Travelers have unfortunately found it necessary recently to deal with high airfare costs and, on top of those, additional expenses such as increasing fees for carry-on bags.
But Southwest Airlines (LUV) is one carrier that features a valuable offer that people who fly frequently speak highly about.
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But the chance to take advantage of the opportunity runs out on March 11.
The offer that is getting all the attention involves Southwest's Companion Pass, which allows the airline's Rapid Rewards members to choose one person to fly along with on unlimited occasions during a calendar year.
The carrier has three consumer credit cards that travelers can use: the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card.
Travelers taking advantage of the offer — which is available through Feb. 28, 2025 — can earn a Companion Pass and 30,000 points if they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from the time they open the account.
So it makes sense to coordinate significant purchases with consideration given to the time period.
Travel expert explains the value Southwest is offering
The opportunity involved in Southwest's offer is explored by Gary Leff, who wrote about it on View From the Wing.
"Chase has an offer for Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit cards that's really special. Instead of earning a bunch of points from an initial bonus, they offer you points and a Companion Pass," he wrote. "I held a Companion Pass for nearly all of 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and recently mine has lapsed. A one-way flight I just purchased cost me about $600 worth of points from my account more than it otherwise would have. Just one flight."
"Southwest is the largest airline at my home airport in Austin, and the way I'd use my Companion Pass is to buy a ticket for myself, bring my wife as my companion, and redeem points for my daughter," he added. "This is one of the very best values in travel."
When Chase and Southwest initially offered the Companion Pass as part of the co-brand card's initial bonus, it was only available to residents of California.
But now it has become more widely available, even if it is for a limited time.
"The Companion Pass is a powerful marketing tool, and Southwest saw it that way," Leff wrote. "That reduced the usual concern that an offer which is 'too good' won’t last."
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Southwest Companion Pass had become more difficult to get
One challenge that has confronted Southwest's customers is that the requirement for getting a Companion Pass was increased from 125,000 qualifying points to 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
So without this current offer, it was becoming tougher to qualify for the pass.
One of the important things for passengers to consider is that a Companion Pass actually doubles the value of their points.
"You can take a companion with you when you travel for just the cost of taxes, whether you're buying a paid ticket or one with points," Leff wrote. "When you redeem points for yourself, and use the companion pass, that's twice as much travel — the points go twice as far."
In a customer pamphlet, Southwest Airlines suggests the following instructions when traveling with a companion:
Reservations are required for all Companion Pass travel. You must book your flight prior to booking your designated Companion's flight.
After booking your flight at Southwest.com, visit the My Trips section of your account. Find your flight in the Upcoming section, and click on the Add Companion link. Click Continue to proceed to the purchase screen and review your Companion information. Click Purchase to complete your flight reservation and pay applicable taxes and fees. A Companion's flight reservation is not considered a purchased flight, and therefore, another Companion Pass reservation cannot be booked from it.
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