Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[buzz1fan]

I am still struggling with understanding companion pass.
If I apply for a card today and put my flights on it for December. Then spend what I need to in next few months. When would I get the companion pass- would I be able to use it for June flights- and how do I use it. I would be purchasing tickets for me- my husband and son. My husband I would attach to that pass.

 

[focusondisney]

I am still struggling with understanding companion pass.
If I apply for a card today and put my flights on it for December. Then spend what I need to in next few months. When would I get the companion pass- would I be able to use it for June flights- and how do I use it. I would be purchasing tickets for me- my husband and son. My husband I would attach to that pass.

You have to have 135,000 points deposited into your Rapid Rewards account in a calendar year to earn a companion pass. The current bonus offer for opening a new card is 100,000 points after you spend $4000. So making that $4000 spend & getting the bonus points isn’t enough to earn a CP as those alone would only be 104,000 points. You’ll still need 31K more points. If you already have RR points you acquired this calendar year, those would count too. * Note: the CP qualifying points reset on January 1st. Only what you earn in a calendar year count towards the CP.

Once you hit 135K points, you’re qualified. You have to designate who your companion is. Once you book a flight, you have an option to “Add A Companion”. You do have to pay the taxes for the companion’s tickets. And any upgraded seating. The CP is good for the remainder of the year you earn it & all of the following year.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I am still struggling with understanding companion pass.
If I apply for a card today and put my flights on it for December. Then spend what I need to in next few months. When would I get the companion pass- would I be able to use it for June flights- and how do I use it. I would be purchasing tickets for me- my husband and son. My husband I would attach to that pass.

Note: the CP qualifying points reset on January 1st. Only what you earn in a calendar year count towards the CP.

So, the point @focusondisney made about the calendar year reset is going to be really important here. You need to decide if you want a pass that' earned in 2025 good for the rest of this year into 2026. OR, a pass that's earned in 2026 good through 2026 and 2027 (assuming they still have one and they don't announce in Q4 that this is being phased out).

My slight correction to the first response is that cardholders get a 10k head start towards earning CP. So, you only need to generate 125k in additional RR to make it happen, but they all have to be in the same calendar year. Since you mention putting December flights on it, I'm going to assume you're going for 2025-2026.

If you are willing to open a business credit card, it's all much easier. One business card and one personal card with the current bonus lands you at the CP after hitting basic spend on both of them.

With just a personal card, you would for sure need to hit $4k in spend with that statement closing in 2025. That guarantees you 104k RRs, more if you maximize spend categories. (For instance, the $99 annual fee card is 2x on Gas and Grocery for the first $5k spent. So, could load up on gift cards from your preferred grocery store or gas station to make that $5k spend stretch to 10k RR) Then, you'll also get credit for those December flights and any other SW points you've earned already this year. Do you know what that number is? If you did that full $5k grocery/gas spend, you'll have 110k RRs plus whatever you're earning for flights this year. With no flight earnings, that $15k more in spend you'd have to do.

How many times are you going to fly in 2026? If you're not using the CP multiple times, then you want to think about whether you would get better value putting that on a different card. A basic 2% cashback card would generate $300 for your same 15k spend, which might be about the value you get out of the CP anyway, if you're not flying on it a lot.

 

[focusondisney]

My slight correction to the first response is that cardholders get a 10k head start towards earning CP.

I was trying to make my info as simple as possible. I didn’t include that 10K boost in my remarks because the OP talked about earning it this year. That boost is given on January 1st, so the OP wouldn’t get it for 2025. It would be a benefit for her if she waits to earn it in 2026. In 2025, she will need to earn 35K plus her signing bonus.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I was trying to make my info as simple as possible. I didn’t include that 10K boost in my remarks because the OP talked about earning it this year. That boost is given on January 1st, so the OP wouldn’t get it for 2025. It would be a benefit for her if she waits to earn it in 2026. In 2025, she will need to earn 35K plus her signing bonus.

You get the boost 1/1 for existing card, you get it within a couple days of opening for mid year cards. So, still only 25k additional.

Edited to add exact text here: Companion Pass Qualifying Points Boost: As a Southwest Rapid Rewards Cardmember, you will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. The boost will be deposited into your eligible Rapid Rewards account by January 31st each calendar year or up to 30 days after account opening.

