Update: DEAD! Don’t miss it if this becomes alive again. Sign up for deal notification alerts here!
Update: This offer will be ending at some point tomorrow, 11/18.
Now is the best time to get these cards as with just 2 Southwest cards you can get over $4,200 of free travel thanks to an unlimited use companion pass that will be valid for both paid and award tickets throughout the entire 2014 and 2015 if you play you cards right, read on for more info!
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Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Chase Visa Signature Card Linky
With just 2 Southwest cards you can get over $4,200 of flights thanks to an unlimited use companion pass that will be valid throughout 2014 and 2015 if you play you cards right, read on for more info!
Signup offer and anniversary bonus:
You can get 50,000 points when you spend $2,000 within 3 months of getting the card. They’re marketing this as 2 roundtrip flights but in fact it is enough for as much as $975 of flights on Southwest, so you can stretch out those 50K points points for as many as 15 flights with Southwest’s low prices or 30 flights if you earn a companion pass.
There are in fact 4 unique Southwest credit cards that are all offering 50,000 points for spending $2,000. There is the consumer Plus and Premier cards and the business Plus and Premier cards. You can access them all at the bottom of the application link under “Additional Southwest Airlines Credit Cards”
The difference is that the plus cards have a $69 annual fee and offer 3,000 bonus points (~$57 towards travel) every year as an anniversary bonus. The premier cards have a $99 annual fee, have no foreign exchange fees, and offer 6,000 bonus points (~$114 towards travel) every year as an anniversary bonus.
Free changes and cancellations. Lock in low fares with no penalty!
While other mileage currencies now charge $200 to cancel an award ticket, Southwest continues to allow you to cancel an award flight and redeposit the points in your account for future use without any penalties! Coupled with 2 free bags per person and that’s a lot of added value. A family of 4 needing to cancel award tickets on another airline would set you back $800 versus it being a free change on Southwest. A family of 4 checking 2 bags each would run $480 round-trip on another airline versus paying nothing on Southwest.
Thinking of taking a trip but not 100% sure about it? With Southwest points you can lock in a good rate and just cancel the trip free of charge at any point before the flight if you can’t make it!
You can use the points for yourself or book award tickets for anyone else you want to give a ticket to.
Airtran flights:
You can also use your points for Airtran flights as well! Plus because you will be booking the Airtran flights via Southwest.com you will get 2 free bags and free changes and flight cancellations as well!
Don’t fly?
You can also use 50,000 points to get $500 worth of gift cards to places like Alamo, Amazon, Avis, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Bloomingdales, Brooks Brothers, Budget, Carnival Cruises, Children’s Place, Express, Fairmont, Gap, Hertz, Hyatt, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Marriott, Motherhood Maternity, National, Nike, Office Depot, Saks, Sea World, Sears, Shutterfly, Staples, Starbucks, Toys R Us, TJMaxx, Walmart, Zappos and many others.
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With Southwest’s Rapid Rewards “2.0” program you can redeem points for any seat on any flight. There are no blackout dates or capacity controls. For the regular “wanna get away” fare it costs 60 points for each dollar of airfare. In practical terms this means for example:
A one-way Los Angeles-San Francisco flight on 10/15 is $58.90 with tax.
It can also be bought for 2,880 points plus $2.50 tax.
So 2,880 points gets you a value of $56.40 ($58.90 airfare less the $2.50 tax required on the points ticket)
So each point is worth 1.95 cents (56.40/2,880), valid for redemption on all flights.
The value per point will depend on your route, but points always seem to be worth more than 1.8 cents each for discounted fares.
When Southwest has a fare sale the amount of points go on sale as well as it tracks to the price of the ticket. Best of all Southwest just like Southwest will give you a credit if the price of your paid ticket falls they will refund your points if the price of your award ticket falls!
You get 1 point per dollar on regular purchases, which is equal to a rebate of 1.95%.
You get 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, including hotel and car rentals via Southwest, which is equal to a rebate of 3.9%
Companion pass:
Plus you get a free companion pass if you earn 110,000 points in a year from most sources, including earnings from credit card signups and credit card spending! If you earn 110,000 Southwest points in 2013 the pass will be good until 12/31/14. The pass allows you to bring a companion with you for free whenever you fly Southwest, even if you are flying on a free ticket! There is no limit to the number of free companion flights that you can take.
You can open 2 versions of the Southwest card to get to the 110,000 points in a year. If you open 2 cards and spend $5,000 on each you’ll have 110,000 points. That’s $4,290 worth of flights due to the free companion pass!
If the 110,000 points post to your account in 2014 then the free companion pass will be valid through 12/31/15! If you’re going for a companion pass you’ll want to wait to finish your $2,000 in spending until after your mid-December statement closes. The signup points post on the statement after you complete the $2,000 in spending. You have 103 days from when your account is approved to complete that spending.
Points transferred from Ultimate Rewards to Southwest don’t qualify towards companion pass status, but points transferred from Ultimate Rewards into Hyatt and then into Southwest do qualify. So you can transfer 50K Ultimate Rewards points into 50K Hyatt and 50K Hyatt transfers into 30K Southwest.
In other words if you get 50K points from signing up for this credit card you can transfer 100K Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt and then into 60K Southwest points, worth about $1,170 towards Southwest travel. Plus then you’ll have a companion pass so that you can bring your companion for free whenever you fly Southwest, so that $1,170 toward Southwest is really doubled to $2,340 because of the free companion ticket. Not a bad value for a 100K Ultimate Rewards transfer.
See this post for more info on the Ultimate Rewards program and associated credit cards.
Transfers to Airtran and Rapid Rewards “1.0”:
You can transfer increments of 1,200 Southwest points into 1 Airtran credit. Here is Airtran’s award chart, which does not price awards according to the cost of the flight. Thus you can get an international round-trip award ticket for just 19,200 Southwest points. These awards are capacity controlled however. A business class upgrade on Airtran is just 4,800 Southwest points.
