It used to be very easy to earn a Southwest Companion Pass. Earning 110K points in a year was enough to be able to bring along a companion on all your flights for free for the remainder of the calendar year and the next calendar year.
You were even able to earn that by just buying Starpoints on sale and transferring them to Southwest. That option was killed in 2017, but you can still earn Companion Pass by opening and spending on Southwest credit cards.
Southwest said they would raise that to 125K points per year in 2020, but backed off due to COVID and lowered it to 100K points. They kept that 100K threshold in place for 2021, before finally raising it to 125K for 2022.
Southwest announced today that they will require 135K points for Companion Pass in 2023. However starting in 2023, members that hold an active Southwest card as of the first business day of each calendar year will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year, effectively keeping the requirement at 125K for those members. There is a maximum of one 10K boost regardless of how many Southwest cards that you have.
Southwest cards include:
- Chase Southwest Business Premier card
- Chase Southwest Performance Business Credit Card
- Chase Southwest Plus card
- Chase Southwest Priority card
- Chase Southwest Premier card
Will these changes affect whether you will attempt to reach Companion Pass status next year?
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16 Comments On "Southwest Is Increasing Companion Pass Requirements Yet Again, With One Notable Exception"
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Still a good deal if you get the bonus points from Credit cards. Are there other ways of getting points than making purchases??
Not until they come back to EWR (which is probably not happening).
+1
Dan anyway to try and bring them back to EWR?
Can these 10k points also be used towards travel, or are they only for CP status?
CP status only.
I had a SW companion pass for 4 years and used it exactly two times. So no dont think so (they must know 99% of folks never use it)
If 99% never used it, I doubt they would need to keep raising the requirements.
Same here. It seems as if every time I’ve had CP, other airlines prices were cheap enough to justify paying an extra ticket.
Going on my 5th yr and still haven’t used it once this cycle.
Ha I have flown multiple dozens of flights with my companion pass – and more recently double companion passes (two kids free)
One other question, sorry, if I open up a personal card and a business card in December and then January 1st, will get 10,000 qualifying points? And then I hit the sign up bonus on both cards and spend enough to get another 125,000 points will I get companion pass for 2023 and 2024?
Points that post in 2023 will earn CP through 12/31/24.
Use it all the time. They have me hooked for life.
I also use it all the time. Living in Baltimore, they are the largest carrier here.
Hi, if I have two or more southwest credit cards will they give me 10,000 towards companion for each card?
Hi, anyone know where can I find the source for this statement Dan made above:
However starting in 2023, members that hold an active Southwest card as of the first business day of each calendar year will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year, effectively keeping the requirement at 125K for those members.
I have earned 125K points but I haven’t received this extra 10K points and I have a southwest card.
Southwest.com.
Contact Southwest.