Limited-time only — Earn Southwest's Companion Pass as a credit card welcome bonus
Southwest Airlines is bringing back one of its most covetable credit card offers — but only for a limited time. Now through March 31, you'll have the chance to earn a Southwest Companion Pass and 30,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points when you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening a new Southwest credit card.
If you're a regular Southwest Airlines flyer or you're looking to save on an upcoming vacation, this offer can help you score major discounts on travel in 2025. Here's how to choose the best Southwest card for your wallet and get started:You can earn the limited-time welcome bonus when you open any of the three consumer co-branded credit cards from Southwest and Chase:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
After opening your new card account, you'll need to spend at least $4,000 within the first three months to get the two-part bonus:
Earn Companion Pass from Southwest through Feb. 28, 2026
Earn 30,000 Rapid Rewards pointsWith Southwest's Companion Pass, you can choose a companion to travel with you on Southwest flights for free — not including taxes and fees, which start from $5.60 one-way.
There's no limit to the amount of flights you can use your Companion Pass on, and it applies to both paid and award flights booked with points. You can change your designated companion up to three times in a calendar year.
Normally, you earn Companion Pass by flying 100 one-way qualifying flights or earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. The pass is then valid through the end of the next calendar year.
Remember: When you earn Companion Pass through the limited-time welcome offer, it's only valid through February 2026. To maintain your Companion Pass benefit after that, you'll need to qualify through these methods of qualifying flights or points earned.
Before deciding between the three Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards, make sure you compare the annual fees, benefits, and rewards.
Why we like it: The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card has the lowest annual fee at $69, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in value. You will earn a slightly lower rewards rate on Southwest purchases (2x instead of 3x) compared to the other cards, but you'll still get 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year and 25% off in-flight purchases. Plus, the two annual EarlyBird Check-Ins (valued at $15-$99 one-way) could cancel out the annual fee alone when you fly Southwest.Why we like it: The $149 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card has the most potential value to offer frequent Southwest Airlines flyers. Its rewards are the same as you'll get with the Rapid Rewards Premier. Some benefits are identical too, including in-flight discounts; annual Companion Pass qualifying points; and 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 you spend.
However, you'll also get an increased 7,500 bonus points each calendar year and get reimbursed when you purchase up to four upgraded boardings (for positions A1-A15) each anniversary year. Upgraded boardings alone can cost between $30 and $149 per segment flown. This is also the only one of the three Southwest cards to offer an annual travel credit. Each year, you'll get up to $75 in statement credits toward Southwest purchases (not including in-flight purchases and upgraded boarding).
Why we like it: The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card earns a boosted 3x points on Southwest purchases, plus it has slightly more benefits for its $99 annual fee than the Rapid Rewards Plus card. You'll get the same EarlyBird Check-Ins, in-flight discount, and annual Companion Pass qualifying points. But the Rapid Rewards Premier offers a higher 6,000 bonus points on your account anniversary and 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-list status for every $5,000 you spend. Qualifying for A-list status (by flying 20 qualifying one-way flights or earning 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year) comes with perks like priority boarding, boosted bonus points on flight purchases, same-day flight changes, and more.The value of your Rapid Rewards points can vary depending on your trip and when you book, but the points you'll get as part of this welcome offer can go a long way toward future travel savings.
For example, say you earn 30,000 bonus points with this welcome offer by making $4,000 in non-category purchases. That means you'll earn 4,000 points on top of the 30,000 bonus points for a total of 34,000 Rapid Rewards points within the first three months.
Here's where that might take you:
Southwest Airlines primarily serves domestic travelers in the U.S., but it does have some routes to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, where you can get a solid value for your points. Traveling from Houston, you could go on a weeklong spring getaway to Cancun, Mexico for as little as 31,540 points. The taxes and fees for this trip will add another $130.55 to the total, but that's still a great price for an international roundtrip flight.
There are plenty of opportunities to save on domestic travel, too. You can score a nonstop itinerary between New York and Chicago right now for just 26,511 points (plus $11.20 in taxes and fees) — even over the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Later in the summer, roundtrip fare between San Diego and Denver could set you back just 27,593 points (plus the same $11.20 in taxes and fees). These flights, for example, are for a weeklong stay in Colorado on nonstop routes:
And don't forget: On top of the savings you'll get for using points for these award flights, you'll save even more when you bring a friend with the Companion Pass benefit. After you book your ticket, take advantage of your Companion Pass by going into your Southwest account and adding your companion to your trip reservation.This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
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