Once they are in Airtran you can also transfer them back into Southwest’s old Rapid Rewards 1.0 program. In this program awards are just 16 credits (19,200 points) round-trip, no matter how expensive the flight is. These are also capacity controlled, but for some flights you will come out far ahead with this old program.
And as always, Southwest:
-Gives 2 free checked bags per passenger.
-Does not charge change fees to switch your flight. Whether you are on a paid or an award flight you can change without penalty!
-Does not charge a cancellation fee to cancel your flight (you will get Southwest credit for the full amount paid, even on non-refundable wanna get away fares) or to cancel and redeposit your award flight.
-Refunds the fare or point difference if the price of your flight goes down after you buy it, just call to get the credit at any time!
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Other Chase consumer cards you can get at the time as the Southwest card include the Chase Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card® Card (40K signup points, no fee the first year, plus 2.14 points per dollar on travel and dining with no Foreign Exchange fees), Chase British Airways (50K signup points, 1.25 Avios per dollar, and an annual companion award ticket if you spend $30K+ in a year). Chase Freedom (which gives 5 points per dollar in rotating categories and 10% bonus points if you have a Chase checking account), and the Chase United Explorer (which gives free luggage, free primary car rental insurance in most countries worldwide besides Israel, expanded saver and standard award ticket availability, priority boarding, and more).
The Chase Ink Plus and Chase Ink Bold business cards both give 50,000 signup points and offer 5 points per dollar on telecom, cable, and office supply stores, 2 points per dollar for gas and lodging, no foreign exchange fees, free lounge visits, and a waived annual fee for the first year.
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253 Comments On "Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Card: Get 50,000 Points!"
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Just to clarify here do the points need to all be earned in the same calendar year OR is it whenever your points total 110k that you earn your companion fare?
I have 2 SW cards one of which I have both earned the 50k bonus on for a total of around 106k between the two cards.
Should I hold off on spending until January so that I go ver the 110K then and have both 2014 & 2015 for companion fare ? or is it too late since all points need to be earned in the same calendar year ?
@YY:
Too late for you, the 110K all need to post in the same calendar year to get the companion pass.
@ Dan, thanks for your quick reply.
I assume if I reach 110k this month the companion ticket will be available for 2013 & 2014, right ?
@YY:
Correct.
If I had this card 2 years ago and cancelled it, can I sign up again?
@BM:
With a new Southwest account.
Does the companion pass work for flights booked using a+ credits?
Thanks! I did this once with my RR #, this time its on with my husband’s as our pass expires 12/31. Favorite Airline by FAR!
Can mine and my wife’s card add up to 110k for the card?
Also do people buy these points and if yes what rate?
I keep getting an error when I try to apply for the business version: “The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time. “
Dan,
U write u can get out of 50k 15 flights or 30 if u get the companion pass, from South west website I understood that the companion pass is a one time thing and can be used once only rather then every flight u book u get a second free. What am I missing? Did I misunderstand what u wrote?
If you get it 10/30, the 2 months will be up 12/30, is it possible that the points won’t post until 2014?
@mflo:
No.
@Tracy:
Enjoy!
@Mjd612:
No, needs to be all in one name.
@Mark:
Try another browser or incognito?
\
@Ben:
It is most definitely not a one-time thing. You can use as many times as you want until the end of the calendar year after you earn it.
@Nate:
I wrote about the posting times in the post.
Dan, what about this disclaimer at the bottom of the application link page: “Previous and existing Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card cardmembers/accounts are not eligible for this bonus offer. Note: the bonus may be earned on one first-time personal and one first-time business Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card new account.” Does that mean I can’t open one of each of the consumer versions of the card to earn 2 50k bonuses? Thank you.
Hello Dan,
Another blogger mentioned the following…. (I will apply via DDs, but want to know when is best for Companion Pass longevity)
That said, if you do decide to use this credit card sign-up bonus to help get you to the Companion Pass (“off-label benefit, but it has been working for quite a while) then I would hold off a bit on applying so that you can cross the $2,000 spending threshold and trigger the bonus in early 2014. This is because your Companion Pass is good the year you earn it, and the next calendar year. Doing it now would be cutting yourself short many months with the Companion Pass since you would be potentially getting it late in calendar year 2013. I would apply in say mid-October (the language on the public version of the deal says available until October 30th) and then you can finish hitting your spending limit in early January 2014. That said, if need 50k-ish more points toward earning your Companion Pass in 2013, this could be a great way to do it if you act quickly. –
If i don’t fly I’d the companion pass with anything to me? Any way to transfer…
Ot, the ba companion pass earned by spending 30k on the chase ba card, is it a one time use?
Does this work if we live in Canada, using Canadian dollars and does southwest fly to Montreal?
@D2:
Many people have opened all 4 versions without a problem.
@DanR NYC:
I talked about the dates and strategies in the post.
@mmm:
No.
BA is one-time. Southwest is unlimited.
@Karen:
You need a US SSN to apply.
They do not fly to Montreal.
This card would be better for someone looking for YUL tickets: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/33023
I am so upset! I received the SW chase card a little bit ago and spent 2k. Now I get a letter stating that since their records show that I have taken advantage of this offer or similar within 2 years I am not eligible.
I see someone says that i could have used a different SW account as a workaround.
If only I read more before just shooting out the app! Anyone know if there is any way to get them to honor the points? thanks.
Sorry Dan – I 100% trust you, but to be sure. You are saying that if the closing date is the 5th, and we charge the 10K after December 5th but before Jan 5th (plus posting time) – it will only post in 2014, even though you purchased the points in 2013? Sounds scary – but if you say so. So, this is just a double check – thx
@depressed:
Nope, sorry.
@David Raccah:
Positive. It only posts on the statement after you complete the spend requirement.
If I opened both a SW personal and biz card within last 2-years, to get bonus pts now, should I create another RR# as a work around in my name or someone else’s (ie my kids name)?
Dan,
When you responded to D2 that “many people have opened all 4 verisons without a problem” does that mean they opened credit cards that gave them 50,000 bonus pts. 4 times? If so, how did they do it? Use the same name and RR account info 4 times consecutively?
