Background
We did this last year and saved $100s of dollars. You have to act quick!! Read more about this mini-companion pass below
You may have heard about the Southwest Companion Pass. We’ve previously had one and used it to fly around the country, to Hawaii, and even to Jamaica for half off. Typically, after flying a lot or doing some credit card signs up, you’ll earn a pass that lets you buy one get one free on any southwest flight (minus taxes and fees which is typically $5.60 for domestic flights)
This current promotion doesn’t offer the full year long pass but does offer a pass that’s good for 2 months at the beginning of next year.
3 Steps to a mini-companion pass
- Register online here
- Book a trip by Thu Sept 8 for a fall trip by Nov 17.
- Get your companion pass in Jan good for Jan-Feb.
Register Online
Very important that this is done BEFORE booking the trip. Trips that were already booked don’t count. Link is here
Book a Trip
You’ll need to be able and willing to take a small fall trip (late September to November 17). If you already have a trip booked that’s still a few weeks out, this would be a great opportunity to cancel and rebook after signing up for this promotion. Flights will need to be purchased by September 8, 2022 and taken between now and November 17, 2022. It looks like you won’t be able to make changes once booked. What does this look like in practice? A possible example could be a round trip flight from Nashville to Chicago for $150 per person at the end of October. Just the people that wanted the companion pass would need to fly so Carter and I could also go on a trip on our own and earn the pass that we could then use for Ben and Ellie for trips in the New Year.
Get Your Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass lets you bring a companion on any flight that you book and fly and only pay the taxes and fees. (Typically $5.60 for domestic flights.) It works on paid cash tickets and award tickets.
If you complete the registration and fall flight as above, you’ll be issued a pass in Jan. When you have a pass, you’re able to add a companion online to the main person’s paid flight. Southwest has already released their January and February schedules so you can take a peek at potential Jan/Feb trips. The West Coast, Hawaii or the Caribbean Islands would be good opportunities to get a lot of value out of a buy one get one pass.
Full Companion Pass
Take a look at this post for more details on the traditional companion pass. It could be a good plan to get this promo pass and work on getting a full 2 years at the beginning of next year.
The Southwest Rapids Rewards Performance Business Credit Card currently offers a 80,000 point bonus after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. In addition, the Southwest Priority card offers 40,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. If you sign up for and get both of these bonuses, you will have 130,000 points, enough for a companion pass.
You don’t need a “real” business to open a business card or put only business charges on our business card. There’s no way for them to know what a business expense is or isn’t. You don’t need revenue or employees. If you’ve ever done dog-walking, sold something on ebay or etsy, provided a freelance service, or worked as a consultant. you can qualify. When you sign up, list your social security number as the tax identifier.
Final Thoughts
Get your Southwest Companion Pass here, and Happy Travels!
