest (paid or award flights) for up to 2 years!

This is 1 of my favorite travel deals.  And it can save you thousands of dollars.

To achieve Southwest Companion Pass status, earn 110,000 Southwest points within 1 calendar year.  It’s easy to quickly get most of the way there by signing-up for 2 Chase Southwest cards when they are offering 50,000 Southwest point sign-up bonuses.

Once you’ve earned the necessary points, the Southwest Companion Pass should be credited to your account within a few days.  If not, give Southwest a call at 800-435-9792.

I’ve gotten lots of value out of the Southwest Companion Pass over the years.  It’s enabled Emily and I to visit friends and family across the country we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.   So congrats on earning this terrific perk!