Just a word of caution on transfers to Airtran. If you transfer them back to SW the 16 credits expire in a year. They have capacity controls on standard awards and are not as easy to use.
When does the 50,000 point bonus expire? And if it is not for a while does it make sense to wait so my companion status will last 2 years?
@DanFan:
You can get the bonus on all 4 different versions on the same Southwest account.
@NR:
All of that is in the post, just read it.
will chase waive first year annual fee with a sm WITHOUT cancelling card within 30 to 60 days?
Dan, I wad thinking about getting SW points to fly on Thanksgiving. if I sign up for this offer now will I get the points in time to book and ifly then? I can hit the minimum quickly, but how long do they taketo post the points? Thanks very much.
@Shlomo:
They post as soon as the first statement closes after you’ve spent $2K.
Hey Dan – let’s say I earn the 110K points and then give those 110K points to someone else (like a family member). Will that other person also be deemed to have “earned” 110K in that year and get the same companion pass.
Further, after doing that could the person give me some (or all) of the points back?
I will note if anyone else is thinking about doing this – Southwest had a deal last summer where they were granting a 25% bonus (up to 15K points) for anyone gifting points.
Can someone post a link to the consumer plus and premier card, and a link to the business plus and premier.
thanks
hey Dan,
Other then the annual fee, is there a reason not to open as many CC as you can(if there’s a bonus involved)? in other words, is it bad for your credit or in any other way to have many cards open?
2nd, what do you suggest is the best thing to do with CC that i already got the bones and i now have no real need for them?
Thanks for your time
Dan,
first of all thanx.
if i am trying to apply for multiple cards, should i have a Southwest RR account before i apply to put on the application so that all points go there, or will they automatically combine if they are both in my name?
is there any advantage to applying to 2 different street addresses as i can have 1 card billed to my home and 1 to my office?
Hi Dan. I could use a little help. I applied for both Plus biz and Plus personal at the same time online- got messages for both (as opposed to instant approval), but did get ref# for personal appl but none for biz. I called Recon lines within one day for personal and was approved when reallocating credit. Unfortunately for biz, decline b/c business is too new, applied for two cards at once, and too many appls within 12 mos (UA, CSP, Ink … and SWS personal). Rep said letter should be arriving within 10 days.
Am I toast or is there a recommended course of action at this point? Is it worth calling Recon line again before I receive the letter or after? Or apply for Premiere personal?
Advice is much appreciated.
Dan, you might want to update this post:
just called southwest and they said that from now on you can only get 2 signup bonuses if 1 card is personal and 1 business, but if both are personal you only get 1 time 50,000
@RL:
No.
@yossi CH:
It’s all in the link in the post.
@eli:
That’s not true based on many people’s experiences.
Do I need to open a southwest account before or after applying for the card or it happens automatically with opening the card/s
ok I have earned 55k points on each credit card.
What do I do to get it all on one 110K account and get the free companion tickets?
I want to make sure I do this right so I don’t mess it up
also Southwest now has a promotion giving 35% bonus for any purchased or gifted points, any idea how to take advantage of that with this deal ?
@Mr boat: IF you do not already have a SWA Rapid Rewards acct, it will be setup for you when the card is approved.
@diging-it: Recommend just holding for the letter. You can try calling one more time to see if another analyst has a different take. My experience is reps have leadway. What you don’t want to do is call multiple times b/c reps do note the acct and they do read what previous reps wrote. One alternative is to apply for the other personal card (Premiere). If your total credit lines with Chase and credit scores are sufficient, it is sometimes easier to get a personal card than business card.
@eli: FUD
Hi Dan,
I applied for the personal version of this card in June and got approved, spen 2k and got bonus as well. I applied for a business card in aug and got denied saying the business is too new. Can I apply for another personal card this time and still be eligible for the bonus and hence the companion pass?
Ps: my credite history is only for 2 years now and do not have lot of credit line yet.
I have both Chase Saphire prefferred and Southwest cards. My second year is approaching. How do I get out of paying annual fees, or should I just cancel both? Thanks!
@Yitz: call to cancel
@Yitz: as an alternative to canceling personal cards, you may want to either downgrade to a free card or shift the credit line to a new card. This will save you from being stuck with the short history of cancelled cards.
@winger: not just cancel; “cancel” by moving credit lines to another card or downgrading to a non-annual fee card
I got this card with 50k points 2 years ago and then canceled a year later. Would I get accepted again (with the 50k bonus) If i signed up now? Thanks
@MiamiGuy:
Safest way would be to open a new Southwest account number and merge them after you get the bonus.
is there a benefit to applying for one business card and one personal card as opposed to 2 personal cards?
@careful with your credit
How does one go about shifting credit lines to a new card ?
I understand you can request that their customer service downgrade you to a free card.
How would they shift to a new card ?
@YY:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23410
@Sam: @sam how do I create a new account number? wont the bank see I already opened a card with them and then canceled?
@Dan: I frequently have questions that I know have been addressed in prior posts. How did you find that article?
@ Dan
Thanks for the link,
sounds like you don’t actually move credit to another card but always to a NEW card.
So if I am understanding the only way to cancel a card without hurting your credit report would be to downgrade.
(moving over credit would only be able to be done after a credit pull when applying for that banks other cards)
another question, when you downgrade do they usually honor promotions going on ? Like if I want to downgrade from Southwest card to a free card which had a 5k bonus for signup, will they give that to me? or is that asking too much?
How do I open a new southwest rewards account if I already had one and did this deal a couple years ago? Everyone says that in order to get the deal AGAIN, you need a new Southwest RR#. But aren’t they going to find that I already have one when I call and give them my name and address, etc?
I applied for the personal version of this card in June and got approved, spen 2k and got bonus as well. I applied for a business card in aug and got denied saying the business is too new. Can I apply for another personal card this time and still be eligible for the bonus and hence the companion pass?
Ps: my credite history is only for 2 years now and do not have lot of credit line yet.
