Well, this is one change I am especially sad to see. For years, the Southwest® Companion Pass® has helped families stretch their travel budgets by letting a designated companion fly for just the cost of taxes and fees. Earning it through credit card welcome offers made it accessible to people who weren’t flying Southwest® every other week. 

That opportunity is ending, but you still have a small window to make it work one last time. And Southwest has announced an exception that gives eligible new cardholders some breathing room to finish their spending to earn the points you’ll need.

The date to pay attention to? December 2, 2026.

 

What Is Actually Ending?

The Southwest® Companion Pass® itself is staying. But beginning January 1, 2027, credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward qualification under the new program, apart from the transition exception explained below. I’ve joked with Alex that points-and-miles enthusiasts will always remember where they were when they heard our favorite way to earn it was ending!

Under the new program that starts in January, having Southwest® Platinum status will be the only way to have unlimited Companion Pass® trips. To get Platinum status, you’ll have to earn 140,000 Tier Qualifying Points or 100 qualifying one-way flights. And how do you earn 140,000 Tier Qualifying Points? Well, it’s going to require a lot of spending.

Every $1 spent on qualifying purchases using a Southwest® credit card will earn you 1 Tier Qualifying Point. So if you want to hit Platinum status just through spending, you’d need to spend $140,000. You can also earn some Tier Qualifying Points from booking revenue flights, Southwest® vacations, or group-travel reservations, but spending on a credit card is realistically going to have to be a large part of any strategy to earn Platinum status, and by extension, an unlimited Companion Pass®.

You can also earn three Companion Pass® trips with 95,000 Tier Qualifying Points or 75 qualifying one-way flights. Welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, and certain other bonus points won’t help you reach those thresholds, either. Each of those three trips can cover either a one-way or round-trip itinerary.

For families who have relied on earning a couple of credit card bonuses to unlock the pass, that is a substantial change. I don’t know about you, but taking 100 qualifying flights a year isn’t part of my travel plan! Nor is spending that much money to earn those Tier Qualifying Points!

 

 

 

How to Earn It One Last Time

Through the end of 2026, you can still earn one last unlimited Companion Pass® by earning 135,000 qualifying points in one calendar year. Eligible Southwest® cardholders receive a 10,000-point qualifying boost, effectively reducing the remaining requirement to 125,000 points. You receive only one boost per Rapid Rewards member each year, even if you have multiple Southwest cards.

Eligible applicants can combine a personal Southwest® card with a Southwest® business card to reach the goal. Both cards need to belong to the same person and be linked that person’s Rapid Rewards account.

This is also a good time to check your existing progress. If you have already earned qualifying points this year, you might need only one welcome offer to get across the finish line.

 

The December 2 Exception You Need to Know About

Here is the detail that makes this final opportunity a little easier.

Southwest says people approved for a Rapid Rewards Credit Card on or before Dec. 2, 2026, and who meet the welcome-offer requirements can count those bonus points toward 2026 Companion Pass® qualification, even if they meet the spending requirement in early 2027.

A pass earned through this exception will be valid through December 31, 2027. You still need to meet the spending requirement within the deadline attached to your offer. And this exception applies to the welcome bonus. 

 

Southwest Credit Card Offers to Consider

Here are some current Southwest® credit card welcome offers to consider. Offers can vary by application link, so always review the offer attached to your application.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

 

Learn How to Apply
bonus_miles_full
 

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

 

Learn How to Apply
bonus_miles_full
 

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Limited-time offer! Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after you open your account.

All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Points Talk Squad. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. 

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

Limited-time offer! Earn 80,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

 
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Limited time offer! Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

 

Timing Matters: Don’t Miss December 2

In previous years, we often encouraged readers to time their bonuses for January to get almost two full years of Companion Pass® use. But that strategy won’t work anymore. If you earn a Companion Pass® in 2026 (or in early 2027 if you’ve opened an eligible new card by December 2, 2026), the Companion Pass® will expire December 31, 2027.

For eligible new-card applicants, the key date to remember is that you must be approved for a card by December 2, 2026. And after that, you must meet the spending deadline attached to each welcome offer.

For qualifying activity outside the welcome-bonus exception, year-end timing still matters. Purchases made in December don’t necessarily mean the points will count for 2026. Purchases made after your December statement closes can appear on your January statement instead. Chase also says welcome bonuses can take several weeks to post after you qualify. 

The timing is quite tricky here, and not at all simple, but it could be worth it if you would get a lot of use out of an unlimited Companion Pass® in 2027. I would still apply early and complete the spending as soon as it comfortably fits your budget. There is no reason to add a last-minute scramble to the holiday season!

 

 

Check Your Eligibility First

Chase’s current personal-card terms exclude applicants who already hold a personal Southwest credit card or received a new-cardmember bonus on a personal Southwest card within the past 24 months. Business and employee cards are excluded from that personal-card restriction. Review the separate business-card terms before applying, too.

If you apply for a business card, you need a qualifying business and should provide accurate information. Make sure the required spending fits your planned expenses and that you can pay the balances in full.

 

Bottom Line

Once you earn the pass, put it to work. A pass earned under the 2026 rules, including Southwest’s eligible welcome-bonus exception, will provide unlimited Companion Pass® trips through December 31, 2027. Companion travel requires an available seat, and taxes and fees start at $5.60 one way.

I’m disappointed to lose a strategy that has made travel possible for so many families. But if you qualify for the cards, can meet the spending requirements comfortably, and meet the December 2 application and approval deadline for the exception, you can still enjoy traveling together for less through the end of 2027.

 

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