Act Fast: Get a Southwest Companion Pass by booking just 1 round-trip flight

Southwest Companion Cardallow you bring a friend almost free of charge (you pay taxes and fees) for unlimited flights, which are some of the most valuable assets in the world of points and miles. Typically, it takes a lot of Southwest flights and/or credit card spending to get one of these coveted tickets — but sometimes the airline runs flash sales that let you Earn Companion Passes much faster.

From now until Thursday, you can earn a two-month promotional Companion Pass by booking a round-trip flight. Here’s how:

• Register Thisthen purchase a round-trip flight or two one-way flights before September 5.
• You must go before November 20.
• You will receive a promotional Companion Pass valid from January 6 to March 6, 2025.

Typically, earning a Companion Pass requires more spending on flights and/or credit cards. You must earn 135,000 qualifying points or take 100 qualifying flights in a calendar year, which will earn you a Companion Pass for the remainder of the qualifying year and the following calendar year.

However, Southwest sometimes runs promotions to allow members to earn Companion Passes in a shorter period of time by completing much easier tasks — like fly to Hawaii or earn credit card welcome bonus.

The current promotion is similar to others we’ve seen in the past, with one key difference. Normally, eligible flights must be paid for at least partially in cash to earn a promotional Companion Pass. But in this promotion, flights booked with just Rapid Rewards Points also qualify. Per the promotion terms and conditions: “Reward travel and bookings made with Cash + Points are eligible for this promotional offer.”

So you can earn valuable Companion Passes whether you pay with cash, points, or a combination of both (although Cash + Points usually not the best route to book Southwest flights).

Southwest’s Companion Pass is almost legendary in the world of points and miles. It lets you bring another passenger along for free (plus taxes and fees), effectively cutting the cost of your flight in half. Whether you book with cash, points, or both, all your companion has to pay are taxes and fees (starting at $5.60 one way).

One thing to note about the Companion Pass is that you can’t bring anyone with you every time you fly; you have to designate a companion in your Rapid Rewards account. However, Southwest is pretty flexible about this. You’re allowed to change your designated companion up to three times per year, and this rule applies to promotional passes as well: “Members may change their designated companion up to three times while they have a promotional Companion Pass.”

If you haven’t finalized your fall trip yet, consider booking with Southwest. You could win a valuable Companion Pass to use in January and February of next year — perhaps for an epic trip. ski trip or romantic Valentine’s Day Trip.

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