For the people who continue to call SWA and Chase about whether the card bonuses count towards the companion pass and whether 2 personal or business cards can each get the bonus, please for the love of God, stop!
I have both personal and biz premier SWA and they are up for renewal in December. Right now I only have over 105k. At renewal if I get the 6k bonus will that count towards the 110k necessary for the free companion. Thanks
I applied for 2 southwest cards a few weeks ago. Could only get 1 approved. They say I have to many inquiries in the last few months. I opened a ba card a month ago. Today they tried a new excuse- every card I open cost chase money & I should try again in half a year. Any ideas how to get approved ( closing a different card won’t help)
Do these points ever expire?
What excuse do you give Chase for opening 4 of the same cards? I can explain a personal and business but how do you explain 4?
On a side note- I applied for a new BA card after my old one is over 18 months(I forgot to close it) they sent me a letter that I have one open I should call. Should I close it then call or call and explain why I need two separate accounts?
would chase typically allow 3 different type of cards for same [person? I have 2 , and when tried marriott they said I already had 3, and they needed to assess the accounts for a while before approving a new card.
Any suggestions?
Just got approved for the personal plus.
Can someone please summarize what I do next to get the free companion-I’m having a difficult time sorting through the info. I need to spend 5,000 on this card by _____, but not before _____? Thank you…much appreciated!!!
if the bonus is only 50,000 and i need to spend 110,000 for the bonus…how much do i spend in before the closing of my December bill? thanks
@TL:
Different cards have different benefits.
Plus people need dedicated cards for HSA spending or to track spending for specific expenses.
@N:
You need to earn 110,000 points in the same calendar year.
@Ikty:
Huh?
Thanks! So if I need to earn the 110,000 points in the same year, do I wait to charge anything on this card until mid dec? Thanks!!!
Here’s what it says in the fine print:
Note: the bonus may be earned on one first-time personal and one first-time business Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card new account.
@N:
Correct.
Or change your bill to print on December 1st and then spend after December 1st.
@Mutty:
Plenty of people have gotten the bonus on all 4 versions of the card with the same Southwest account.
@Ikty: you need to sign up for two SWA cards. Once you have done so, you must spend 10K either before or after Dec 31, 13.
@srulky:
The cutoff is the December statement date, not 12/31.
It’s very frustrating dealing with the recon reps. They make me feel like an idiot. They ask me what part of the previous reps that I spoke to didn’t I understand !!!
Didn’t get that comment-why just j sign up for two cards? If I spend 5000 on one card on December, wouldn’t that give me a free companion? Thanks for all your help!!!
Please advise me @58 above. Thanks
Hello. If I apply for both today and get denied for one but after reconsideration get approved…will I still get the bonus on both if the application was before 10/30 but the reconsideration acceptance was after 10/30? Thanks!
Tim, they are not stupid. same way you review what you will gain from the relationship, they do too.
so they reviewed and found that it cost them more than they gain, and therefore they are not interested in losing more. they have a cost for all the points, they dont get it free.
so sometimes you have to accept it.
Its not worth it for them.
Is not that fair?
@YY: then how do so many people get it approved ?
@YY: chase loses money on anyone who pays their bill in full every month.
tim, how they approved others is a good question, and can have several possibilities.
and no, if you pay in full, they still make $ in you.
if you take 110,000 miles from their pocket, they lose on you.
It’s all about how you go about it,
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/16036
dan, i got approved for the personal card for $15,000/month but got denied for the business card. after calling reconsideration line they said its because my business is only a year old. is there any other way to do this? they said i can try applying again in a few months but i want to get the bonus offered now.
Jay, there are many things we all want, doesnt always work.
Especially when you talk free gifts. Enjoy what you got.
How do I make sure that I will get a new southwest account number?
@Dov:
Go to Southwest.com and open a new account.
Does anyone know if recon approves it in November would I still get signup bonus ? I applied 2 weeks ago
@Tim:
Yes, as long as you apply with the 50K offer you’re fine no matter when it’s actually approved.
@Sam: southwest.com says I have one already. I need a new one. How do I do that?
I spoke to Chase, and the rep told me if I don’t get the bonus on the second card, to call back and she could push it through. That’s of course, if her name is legit and she is still employed by then! I only asked because I applied today for a second card to get the companion pass. I agree though, maybe we all ought to stop calling. Sorry!
Thanks dan. Do u see this offer coming back anytime soon ?
I called recon and was told that I tried to open too many chase cards. The rep said that although I have tried to shift credit, he would not approve me and told me to waite a year. How do you open so many cards?
@Debbie:
You can get the bonus from all 4 types of cards on the same account.
@Tim:
Beats me.
@confused:
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=9825.msg613668#msg613668
so…in order to get the free companion fare, can I open a cc in my name, one in my spouse’s-spend 2,000 on each and then transfer 20,000 ultimate rewards points over?
Thanks!
@N:
No, read the post again.
Dan, I read your instructions on obtaining multiple cards but I had no success. Would opening a chse checking account help? I keep getting denied.
@Dan: when u say “as long as u apply with the bonus offer” that means even if I’ve been rejected again and again over the last few weeks ?
Tim: I was told as long as the application was prior to the 30th, they can still get you the bonus miles.
Has anyone got the companion pass this way? the southwest rep told me that the credit card bonus does not count toward companion fare status.
@justwondering:
Yes, thousands of people have.
DROPR: http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=10531.0
If I have an existing Southwest mileage acct with miles and I sign up for the VISA card, do I get a new mileage acct #? And if so, can I combine the 2 mileage accts into the new one without a problem?
@Dan
I’m really having trouble with opening a new rapids rewards account to get another card. Every time it recognizes my name and address and says I have an account already.
I want to sign up for a business card to get the points also. Do I start a new rr account for that too or do it under current rr? please explain.
Please help me out before its too late tonight. Thanks
You can get the bonus for all 4 versions of the card on your regular Southwest account.
Hey dan I just called recon about the sw personal plus he told me I was denied bc I am an AU on my fathers card . And my father would have to close his account . And apply again ever heard of such a thing?
