Southwest Companion Pass rush: the fastest path still

Southwest Companion – Southwest’s Companion Pass lets travelers bring a designated companion on both cash and award flights for taxes and fees only. To earn it, you need 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a single calendar year—and credit

The moment you hit the Companion Pass threshold is the moment your travel plans can change.

Once you earn the Southwest Rapid Rewards Companion Pass. you can designate one companion to fly with you on both paid and award Southwest Airlines flights—leaving you to pay only the taxes and fees. For travelers plotting trips to Las Vegas. Orlando. or Cancun. Mexico. it’s a perk that turns a typical airline search into something closer to a strategy session.

Here’s how it works, what counts, and how travelers are trying to get there faster—especially with a July 1 deadline approaching for increased limited-time-only welcome bonuses on Southwest personal credit cards.

You earn the Southwest Companion Pass by collecting 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or by flying 100 qualifying one-way flights in a single calendar year. After reaching that threshold, you can designate one companion to travel with you on cash and award tickets.

The timing matters. The pass is valid for the rest of the year in which you earn it, plus the entire following year. For example. if you reach 135. 000 Companion Pass qualifying points in mid-2026. your Companion Pass is good through the rest of 2026 and all of 2027. until Dec. 31, 2027. The earlier you hit the goal, the longer the pass lasts.

Flexibility is also part of the appeal: you can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year you hold the pass. That means you could potentially fly with up to eight different people across two years—four people a year.

What counts toward earning the Companion Pass? It’s the activities that Southwest Rapid Rewards considers “qualifying” points. The source you’re working from includes a key note: you should check Southwest’s guide to qualifying transactions to see the full list of what counts and what does not.

It also spells out a crucial limitation for travelers pairing rewards tactics: only base points from partners count toward Companion Pass qualifying points, while bonus points generally do not.

How fast can you reach 135,000 points if you fly alone? The math is steep because Southwest now sells four fare bundles, each with a different earning rate:

Basic earns 2 points per dollar.
Choice earns 6 points per dollar.
Choice Preferred earns 10 points per dollar.
Choice Extra earns 14 points per dollar.

To reach 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points from purchasing flights alone, the spending required would be:

2 points per dollar: $67,500
6 points per dollar: $22,500
10 points per dollar: $13,500
14 points per dollar: $9,643

That spending reality is why many travelers look to credit cards as a shortcut.

Chase issues five cobranded Southwest credit cards, and the fastest route to a Companion Pass is through welcome offers that count toward Companion Pass qualifying points. The three personal Southwest credit cards currently offer increased limited-time-only welcome bonuses until July 1.

The source also notes that the information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy, and the card details on its page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Southwest’s business credit cards also offer generous welcome offers.

Beyond the initial bonuses, there’s an additional boost: all of these cards provide a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year. But that boost is limited to one per Rapid Rewards member, per calendar year—not per card.

Credit cards aren’t the only way to build your balance. Travelers can also earn Companion Pass qualifying points through partner activity, including:

Hotels booked through the Rapid Rewards hotel portal. Car rentals with partners like Hertz, Avis, and Budget. Rapid Rewards Dining, where you link a card to earn Companion Pass qualifying points when dining at participating restaurants. Rapid Rewards Shopping for online purchases through the Southwest shopping portal. Other select online partners such as Laithwaites Wine, Reliant Energy, and Xoom.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: if you’re building toward the 135,000-point or 100-flight target, you’ll want to focus on base points from partners and understand which activities are counted as qualifying.

The pass becomes even more compelling in the middle of travel cost changes. With Southwest charging for checked bags. the Companion Pass remains a standout value. especially because Southwest cardholders still get one checked bag at no additional cost for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation.

If there’s a single reason travelers are watching the calendar. it’s that welcome offers on Southwest credit cards are increased until July 1. For eligible travelers. earning a nice bonus from a Southwest credit card or two can help unlock the Companion Pass quickly—whether you’re trying to earn it early in the year or simply still building a 2026 plan.

You can earn the Companion Pass through flying alone. credit card spending alone. or—often easiest through this combo—using both approaches to reach the threshold sooner. The core goal is the same: hit 135. 000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a single calendar year. designate your companion. and then enjoy the pass through the rest of that year and all of the next.

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