✈️ Southwest Companion Pass + Up to 40K Bonus Points

Advertiser Disclosure 

Chase just launched new welcome offers on all three personal Southwest credit cards, and each card now comes with a Companion Pass and a welcome bonus of 20k-40k points. Here's everything you need to know, including how to pick the right card and what the Companion Pass is actually worth.

✈️ What Is the Companion Pass?

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks in the travel rewards space. Once you have it, a designated companion can fly with you on every Southwest flight for free, you just pay the taxes and fees (typically $5.60 each way). It works on both paid and award flights, and there are no blackout dates.

Normally, you'd need to earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year to get the Companion Pass. However, these offers let you skip all of that and get the pass just by hitting the welcome bonus spend requirement.

The Companion Pass from these offers is valid through 2/28/2027, giving you about a year of free companion flights.

💳 The Offers

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Companion Pass + 40K points after a $5K spend in 3 months.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Companion Pass + 30K points after a $4K spend in 3 months.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Companion Pass + 20K points after a $3K spend in 3 months.

These offers expire on 3/18/26 and are available through both public links and referral links, which is great for those in two-player mode. 

🤩 Card-Specific Perks

Here's a quick summary of what each card offers beyond the welcome bonus:

All Cards

• First checked bag free for you and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation
• Group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year
• 25% back on in-flight purchases

Priority Card ($229/yr)

• Preferred seat selection at booking
• Unlimited free upgrades to Extra Legroom seats within 48 hours
• Earn 4x on Southwest purchases
• Earn 2x at gas stations and restaurants (no cap)
• 2,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) per $5K spend

Premier Card ($149/yr)

• Preferred seat selection within 48 hours
• Earn 2x at grocery stores and restaurants (first $8K/yr)
• 15% promo code annually (excludes Basic fares)

Plus Card ($99/yr)

• Standard seat selection within 48 hours
• Earn 2x at gas stations and grocery stores (first $5K/yr)
• 10% promo code annually (excludes Basic fares)
• No foreign transaction fees

🤔 Which Card Should You Pick?

If you fly Southwest regularly and value the seat selection and extra legroom upgrades, the Priority Card is the clear winner. Yes, the annual fee is higher at $229, but you also get the largest welcome bonus (40K points) and the best earning structure with uncapped 2x at gas stations and restaurants plus 4x on Southwest purchases.

If you only fly Southwest a few times a year, the Plus Card at $99/yr is the most affordable way to get the Companion Pass and still take advantage of the free checked bags and priority boarding for your whole group.

The Premier Card sits in the middle and could make sense if you spend a lot at grocery stores and restaurants but don't fly Southwest enough to justify the Priority's higher fee.

⚠️ Eligibility 

Before you apply, here are the key eligibility rules:

• You're not eligible if you currently hold any Southwest Rapid Rewards personal credit card
• You're not eligible if you received a new cardmember bonus on any Southwest personal card within the last 24 months.
• These cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule, meaning you generally can't be approved if you've opened 5 or more personal credit cards (across all banks) in the past 24 months.

✍️ My Thoughts

If you fly Southwest even a handful of times a year, the Companion Pass alone makes these offers incredibly compelling. A single round-trip ticket for your companion could easily be worth $200-400, so it doesn't take many flights to offset the annual fee and come out way ahead. The fact that you're also getting up to 40K points on top of the Companion Pass makes this one of the better Southwest card offers we've seen.

The main thing to consider is timing. Since the Companion Pass from this offer is valid through 2/28/2027, you'll get the most value by applying now and using it as much as possible over the next year. If you're planning any Southwest travel with a partner, friend, or family member, this is a no-brainer.

Editor's Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.