@don:
If you have a smaller income it’s possible they don’t want you to have too much exposure.
Close the AU card but there’s no need to apply again. Just call them back once it’s done.
@Dan: @Dan: ah thanks. He said there is no way to close the au card . My father would have to close the card totally . I’ll see if my father will agree to that . 🙁
@don:
Huh? Of course you can close an AU card.
Just have your father call to have you remove you as an AU.
You can then call the credit bureaus to have them remove the account from your report.
Or just HUCA and try another rep.
@anyone
I apply to sw card last night and there was a 99 annual fee. So the promotion ends toady but the annual fee waiver ended already
Any explanation ?
What should i do ?
@Anyone who knows
They are charging 99$ evan for 1st year
Any explanation ?
@Ap: read the post. Annual fee was never waived
There is a $69 version as well, read the post.
ap, you want $4000 gifts value and not even to pay their $99?
are you serious?
I applied today for a new sapphire card had to call to shift credit since I maxed. I want to apply for southwest as well. Is it too risky to apply for two southwest cards(and I know I will need to call ) I can say one is for my purchases abroad(even though I do have sapphire) one is for my medical expenses or better to apply for just one
Is this still alive?
i need 5 tickets for pesach. we havent had a credit card before. is this the best way to get points or is there a different credit card that better? can both my husband and i sign up?
how do we go about not paying the annual fee and not ruining our credit?
Dan, If I sign up for this card, can I cancel within the year (within a few months), and if so, is there a penalty? Also, do you know if they let spouses separately sign up for the card to permit each earning the 50,000 mile bonus? Please advise, and thank you.
Today I applied for sapphire & for southwest.
For the Sapphire they approved me right away.
But for the SouthWest they didn’t.
Here is my dilemma; Since the 50k miles promotion ends tonight, should I call reconsideration today, to see if they can issue the card to me?
Or it won’t help because I only applied today, and i have to give them time before I call?
if I should call today? What’s the number for Reconsideration at Chase?
maybe should I sign up for my wife?
can I merge my RR account with her RR Account?
my goal is to meet the 100k mile requirement for a free champion
Why do the rep keep saying that I opened too many Chase cards and would not let me get SW. Help.
@Dan: I applied for 3 of them and only got 1 instant approval. Should i wait until i hear responses from chase on the other 2 to call recon or will I have lost the opportunity for the 50k bonus?
Dan,
i signed up for and received the 2 personal cards. Do i now automatically have a single RR account with both of these cards on it, or do i have to register a new account and somehow put these 2 cards on the account?
When you sign up for a RR Account online you can earn some RR Points (between 250 to i think 1000)
then you call them up and ask them to link both accounts to the RR Account #
Think it’s DEAD!!!
@Scott: not dead yet!
website links arent working.
@idk:
Still working in Chrome and IE for me.
Hi, finally, I am in!
Before midnite, did 2 application, and got both as pending.
Holding 2 other chase accounts. lets wait and see.
How long should it take to hear back from them?
Hope for 110k points!
😉
@M: if approved in 2 weeks from now will you still get the points?
@Dan, things have changed at Chase regarding biz cards. They will not move around credit lines from other biz charge cards or let you swap another biz card for the SW biz card. Denial on the basis of “too many” cards opened during the past year. They don’t care that you are not asking for any additional credit.
@Al:
Simply untrue.
HUCA, HUCA, HUCA is the law of the land.
I called business reconsideration twice. I even asked for supervisor. I was told application is denied. “Too many cards” opened recently. I have 9 cards (even though that includes personal cards). They would not let me close my United biz or move some credit from INK Plus. Others are reporting the same thing. Personal cards will still let you move around to approve.
@Al:
Twice is not called HUCA. I have 7 Chase business cards right now, it’s all about how you ask and finding the right rep.
I just did a couple of Ink cards and moved stuff around for both. So have plenty of others on DDF.
Do you have different tax IDs etc. for your businesses? I gather you are not applying as a sole proprietor. I am applying as a sole proprietor – using your SSN pulls up all your other personal cards. The process for the personal reallocation was quick and simple. They didn’t care how your existing credit was reallocated. However, with the biz recon it was too many cards in too short of a period. How many more times can I call back for recon. because on every future call the rep will see that I have been denied already. My file is notated.
If you have multiple businesses you can apply for them all under your SSN as a sole proprietor.
Seems like your reasons for wanting more cards are probably lacking.
@Dan: don’t they pull the credit each time we call reconsideration?
@E N:
It depends, not necessarily.
And there are things you can do about that as well.
I have only one business. I have 3 Chase biz cards (2 INK, 1 UA) I told them that I’m not flying with United and shifting my flying over to SW and wish to swap my UA biz card for a SW biz card. I’m not asking for any increase in credit. But they said too many cards opened recently. How can I get it approved? Should I just call and close my UA biz card before calling back?
@Dan:
link for the things we can do about it?.
Dan
I applied yesterday, but wasn’t approved yet.
How long should i wait to call back reconsideration?
@Dan According the link below, A) you can’t earn a companion ticket with “program enrollment or tier bonuses”, wouldn’t the 50,000 be classified as one of those? B) It also says that effective 1/1/14, you must accrue 110,000 points during the year the pass is earned in order for it to renew another year. C) I have 81k Chase Ultimate Rewards, I assume I would need a premium/plus card to transfer to Hyatt, etc, correct. Thanks.
Purchased points and points earned from program enrollment, Tier bonuses, flight bonuses, and Partner bonuses do not count toward Companion Pass status.
http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/faqs.html?topic=rapid_rewards_program_terms_and_conditions
@E N:
If you don’t call Recon the day of the app you may as well wait for a decision.
@DovG:
A. Hundreds of people have gotten the companion pass from the credit card.
Program enrollment is referring to any bonuses enrolling in the Southwest program.
Tier bonuses have nothing to do with the credit card.
B. Nothing is changing in 2014. It’s giving an example.
Earn 110K in 2014 and the pass is good throughout 2014 and 2015.
