How to Get the Southwest Companion Pass (2026): The Dec. 2 Card Deadline Explained

TL;DR

• The Southwest Companion Pass lets one person you choose fly with you on Southwest, free of airline charges (you still pay taxes and fees from $5.60 one way), every time you buy or book a flight with points.
• In 2026 you earn it with 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. Earn it in 2026 and Southwest says it’s valid through Dec. 31, 2027.
• Under the 2026 rules, credit card welcome bonuses count. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, they don’t. Southwest is retiring Companion Pass qualifying points and moving to Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs).
• Southwest’s FAQ says cardmembers approved for a personal or business Rapid Rewards card on or before Dec. 2, 2026 who meet the welcome bonus requirements can have those bonus points count toward a 2026 Companion Pass, even if they finish the spending in early 2027.
• Southwest’s current limited-time personal card offers (ending Dec. 2, 2026) are 80,000, 85,000, and 90,000 points. With the card’s yearly 10,000-point Companion Pass boost, one card can get you most of the way to 135,000.
• If you want the pass, apply well before Dec. 2 and plan how you’ll cover the rest of the points.

Every rule and offer below was checked October 28, 2026 on Southwest’s Companion Pass page, its Companion Pass in 2027 page, the Rapid Rewards 2027 FAQ, the consumer credit card page, and Chase’s offer details for the Plus card. If we couldn’t confirm something on an official page, we say so.

What the Companion Pass actually gets you

Once you earn the pass, you designate one Companion in your Rapid Rewards account. Whenever you book yourself on a Southwest flight, paid or with points, you can add your Companion to the same flights. Southwest charges no airline fare for the Companion. You only pay taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 each way.

A few rules from Southwest’s terms that matter in practice:

• You book first. Your own ticket has to exist before you add the Companion, and your Companion has to be on the same flights and dates.
• If you cancel, they’re canceled. Change or cancel your trip and the Companion’s reservation goes away too.
• One Companion at a time, with up to three Companion changes per calendar year.
• Southwest-operated flights only. It doesn’t work on Getaways by Southwest vacation packages, group travel, or charters.
• Unlimited use. Under the 2026 rules there’s no cap on how many times you use it while it’s valid.

That last point is why the pass is so popular. If you and a partner fly Southwest a few times a year, every trip costs roughly half what it would otherwise.

How to earn it in 2026

Southwest’s rule for 2026 is simple: earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in the calendar year. Most people go the points route.

What counts as Companion Pass qualifying points, per Southwest’s terms:

• Points from revenue flights booked through Southwest
• Points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards from Chase, including the new cardmember bonus
• Base points from Rapid Rewards partners, such as Southwest’s shopping and dining programs
• The 10,000-point Companion Pass boost that Southwest cardmembers get once each calendar year

What doesn’t count: purchased points, points transferred between members, points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, enrollment points, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, and partner bonus points (Chase’s Southwest cards are the exception). Southwest’s terms don’t list transfers from bank programs as qualifying, so don’t plan on moving Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt points to Southwest to reach the threshold. Those transfers still work for booking flights. See our Credit Card Transfer Partners Chart.

Timing matters. Southwest says card points only count once they post on your billing statement and to your Rapid Rewards account, and only within the same calendar year. Spending after your December statement closes generally won’t count for that year.

What changes on Jan. 1, 2027

Southwest is folding the Companion Pass into its new tier system. Here’s the side by side from Southwest’s own comparison:

The big change is the last two rows. In 2027, Southwest says new cardmember bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus category points (like 2x on gas), and partner spending no longer help you earn the pass. Card spending earns 1 TQP per dollar, so reaching 95,000 TQPs on a card alone means about $95,000 in purchases for just three Companion trips. Southwest also lists a one-time 10,000 TQP boost in 2027 for cardmembers who reach 130,000 TQPs, which helps heavy spenders reach Platinum.

Also new in 2027: a “Companion Pass trip” from the Milestone Reward is used up whether you book it one way or round trip, so Southwest itself recommends using each one on a round trip.

Put simply, 2026 is the last year a welcome bonus can do most of the work.

The Dec. 2, 2026 card deadline

This is the part worth acting on. Southwest’s 2027 FAQ says cardmembers who apply on or before Dec. 2, 2026, get approved for a Rapid Rewards credit card, and meet the new cardmember bonus requirements will have those bonus points count as 2026 Companion Pass qualifying points, toward a pass valid through Dec. 31, 2027, even if the spending is finished in early 2027. A second Southwest page words the same promise as being approved on or before Dec. 2, so the safe move is to apply early enough to have your approval in hand by then.

