How To Get A Southwest Companion Pass Fast

Southwest is back with another fast track to a Companion Pass 🎉

This time, you only need one Southwest personal credit card. Meet the minimum spend, and you’ll earn a Companion Pass valid through February 28, 2027 — plus a stash of Rapid Rewards points.

The exact bonus and spending requirement depend on which card you choose (details below). But first, a quick refresher.

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the strongest perks in domestic travel. It’s essentially a buy-one-get-one benefit: when you book a paid or award ticket with Southwest Airlines, your companion flies for just the taxes and fees. There are no blackout dates, and you can use it as often as you want. You’re also allowed to change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year.

Normally, you’d need to earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a single calendar year to qualify. This offer shortcuts that requirement.

I’ve used the Companion Pass to offset the cost of college visits, family trips, and quick weekend getaways — it adds up quickly. ✈️

Here’s how the current card options compare:

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Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

• Companion Pass valid through February 28, 2027

• 20,000 bonus points

• $3,000 minimum spend

• $99 annual fee

Key perks:

• First checked bag free

• Complimentary standard seat within 48 hours of departure

• 10% promo code

• 3,000 anniversary points

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Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

• Companion Pass valid through February 28, 2027

• 30,000 bonus points

• $4,000 minimum spend

• $149 annual fee

Key perks:

• First checked bag free

• Complimentary preferred seat within 48 hours of departure

• 15% promo code

• 6,000 anniversary points

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Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

• Companion Pass valid through February 28, 2027

• 40,000 bonus points

• $5,000 minimum spend

•  $229 annual fee

Key perks:

• First checked bag free

• Complimentary preferred seat at booking

• Extra legroom seat within 48 hours of departure

• 7,500 anniversary points

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A few important notes before you apply:

• You’re only eligible for a personal card welcome bonus once every 24 months, so double-check your timeline.

• Make sure a Companion Pass valid through early 2027 fits your travel plans. In some cases, it may make more sense to pursue the traditional Companion Pass strategy, which can stretch benefits close to two full years depending on timing.

If you already have trips in mind for 2026 and early 2027, this is a straightforward way to lock in significant savings. 💙

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? I can plan your entire trip using your points and miles or offer a 30 minute consult to answer questions or you can  download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Hurry! Earn A Mini Southwest Companion Pass

Wow—Southwest just dropped a new mini Companion Pass offer, and this one comes with a tight deadline ⏰.

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks in travel. It’s essentially a buy-one-get-one flight: you can bring a companion on any Southwest flight for just the cost of taxes and fees. You can use it as many times as you want during the valid period, and you’re even allowed to change your companion up to three times. That flexibility alone makes it a standout perk 👍

Normally, you’d need to earn 135,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points in a single calendar year to earn the Companion Pass, which is then valid for the rest of that year and the following year. But a few times a year, Southwest releases a shorter-term version—often much easier to earn.

That’s exactly what’s happening right now. Here are the details 👇

How this mini Companion Pass works:

• Register here for the promotion

• Purchase a round-trip flight or two one-way flights by Thursday, February 5th 2026

• Complete travel by March 31st

• Earn a Companion Pass valid from August 10th through October 7th

This timing could be especially useful if you’re helping a child move into college this fall or family weekend 🎓. I’ve used the Companion Pass to fly around the country for college visits, and the savings really added up.

A few important things to know:

• If you already have flights booked for February or March, you’ll need to cancel and rebook to qualify—so make sure the math works for you.

• You can pay with cash or a combination of cash and points, and all fare types count.

One strategy is to look for inexpensive flights from your home airport. A few years ago, I booked a quick round-trip to Phoenix just to qualify—my flight was about $100. That single trip unlocked thousands of dollars in value from the Companion Pass 💰

If your plans line up, this is a solid opportunity to grab one of Southwest’s best benefits with minimal effort. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? I can plan your entire trip using your points and miles or offer a 30 minute consult to answer questions or you can  download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How to make sure you get the Southwest seat you want

How to make sure you get a seat and overhead bin space

With Southwest’s new seating structure rolling out, getting an assigned seat—and space for your carry-on—takes a little planning. Here’s how to stack the odds in your favor 👇

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1️⃣ Hold a Southwest credit card

Southwest credit cards now come with different seating perks, so it’s worth choosing the one that fits how (and how often) you fly.

• Plus – Select a standard seat within 48 hours of departure
  Annual fee: $99

• Priority – Select a standard or preferred seat within 48 hours of departure
  Annual fee: $149

• Premier – Select a preferred seat at booking
  Annual fee: $229

• Business Premier – Select a standard or preferred seat within 48 hours of departure
  Annual fee: $149

• Business Performance – Complimentary preferred seat at booking
  Annual fee: $299

💳 Current offers:

• Personal cards: 50,000 bonus points after $1,000 minimum spend

• Business cards: 60,000 points with $3,000 spend or 80,000 points with $5,000 spend

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2️⃣ Book with points and choose the right fare

If you’re booking with points (as you should 😄), your fare class determines what kind of seat you’ll get.