C. Correct.
just called chase recon and approved me in minutes! got 2 southwest cards, here i come companion pass!
@q:
Congrats!
Thanks Dan. I applied to both personal cards, and received the standard 7-10 days message for a decision. When I call recon, per another thread, I should only call about one card at a time. Since the applications are identical except for the card level and browser used, how do I expect them not to see both applications? Thanks again.
One of the declines had a reference code, so I called with that. They did not mention the other application, but they did look for me to transfer credit from another card, so I did. Now, how to proceed with the other application which has the 7-10 business day wait.
I dined up a few days ago fir a second southwest card and they declined it because I signed up for to many cards (I signed up fur 3 cards in total) what’s the best way to get them to accept me.
Dan,
If I spend on a card (BA Avios) and pay it before the statement end, does it count towards qualifying miles (I am trying to hit the 30K)?
Thanks
dan. can u explain again how to get the companion for 2 years??
im currently finishing up to get 110k
Signed up for 2 personal.
Got one letter for denial as duplicate app. (2 BM)
Nothing about second.
now what?
Currently I have about 105K SW received from 2 sign ups this year. I just opened a third. If I hit the 110K in 2014 will I get the companion for 2014 & 2015. Thanks for all yr help.
Alce, no the points all have to be acquired in the same calendar year. So hurray and rack up the 110,000 mark in 2013 to get the pass for 2014. This is your only opportunity.
@YY: I think they’re cracking down on duplicates
i got that letter on the chase sapphire
Hi Dan
I have AMX miles 70,000 and 52,000 chase south west rewards points.
is there any way to combine these two cards points to
Southwest to get south west companion pass
Thanks,
Mohan
When is this offer ending?
Can you please tell me if 50 000 bonus points offer is over. Earlier you’ve mentioned that it is extended for few more weeks. I tried to apply yesterday but did not see bonus offer on application page.
Word has it that it has been extended to Nov 18 2013, just find the right application page.
applied for 2 diff cards 2 BM, got letter than one application was cancelled b/c it was a “duplicate application”, in fact it was for a diff card. what do i do now?
and when they ask why do you need both?
@JB:
Just call reconsideration and explain why you want 2 cards like for a dedicated card for health savings account spending.
99.00 dollar fee on first statement from southwest.
Not interested in that
@Geddy:
1. There’s also a $69 fee version, just read the post.
2. $69 or $99 is too much to pay for 50,000 points of travel?
Dan how come we don’t get posts that are updated on text alerts??
does the companion pass work for airtran flights?
@Davidd:
I don’t generally want to bother people with updates.
@binny:
Yes, as long as you book via Southwest.
does the companion pass work for a redeemed award ticket or just a paid ticket?
@chesky:
Works on both!
hi, I got approved for 2 cards on 10/30… I just want to clarify that if I wait until Jan 2014 to do my 2k spending on each card I will get the companion pass for 2014 and 2015? or is it 2 late? or I should rather finish off the spending in late dec 2013?
The premier cards have a $99 annual fee, have no foreign exchange fees, and offer 6,000 bonus points (~$114 towards travel) every year as an anniversary bonus.
….This is for business…..
@rachel:
That’s correct.
What you can do is call Chase to have your statement generate on the first day of the month.
Then you can spend in December as the points from that spending won’t post until 2014 and the companion pass will be valid until 12/31/15.
@Anonymous:
The plus cards both have $69 annual fees, as I write in the post.
Is there a way to use these points to get to Israel?
@dan what do you estimate the sign up bonus will be after this promo? is it likely that there will be another promo offering 40 or 50k in the next 6 months or so?
Is it safe to say that it will remain on southwest site
@Geoff:
Get a gift card, sell the gift card, and use the cash to buy a ticket?
@zack:
Probably will go down to 25K. This will probably be the last 50K for the year.
@Moshe:
From what I’m told this will be pulled from their site as well but that’s just what I’m told.
@Max:
Make a spreadsheet?
@dan If i book a business class ticket with miles, will my designated companion be given a business class ticket as well?
Dan, Thanks for the quick response.
Just to clarify I can do both options wait until 2014 and get all spending and bonuses in within 103 days of approval as long as all 110k points post in same calender year? or change the statement date to the 1st of the month and finish spending in 2013??
@kyle:
Southwest is coach only.
@rachel:
You are better off finishing in 2014 so that the pass lasts through 12/31/15.
The point of making it the first of the month is so that even your December spending will count for 2014.
@Dan
is this worth for us in Canada? (I have a SC # address in the US etc.)
My wife just signed up for the personal card. If she also signs up for the business card under her personal ssn, how does she combine the 55,000 points from each (50k signup plus 5k spending on each) to get the companion pass, or is it automatic? Thanks!!!
@A Canadian:
Southwest doesn’t fly to Canada.
@Itamar:
Automatic.
I want to open an American Express Starwood Card, however they are only giving $25,00 bonus points, should I wait until they offer more bonus points?
@mat:
They only offer 30k in August
@dan
I currently have both Chase ink bold and plus cards for my small business. I was told that I might be able to get a 2nd set of ink bold and plus cards if I have a 2nd small business. Can I tell Chase that I have a 2nd business which is selling stuff on ebay to get the 2nd ink cards?
@jesse:
You can have the same Ink cards for different businesses.
Hello Dan,
I got my two SW cards and changed my date to the 1st, as recommended. I will wait till the 5th to make 5K of purchases on each card and the 110K will appear on 2014, so all set there I hope.
The funny thing is that they talk about A-List and A-preferred list status (which are subsets of Companion pass, as I got one premier card, which now seems like a waste of money. Anyway, why do they talk about A-list, when the 50K you get from the card alone gives you A-list and almost A-list preferred?
Essentially, ignore that – correct, so should I downgrade the card now or just pay for my extra ignorance, as I get nothing but 3K on the next year, which does not seem worth the extra 30 bucks?
Thanks!
Which American Express card currently gives you the most sign up points?
dan. can u explain again how to get the companion for 2 years??
im currently finishing up to get 110k
when do the points need to post in order to do this
I’m confused. I see conflicting amounts of minimum spend for the bonus. Some people mention 2k and some 5k.which one is it?
