I’m kind of jealous of you guys right now. Because I’ve been spending my booty off for the past few years to qualify for Southwest Companion passes, and now Southwest and Chase are just going to hand one to you.
Here’s the deal: Apply for any consumer Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa right now* and make the minimum spend, and in addition to a points bonus, you’ll also get a free “promotional” Companion Pass, valid through 2/28/23.
In case you haven’t heard of it, a Southwest Companion Pass lets you add a guest to any flight you take, and all you pay is about $5 taxes. It’s awesome. You can usually add your companion at the last minute if you want. And you can change your companion three times a year. So if you have a few kids, like I do, you can switch your companion designation based on who’s coming along.
(Next week, I’m using my Companion Pass to take my high school senior to NYC to see Broadway shows.)
A little Q&A:
Q: When does this offer expire?
A: 3/14/22. So hurry!
Q: Is a “Promotional Companion Pass” as good as a regular Companion Pass?
A: The only difference I see is that, if you earn a regular Companion Pass in 2022, it will be good through the end of 2023. But the promotional version expires a year from now. But on the upside, if you’re like me, it might take you all year to spend enough with your Visa to earn that pass, and with this offer, you’ll probably have the pass within a few months.
Q: What are the specific deals for the different Southwest cards?
A: Whether you apply for the Rapid Rewards Plus ($69 annual fee), Premier ($99) or Priority ($149),* the deal is the same: Spend $5,000 in the first three months, get 30,000 points and a Promotional Companion Pass.
Q: How do I know if I qualify for this offer?
A. According to the web site: “This product is available to you if you do not have a current Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.”
For instance, it is not available to my husband or to me, because we each have a current Southwest Rapid Rewards card. Boo.
And that part about the new cardmember bonus? I’m not sure if they mean just for Southwest cards, or for any Chase credit cards. Hopefully they just mean you haven’t gotten a Southwest bonus in the past two years. This would also stop me from qualifying.
Q: How much is the Southwest Companion Pass worth?
A: That really depends on how much you’ll travel in the next year, and if you’ll bring someone with you. In 2021, I got $2,284 worth of free flights with my Companion Pass, but my husband ony saved $1,073 because, not being self-employed, he travels less.
I hope to travel more in 2022 than I did in 2021. So far, I saved $161 on a one-way trip to Hawaii and $298 on a round trip to NYC. My oldest is heading to collee this fall, so unless she gets into the state school just down the road, I expect to be using the pass to bring her to her school of choice.
* If you sign up through one of the links in this post, I will receive a mileage bonus! Yay me!
The Miles Mom 