• Basic – Standard seat assigned at check-in

• Choice – Standard seat included

• Choice Preferred – Preferred seat included

• Choice Extra – Extra-legroom seat included 🦵✨

The higher the fare, the earlier your seat is locked in—and the better your chances of snagging overhead bin space.

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Saying goodbye to Southwest boarding positions 

3️⃣ Use A-List status if you have it

A-List status still matters, especially for seat upgrades.

• A-List – Can move to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure

• A-List Preferred – Can choose extra-legroom seats at booking

🎒 Bonus perks:

• A-List members and Southwest credit card holders get a FREE checked bag

• Boarding order matters:

  • A-List boards in Group 2

  • Credit card holders board in Group 5

  • Basic fare flyers board last

Right now, passengers in extra-legroom seats are also getting extra snacks and complimentary premium drinks 🍹🍿

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One last thing about carry-ons

We’re hearing consistent reports that overhead bin space is tight. Hopefully this smooths out as the new system settles, but until then, earlier seat selection and boarding are your best defense.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

TSA PreCheck Just Got Better!

 

If you have TSA Precheck, security just got even easier! A new Touchless ID option is being offered to those who already have TSA Precheck. With this new option, you don't need to show your ID or boarding pass, security is done with facial recognition. 

There may even be a separate line for those who have opted in. 

So how does it work?

• Enroll: Link your Known Traveler Number (KTN) with a participating airline and opt-in via their app, uploading your passport info. At this point, we are not sure if you have to opt in for each airline or just once. 
• Check-in: Look for the "TSA PreCheck Touchless ID" indicator on your mobile boarding pass
  . The icon will not show up on a printed boarding pass. 
• At the checkpoint: Find the dedicated lane, show your mobile pass, and look into the camera for a facial scan.
• Verification: The system compares your live photo to your passport photo. If it matches, you proceed without showing documents. 

Currently, the program is available in 15 airports and the following airlines Delta, 

United, Alaska, American and Southwest.

According to TSA, the program will expand to 65 airports in 2026. 

Several credit cards offer a Global Entry credit which includes TSA Precheck. 

My favorites are the Capital One Venture X and the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit cards.

Both cards are offering bonuses right now. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How You Can Use Your Sapphire Reserve Credits For A Vegas Holiday

Since the refresh of the Chase Sapphire Reserve last year, figuring out how to actually use the card’s growing list of credits has been top of mind. With such a high annual fee, you really don’t want those credits expiring unused—but how do you use them without spending a ton of extra cash?

I kept seeing Las Vegas mentioned as an easy win, so I decided to test it myself. My credits were expiring December 31, 2025, which gave me a perfect excuse to plan a quick midweek escape. I started researching what 48 hours in Las Vegas could realistically look like—and whether the math would actually work in my favor.

Below is exactly how I used the credits, and what the weekend ultimately cost. 🎰✈️

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits (Current Lineup)

The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently includes the following credits:

• $500 Edit Hotel Credit – $250 per two-night stay booked through the Chase Travel portal

• $300 Restaurant Credit – valid through Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Dining

• $300 StubHub Credit – must be activated in your Chase account before purchase; split into two $150 credits (Jan–June and July–Dec)

• $250 Chase Hotel Credit – valid on select hotel brands (Omni, IHG, Montage, Pendry, Virgin, Minor, Pan Pacific) booked through the portal; two-night stay required

• $300 Annual Travel Credit – automatically applied to eligible travel purchases charged to the card

The credits I specifically needed to use before they expired were:

• $150 Dining Credit

• $250 Edit Hotel Credit

• $150 StubHub Credit

Booking the Hotel 🏨

I logged into the Chase Travel portal and found a solid midweek deal at Park MGM: Tuesday–Thursday in mid-January for about $145 per night, plus a $100 property credit. After booking, the $250 Edit Hotel Credit posted the next day. The hotel was well located, room was large and beds were comfy. Added bonus, there is a tram that connects the hotel to the Bellagio saving your feet from more walking. 

Total out-of-pocket for the hotel: $41

Using the StubHub Credit 🎭

Next stop: StubHub. I noticed The Wizard of Oz was playing at the Sphere—seeing a show there was already on my wish list. Midweek 5:00 pm tickets were about $189 per ticket including fees and taxes.

After activating the StubHub credit, I booked the tickets. The $150 credit posted immediately.

Total out-of-pocket for the show: $229

Dining with Chase Exclusive Tables 🍽️

I checked Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables and snagged a reservation at Hell’s Kitchen. Dinner came to $175 including tax and tip, and the dining credit applied seamlessly. And by the way, dinner was delicious. Highly recommend! 

Total out-of-pocket for dinner: $25

Property Credit Meals & Extras 🥢☕

We used the $100 Park MGM property credit for dinner at La La Noodle and breakfast at Primrose Café. The front desk confirmed the credit only covered food—not tax or tip, but was valid at any of the restaurants inside the hotel except Crack Shack. 

We also split a sandwich from Eataly before the show. 