@Yitza – the info for what you asked is in Dan’s Post!
If the 110,000 points post to your account in 2014 then the free companion pass will be valid through 12/31/15! If you’re going for a companion pass you’ll want to wait to finish your $2,000 in spending until after your mid-December statement closes. The signup points post on the statement after you complete the $2,000 in spending. You have 103 days from when your account is approved to complete that spending.
Points transferred from Ultimate Rewards to Southwest don’t qualify towards companion pass status, but points transferred from Ultimate Rewards into Hyatt and then into Southwest do qualify. So you can transfer 50K Ultimate Rewards points into 50K Hyatt and 50K Hyatt transfers into 30K Southwest.
In other words if you get 50K points from signing up for this credit card you can transfer 100K Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt and then into 60K Southwest points, worth about $1,170 towards Southwest travel. Plus then you’ll have a companion pass so that you can bring your companion for free whenever you fly Southwest, so that $1,170 toward Southwest is really doubled to $2,340 because of the free companion ticket. Not a bad value for a 100K Ultimate Rewards transfer.
@Shmuly – you need to spend 2K per card to get the 50K. You need to spend 110K per SW frequent flier number to get the companion pass status!
So with two cards – spend 5K on each after your last cutoff date but before Jan’s cut off date and the 10K you spend total across the cards will get you the companion pass.
2K gets you 50K reward points – the final 3K on each card or 6K on either card (after they both have at least 2K) and you get to 110K dollars spent or rewarded and that earns you a companion pass that will appear on next year’s statement closing
Dan, For a New Yorker what am I going to get from the points besides selling them? As their hub is not in NY.
Applied for 2, denied 2 for too high credit line. on phone w recon, seems ok to move CL from existing, should I ask same rep for second ref number, or better another call?
@DR, does companion work for international? which airline?
specifically, Europe and TLV
how do I make sure both accounts carry same FF number? easy to change once card is issued?
@Moshe:
I live in brooklyn. They fly nonstop to many Midwestern cities from EWR & LGA. They fly non stop to PBI & FLL from Islip (1:15 from Brooklyn) as well as Philadelphia. Moshe, remember that you will be attaining companion pass. So you can probably afford some inconvenience for a slam dunk deal. As far as selling is concerned, there really isn’t a market for rapid rewards points.
@JB:
Southwest doesn’t fly internationally. You can transfer rapid rewards to airtran for international destinations such as, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. However if you choose to do so, you won’t be able to use your companion pass for those flights.
@FF Num:
Rapid Rewards points will automatically be deposited in the same account.
So which two cards should I apply for today? Two personal? Or one personal and one business for my ebay business?
Also, my husband has income, so the cards will have to be in his name. But we’d like the companion pass in mine. Can We tie his cards to MY frequent flyer acct AND the companion pass?
I already have 3 chase CCs .. whats the chance in getting approved for 2 Southwest cards ( personal and business).
I also dont want my credit hit too much with both apps if they both get denied.
@Sue:
You can include household income on a credit card application, so you can get cards in your name.
Any 2 cards would work.
@ben:
As long as your willing to shift around credit it should be doable.
Can one get 2 BA credit cards? One personal and one business ?
Dan-
How can i check what the award price a flight would be on the old southwest 1.0 program. I dont want to initiate the transfer until I know that I can get the SW flight for 16 credits (which would definitely be worthwhile in my case because the dates I need are showing over 30k on the reg SW program)??
@Eric:
There is only a BA consumer card.
@bruce:
Call and ask to check availability.
dan,
I do business(buy and sell) on ebay. but I don’t have business name. can I apply for business card?
@jesse:
Yes.
See this post for details:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/25391
Applied for both consumers. Approved for one. Called reconsideration, they said they can approve the second but I wouldn’t get the bonus. Chutzpah!
@toasted:
Don’t believe what phone reps say. Plenty of people have successfully gotten the bonus for all 4 different cards on the same southwest account even when told otherwise.
So I should have them approve and hope for the best? (BTW, I also got the Lufthansa today. Thanks Dan, your’e the KING).
@Toasted:
Nothing to do with hope, spend the amount required and you’ll get the miles.
Ms. Huca agreed to split the cl with the first card they approved. So cvs here we come!
Thanks Dan for the push.
Would you shoot for a Hyatt now, or my luck is stretched?
How would they know my 2 ff numbers? is it based on what I provided on the application? make sure when card issued its correct? easy to revise if not?
to clarify: I meant same FF num for 2 CCs issued
DEAD at least on the Pro…. 🙁 🙁 Once again I missed out poooh.
Offer Unavailable
The information you requested is no longer available.
But premier still works. But I got to call recon…
Is it a problem that I haven’t filed taxes for 2012 yet? Just thought of this now… after I applied. Should I bother calling? Or go file my taxes first?
@badabinging:
Still works, just browse incognito.
@badabinging:
No need to file taxes right now.
if i would want to do a trip with about fifteen poeple would this still work if i sind up tomorow
@mendel:
It will stop working at some point tomorrow.
As long as the link still works you’re good to go.
@Dan: Thanks Dan! Meanwhile I just applied for Premier Biz and Premier Consumer. I will call Recon as soon as they open in the AM and hopefully get this baby!
I applied for both the personal and business cards for the first time. Got approved for the personal, but they said decision pending on the business. So now do I call the recon dept? And does this still count as applying in time if I get approved after 11/18?
@Sue:
As long as you apply by tomorrow you are good regardless of when you’re approved.
@DR: To clarify, the 2K has to be spent within the 3 months of approval but the 5K can be any time within the calendar year. Correct?
1 more question. I applied for both personal and got accepted. Will they assign FF numbers for both accounts? How and when do I merge them?
I keep getting this meassage
Due to a technical error, we’re unable to process your request. You may try to resubmit your request now or try again later if the problem continues.
Is it dead?
@Shmuly:
Correct.
