Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
» This page is out of date
Offers described in this article are no longer available, so this page is out of date. For current information, see NerdWallet's reviews of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
Free travel may be too good to be true, but Southwest Airline’s Companion Pass allows you to come pretty darn close. And, starting on Oct. 26, 2023, Companion Pass seekers can get a big head start with these limited-time offers.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Big credit card bonuses
Southwest’s suite of credit cards, issued by Chase, have long been popular with the airline’s loyalists. Now, Chase is boosting the bonus for all new cardholders of Southwest consumer credit cards:
Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The increased bonus is available on all personal Southwest credit cards, including:
NerdWallet values Southwest points at 1.5 cents each, making this bonus worth more than $1,000 toward Southwest flights.
• 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• Reimbursement for 4 upgraded boardings, when available, each anniversary year.
• $75 Southwest travel credit each year.
• 7,500-point anniversary bonus each year.
• Reimbursement for 2 EarlyBird check-ins each anniversary year.
• 6,000-point anniversary bonus each year.
• Reimbursement for 2 EarlyBird check-ins each anniversary year.
• 3,000-point anniversary bonus each year.
Bonus points count toward the Companion Pass
Better yet, points earned from any of the Southwest credit cards — including the sign-up bonus — count toward the coveted Southwest Companion Pass.
A Companion Pass holder can choose one person to fly with them for free (excluding taxes and fees) for the remainder of the current calendar year and the entire following year, even on flights booked with points.
Depending on how early in the year you earn the pass, that means up to nearly two years of unlimited, nearly free travel for your companion. Plus, you can change your companion up to three times each calendar year.
Last year, Southwest raised the requirements to earn the Companion Pass from 125,000 points in a calendar year to 135,000. But the good news for Southwest credit card holders is that they'll get a 10,000-point boost automatically each year they hold the card.
Find the right credit card for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
