Until now, a big card bonus could carry you most of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass. From January 1, 2027, welcome points stop counting, so the current southwest credit card companion pass offers are the last of their kind, and only for people approved on or before December 2, 2026.
The short version: the Priority card’s 90,000-point bonus, its minimum spend and a 10,000-point card boost add up to about 103,000 qualifying points. You still need about 32,000 more, posted in 2026, to hit the 135,000 mark. A pass earned this way ends on December 31, 2027.
Who can use the southwest credit card companion pass route
Southwest’s 2027 program FAQ calls this a transition exception. It has three conditions: apply and be approved on or before December 2, 2026, and meet the welcome bonus requirements. Chase adds its usual gatekeeping on top.
- You cannot hold a Southwest personal card right now.
- You cannot have received a Southwest personal card bonus in the past 24 months.
- Chase’s unpublished 5/24 rule can also get you declined if you have opened five or more cards from any bank in the past 24 months.
If you enrolled in a 2026 Companion Pass promotion, Southwest says you keep it. Anyone else still working toward a pass can finish under the old rules through December 31, 2026.
How far each Southwest companion pass credit card offer gets you
Three personal cards are in play on Chase’s Southwest page. The table adds each bonus, one point per dollar on the minimum spend and the 10,000-point boost, then measures the distance left to 135,000.
| Card | Bonus | Spend in 3 months | Annual fee | Points after boost | Gap to 135,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority | 90,000 | $3,000 | $229 | 103,000 | 32,000 |
| Premier | 85,000 | $2,000 | $149 | 97,000 | 38,000 |
| Plus | 80,000 | $1,000 | $99 | 91,000 | 44,000 |
Your own gap may be smaller. Priority pays 4 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and 2 on gas and restaurants, and anything you already earned toward the pass this year counts too.
Five steps to finish before the rules change
- Check your 2026 qualifying points. Start from your actual balance. Someone sitting on 35,000 points faces a very different job than someone at zero.
- Pick the card whose gap you can close. The cheapest fee means nothing if the last 44,000 points are out of reach.
- Apply early, not on December 2. The boost can land up to 30 days after account opening, so a last-minute approval leaves almost no margin in 2026.
- Finish the minimum spend within 3 months. Southwest says the bonus can count as 2026 points even if you meet the spend requirement in early 2027.
- Post the remaining points in 2026. Card points count only once they reach both your statement and your Rapid Rewards account, so purchases that land on a January statement miss the cutoff.
Chase also tells applicants to allow 6 to 8 weeks for a bonus to post, so do not panic if the southwest credit card companion pass does not show up the day you finish spending.
What the pass costs in fees and spending
The fee is the easy part of any southwest credit card companion pass plan. Chase applies the $99, $149 or $229 fee to your first billing statement.
The spending is where this gets hard. Starting from zero with the Priority card, 32,000 points at one point per dollar means $32,000 of extra purchases on top of the $3,000 minimum, all posted within about eight weeks. On the Plus card, that climbs to $44,000 plus $1,000. For most households, the southwest credit card companion pass only works if a chunk of those points already exists or a large planned expense falls in November or December.
Once earned, your named companion flies with you for taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 one-way. You can change that person up to three times per calendar year, and swapping your Southwest Companion Pass online is the process to learn before you book.
Limits and gotchas to read first
There is no extra year. A southwest credit card companion pass earned through this exception stops on December 31, 2027. It will not stretch into 2028, however late you finish.
Business cards are murkier. Chase also lists the Performance Business at 80,000 points after $5,000 ($299 fee) and the Premier Business at 60,000 after $3,000 ($149 fee). The Companion Pass wording we reviewed sits on the personal card pages, so read the business terms closely before assuming either one qualifies.
Plan around the Southwest date. Chase labels these offers limited-time but shows no end date on its card pages. December 2 is the date that decides whether the bonus counts.
The card has to stay in good shape. Southwest requires an open account that is not in default for the boost, and it allows only one boost per member each year, so a second card adds nothing there.
How the Companion Pass works from January 2027
After December 2, the southwest credit card companion pass path closes for new applicants. Southwest says qualifying points are being discontinued in 2027, along with credit for welcome, referral, anniversary and bonus-category points. New paths replace them:
- New Platinum tier: unlimited companion trips, at 140,000 tier qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights.
- Second Milestone Reward: three companion trips, at 95,000 tier qualifying points or 75 flights.
Cards keep a smaller role. From January 1, 2027, they earn 1 tier qualifying point per eligible dollar. If you only want a card for its ongoing perks, our Southwest Premier card review is a better place to start than any pass math.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you have to spend on a Southwest credit card to get Companion Pass?
From a zero balance, plan on about $35,000 with Priority, $40,000 with Premier or $45,000 with Plus at one point per dollar. Bonus categories and points you already earned in 2026 lower those totals.
Is Southwest Companion Pass worth it?
It can be if two people fly Southwest together often, since the companion pays only taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way. It makes little sense if you would stretch spending just to reach 135,000 points.
Will there be a Southwest credit card Companion Pass promotion in 2027?
Southwest has not announced one. Welcome bonuses from new applications after December 2, 2026 will not count toward it.
Should you apply for a southwest credit card companion pass before December 2?
This makes sense if you already hold a decent stack of 2026 qualifying points, fly Southwest with the same person, and can post the rest by year-end without carrying a balance. Couples starting from zero with normal spending can skip it, since no bonus makes $35,000 in eight weeks a sensible goal. The southwest credit card companion pass is closing as a shortcut, and the last door favors people who are already most of the way through it.