@Shmuly:
They will probably match them up and merge for you.
@AAG:
Browse incognito.
Can Southwest points be used for a flight to Israel?
Does the companion pass work for Southwest flights only or anything booked through them (including rewards)?
I have done Icognito and tried 3 times and still getting the same message.
@Shmuly:
There are better options for Israel.
Southwest/Airtran only.
@AAG:
Try a different browser.
I tried IE and Chrome and Mozilla
Could it be that they are blocking me because I am applying from Canada?
if i cancel the CC after i receive the points will they prorate the annual fee or do i have to pay yearly fee in first statement?
Okay, so I tried my first 3 BM. Personal SW, business SW and Ink pus. Personal SW approved after calling and moving credit. I had no application id for either business app but rep said I see you have an app pending for a business card. Switched me to another rep. After a lot of questions about my business and why I have so many cards, approved business card for low limit. I have no idea which card I was approved for! How do i find out if SW biz or Ink plus was approved? I’d like to call for recon for the other card but don’t have an application ID either.
Second question. While trying to get first biz card approved over phone, a lot of questions about how many credit cards in general I have. several I do not use at all, personal Barclays, personal Citibank,etc and a business Amex. When I call recon for second biz card is it better for me to cancel these cards in advance, or tell the rep I will cancel them? OR does it not matter in terms of recon?
@Dan
Hey dan! i applied for the 2 personal cards earlier today before the promo seemed to end. As of now, both apps are still pending. Tomorrow I’m going to try shifting around some CL to see if they’ll approve me.
My q is, since I applied before the deadline and the offers stated 50,000 points, am i still eligible? or will i be approved after the deadline?
I also applied for the 3 Chase cards and got approved for the SW Personal , but not for the SW business and Chase Ink, when I called Recon, they approved the SW business, but denied the Chase Ink. Is there anything I can do to still get recon for the Chase Ink? I only had 2 other personal cards in my name before this.
@Sesmo:
Call and ask?
@gavi:
Still eligible.
@Sue:
Call again?
Does pending mean you will get a denial letter?
@Shonny:
Not necessarily.
@Dan:
But probable?
Any advice on closing cards to get approval? For a chase businss card if they believe I have too much credit extended elsewhere and I don’t use my personal citibank, AMEX business, personal barlay am I best off to close before calling recon? I had not closed these previously because of concern closing would impact my credit rating. Not sure if I close them now, if it takes awhile to become effective and therefore useless effort for getting recondsidered for this app.
Maybe you have an archive that discusses this kind of strategy? if so, please point me that way… Thanks
Thanks Dan for all you help thus far!!
Wondered if you could help if the following: I got denied for the Southwest card. The only other Chase card I have is one that I am a secondary with my mother. Called Chase who explained that since July the new policy is that they cannot remove the other member of a joint account. Because we are joint they will not allow me to transfer credit from the joint card to the declined Southwest card!! Any advice?? Thanks!!
@Moshe:
You are a joint-owner or an authorized used on that card?
i got my 1st sw card in june and got the 50k in august, got my 2nd sw card this week, is it to late to get the companion pass? can i get the companion for 2014 and 2015?
so far have 107k points. statements on both southwest cards just closed and earliest due date for next statement is in january. is there any way to get those 3k points without flying? (the terms state that purchased points dont count for companion pass. anyone have experience or tried it out?)
@Dan: I am a joint-owner. Technical, I think my mother is the primary and I am the secondary but we are both equally financially liable. Any advice?? Thanks
I was approved for only one of the credit cards and when i spoke with the representative she said if my husband got one and i got one as long as we put the same rewards number on we could merge the points earned so if we each hit the spending limit seperately we could join it and earn this free companion pass does anyone know if this is true
@Dan i missed for 50k bonus and ow t’s only 25k ..do you think it will come around again and wait or should i still get it now ?
Are the companion passes only for domestic? Or also for international?
Dan-
do balance transfers count towards the 110,000 points?
and if i qualify for the free companion tickets after i already booked flights but before i actually fly, do i get credited half the points?
i reached my $2000 spending this past month (changed my statement date to try and get the companion pass too) and only got the 2152 points NO BONUS POINTS. do i have to wait till next statement to get my 50,000 point or will they post sooner?
On 12/16, I received the SW companion pass for reaching the 110k after my December billing cycle closed on 11th. I purchased VR on 12/14, and the miles and companion pass was issues on 12/16.
I called Southwest and the woman had never seen miles posting prior to the end of the billing cycle.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Any suggestions to get the miles and status posted in 2014?
I got the premier card a few weeks ago… wanted to get another to reach 100k can i apply for one in my wifes name but put the same Rapid reward number on the application? will that link the two cards?
Question. If I booked a Wanna Getaway award seat for say 5000 Rapid Reward points, then later receive a Companion Pass (CP), can I use the CP to book my companion a seat, even if there are no more Wanna Getaway seats available? For example, if the lowest available seat is going for 8700 Rapid Reward points, can I use my CP to book that seat?
Thanks!
@SLPinLBC: could it be you get the CP immediately after you hit the 110k points mark in the same year and do not have to wait until the closing date of your billing period? And maybe the closing period is only important when considering when the bonus 50k miles are awarded?
i opened both premier and plus but opened 2 seperate mielage accounts for them by mistake if i ask them to put them in one account will i get the companion pass and the bonuses
Question: SW has the 50k bonus points available on two chase cards. If hubby and I both get both cards then we’ll have companion fares available and us plus kids can all go free?
Or, is it better long run strategy for only one of us to get the companion now for 2014/2015 and then the other can sign up in 2016? Or save the money now cause who knows what the future will bring? TIA
I fly southwest 4 times a year and I’m from canada can’t get a southwest credit card help
The previous posts discussing this are quite old. Has anyone had experience in receiving the bonus on two business cards around the same time? Risking an annual fee and no points isn’t a good idea.
I had a chase airtran card which automatically morphed into a southwest card. I dont think I ever got a bonus for it. Is there any way for me to get that 50K bonus?
Thanks!