They say 1/31 or 30 days, but my experience is it's faster than that.

 

[focusondisney]

You get the boost 1/1 for existing card, you get it within a couple days of opening for mid year cards. So, still only 25k additional.

Edited to add exact text here: Companion Pass Qualifying Points Boost: As a Southwest Rapid Rewards Cardmember, you will earn one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. The boost will be deposited into your eligible Rapid Rewards account by January 31st each calendar year or up to 30 days after account opening.

They say 1/31 or 30 days, but my experience is it's faster than that.

Well thanks for that info! I did not know that! I’ve had my card since well before the boosts became a benefit & never read that. Thanks again!

 

[buzz1fan]

Thanks for the advice- I’m 2026 we will fly 2 times so may not be the best for us

 

[mamamelody2]

Do we know when Southwest will open their schedule for the rest of April?

 

[eticketplease]

Do we know when Southwest will open their schedule for the rest of April?

4/7/26 to 6/3/26 will be released on 8/26/25.

 

[Smilelea]

Does anyone know if the promo code for 10%/15% (depending on the card) is good for the entire reservation or just the card holder? For instance, if I book my family of 4 and the total RT cost for all of us is $1600 and I have the 10% code, am I getting $160 off or $40?

 

[mamamelody2]

4/7/26 to 6/3/26 will be released on 8/26/25.

Thank you! Believe it or not I googled and could not find it.

 

[BellaBaby]

Does anyone know if the promo code for 10%/15% (depending on the card) is good for the entire reservation or just the card holder? For instance, if I book my family of 4 and the total RT cost for all of us is $1600 and I have the 10% code, am I getting $160 off or $40?

It's for the entire reservation. I've been pricing a trip for 4 and it's $125 off for a $1250 RT.

 

[Smilelea]

It's for the entire reservation. I've been pricing a trip for 4 and it's $125 off for a $1250 RT.

Excellent! Thank you!

 

[Tigger42]

We will be making SW for 5 adults next Tuesday when May dates open.
We want to apply for SW credit card. Should we wait until Tuesday or do it now to speed up the process next Tuesday.
Thank you in advance

 

[pooch]

If you want to take advantage of card perks, I’d have the card approved already. Why wait til the last minute?

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

We will be making SW for 5 adults next Tuesday when May dates open.
We want to apply for SW credit card. Should we wait until Tuesday or do it now to speed up the process next Tuesday.
Thank you in advance

Are these round trip tickets? Is your goal to use the bonus points to pay for any of the flights?

Depending on how high your flights come in next week, 100,000 RRs could easily be enough to get one direction of the flight on points, if not both.

I'd have the card open before the flights drop. When they do, take a look at the points cost in both directions. You may want to put other spend on the card so that you can use the bonus to purchase both flight directions on points. Or, if flights are expensive, you could just buy one direction cash on the card to hit spend and earn extra RRs for the spending. Then use the points when they come in to buy the other direction on points.

 

[focusondisney]

The bonus points won’t get to the RR account until after the statement they were earned closes. There’s no way @Tigger42 will have the points in time to book flights next week. Might help with seat selection & luggage fees tho.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

The bonus points won’t get to the RR account until after the statement they were earned closes. There’s noon way @Tigger42 will have the points in time to book flights next week. Might help with seat selection & luggage fees tho.

Agree they won't have points next week, but they'll have plenty of time to get them between now and May.

They don't have to book on opening day if waiting a billing statement or two means they can use points instead of paying cash. Especially now that 1) flight credits expire and 2) many routes have very high costs on opening day and then go down closer to travel date, waiting until the points are there and booking a points ticket might make more sense, if that 100k RR isn't already earmarked elsewhere.

 

[pooch]

But they said they were buying tickets Tuesday. I’m not sure why you’d apply for the card & not wait for the bonus points .

 

[eticketplease]

But they said they were buying tickets Tuesday. I’m not sure why you’d apply for the card & not wait for the bonus points .

If they applied for the card they would get the bonus points (2x, 3x or 4x) for booking the tickets and those tickets would then count towards the minimum spend to get the 100,000 point welcome offer.
Also if it is a competitive flight and they had applied for the priority card they would be able to choose the seats now on the lower level tickets. (Although only choice preferred and choice extra were available to buy for my flights which made this feature useless)