Southwest’s current personal card offers, all listed as ending Dec. 2, 2026:

Who can’t get these: Chase’s offer terms say the personal cards aren’t available if you currently have any personal Southwest Rapid Rewards card, or if you received a new cardmember bonus on one in the last 24 months. Southwest’s business cards don’t count against that rule. Southwest’s business cards page also lists the 10,000-point Companion Pass boost on its cards, but the business welcome offer we saw there had already expired, so check the page for the current one before applying.

One more tip from our deal write-up: when we checked, Chase’s main Southwest page was still showing an older, smaller Plus offer. Start from Southwest’s card page so you see the limited-time numbers.

A worked example: how close one card gets you

Here’s the rough math for each personal card, counting the welcome bonus, the yearly 10,000-point boost (Southwest says it posts within 30 days of account opening), and the base points you earn while meeting the minimum spend. These are estimates, not guarantees.

So even the biggest offer leaves a gap. The usual ways people close it:

1. Paid Southwest flights booked in 2026. Points from revenue flights count.
2. More spending on the Southwest card before your December statement closes. Southwest’s earn rates range from 1x on everyday purchases up to 4x on Southwest purchases, depending on the card.
3. Southwest’s shopping and dining partners. Base points count; partner bonus points don’t.
4. A second Southwest card. Since business cards aren’t blocked by the personal card rule, some people pair one personal and one business card. Only do this if you genuinely qualify for a business card and can meet both spending requirements without overspending.

Our honest read on timing: Southwest’s Dec. 2 promise clearly covers the welcome bonus points. Its other pages also say all 2026 qualification activity must post by the end of 2026, and they don’t spell out how the rest of your points are treated after Dec. 31. So plan to have everything except the welcome bonus posted in 2026, and ideally hit the bonus spend in 2026 as well. If anything is unclear for your account, ask Southwest before you count on it.

Is chasing the pass worth it?

It’s a strong play if:

• You regularly fly Southwest with the same person
• You can meet the minimum spend with purchases you’d make anyway
• You can close the remaining gap through flights or normal card spending

Skip it if:

• You already hold a personal Southwest card or got a Southwest bonus in the last 24 months (check business card eligibility instead)
• You rarely fly Southwest, or rarely travel with the same person
• Closing the gap would mean buying things you don’t need. A free companion fare isn’t worth carrying a balance

If the pass isn’t a fit, the welcome bonus alone can still be worth it as Southwest points. Compare it with other offers on our Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses page and our Best Travel Credit Cards guide. New to airline programs? Start with Best Airline Miles for Beginners.

How to get started

1. Check your eligibility. No current personal Southwest card and no Southwest personal card bonus in the last 24 months.
2. Pick the card whose spending you’ll hit naturally. Bigger bonuses come with bigger spending requirements and fees.
3. Apply from Southwest’s card page, well before Dec. 2, 2026.
4. Map out the remaining points. Use the table above and figure out which flights or spending will cover the rest in 2026.
5. Watch your progress in your Rapid Rewards account, and designate your Companion once the pass posts.

FAQ

How many points do I need for the Southwest Companion Pass in 2026?

135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points, or 100 qualifying one-way flights, in the 2026 calendar year.

Does a Southwest credit card bonus count toward the Companion Pass?

Yes in 2026. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Southwest says welcome bonuses no longer count. Southwest also says cardmembers approved by Dec. 2, 2026 who meet the bonus requirements can have the bonus count toward a 2026 pass even if the spending is finished in early 2027.

How long is a Companion Pass earned in 2026 good for?

Through Dec. 31, 2027, according to Southwest.

Do Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers count toward the Companion Pass?

Southwest’s list of qualifying points doesn’t include transfers from bank programs, so don’t count on them. They’re still useful for booking award flights.

How do you earn the Companion Pass in 2027?

With Tier Qualifying Points or flights: 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights for three Companion Pass trips, and 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights (Platinum status) for unlimited trips. Southwest also says it will keep running limited-time Companion Pass promotions.

Is the Companion Pass really free?

The Companion pays no airline fare, but taxes and fees still apply, starting at $5.60 each way.

Bottom line

Deadlines like this one show up every week. To catch them early, join Points & Miles Weekly, our free newsletter. More limited-time offers live on our Deals page.

Shopping for the holidays? Holiday Shopping Bonus: Southwest, United and Alaska Portals Are Adding Up to 5,000 Extra Points.

The Points Quest

Points Quest is educational content only, not personalized financial advice. Companion Pass rules, card offers, fees, and eligibility were checked on southwest.com and creditcards.chase.com on October 28, 2026 and can change at any time. Point totals in the worked example are Points Quest estimates. Publicly linked offers may differ from targeted offers. Advertiser Disclosure