Total out-of-pocket for additional food, tax and tip: $45

Since that used up the property credit, we picked up breakfast at the airport before our flight home in the Capital One Lounge which is a benefit of the Capital One Venture X credit card. Yum! 

Capital One Lounge Las Vegas

Flights & Transportation 🚗

We flew to Las Vegas on Southwest using points and my Companion Pass. I did park my car at the San Diego airport for $36.

We skipped renting a car in Las Vegas and used Lyft instead. I applied the $10 monthly Chase Sapphire Reserve Lyft credit for the airport ride, and paid for the return trip.

Total out-of-pocket for parking and rides: $51
(If I still had my $300 travel credit available, this would have been fully covered.)

Beautiful light and fountain show in front of the Bellagio Hotel

Final Tally 💸

Was this a completely free Las Vegas trip? No—not technically. But for 48 hours in Vegas, a hotel stay, a Sphere show, multiple restaurant meals, and flights on points, we spent about $250 out of pocket total.

More importantly, I used credits that otherwise would have expired—and turned the Chase Sapphire Reserve “coupon book” into a genuinely fun, low-stress getaway. For me, that’s exactly how these credits should work. If you are interested in applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred credit cards, use this link. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Bilt’s Latest Update: What You Actually Need to Do (and Decide) 🧾💳

Bilt’s Latest Update: What You Actually Need to Do (and Decide) 🧾💳

You’ve probably seen the recent updates from Bilt. The era of effortless rent points may be winding down—though there’s still hope it’s not entirely over 🤞.

For now, if you currently have a Bilt credit card, there’s an important action item:

⏰ Choose Your Card by January 29

You must select one of the new card options in the Bilt app or at bilt.com/card.

Each card comes with different benefits and annual fees. If you’re not excited about the paid perks, the simplest move is to choose the free Bilt Blue card.

Why keep Bilt at all?

• Bilt points still transfer to American Airlines, Alaska, United, Southwest, and more ✈️

• Hotel partners include Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton 🏨

What Happens If You Don’t Choose?

If you take no action, you’ll automatically receive the Wells Fargo Autograph card (no annual fee).

What it offers:

• ❌ Cannot be used to pay rent

• ✅ Earns 3x points on travel, dining, transit, and streaming

• ✅ Transfer points to airlines like Air France/KLM, JetBlue, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Iberia

Quick guidance:

• Want to stay in the Bilt ecosystem or use Bilt’s airline partners? → Choose Bilt Blue

• Prefer Wells Fargo’s airline partners or want something simpler? → Wells Fargo Autograph is fine

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If You Stick With Bilt: How Housing Rewards Will Work 🏠

After some initial confusion, Bilt clarified that you’ll have two reward options for rent or mortgage payments.

Option 1: Points on Housing

• Pay rent or mortgage with no transaction fee

• Earn up to 1.25x points on housing

• Your earn rate depends on how much non-housing spend you put on the card

Option 2: Bilt Cash + Points

• Pay rent or mortgage with no transaction fee

• Earn 4% back in Bilt Cash

• Earn points on everyday spending

• Use Bilt Cash to “buy” points on housing payments

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Important Things to Keep in Mind ⚠️

• You should continue paying rent via ACH, not floating rent on your credit card—no change there

• It’s still unclear whether Bilt Cash → points will be automatic or manual

• When prompted, always choose “no transaction fee”

• Paying a 3% processing fee is almost never worth it

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What This Looks Like in Practice (Examples)

Using an example from NerdWallet:

Example 1: $2,000 Mortgage

• Transaction fee to earn points: $60 (3%)

• If you have $60 in Bilt Cash → you earn 2,000 points

• If you only have $45 in Bilt Cash:

  • You earn points on $1,500

  • To earn the remaining 500 points, you’d need to pay $15 out of pocket

• You cannot use Bilt points to cover transaction fees

All Bilt cards earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on non-housing spend, so earning $60 in Bilt Cash would require about $1,500/month in other purchases—which is exactly the behavior Bilt is encouraging.

Example 2: $5,000 Rent or Mortgage

• Required Bilt Cash: $150

• That could mean $3,750/month in non-housing spending

• Possible? Sure—for some households. Worth it? That depends.

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One Easy Win: Rakuten + Bilt 🛍️✨

If you do any online shopping:

• Sign up for Rakuten

• Link it to your Bilt account

• Earn free Bilt points on purchases you’re already making

Right now:

• Spend $50 → get 5,000 Bilt points

• This partnership may end May 2026, so it’s worth setting up sooner rather than later

Don't Let Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits Expire! Here's Your Game Plan 🎯

Got the Chase Sapphire Reserve? You're probably feeling the December 31st deadline pressure right about now.

Here's the deal: Chase bumped the annual fee to $795 earlier this year (ouch 😬). But they also added some seriously valuable credits to soften the blow. The catch? They all expire on Dec. 31st, and you need to use them to actually justify that hefty fee.

If you're scrambling to figure this out, you're not alone—we're in the same boat! Let me walk you through some strategies that might help. Plus, Chase is rolling out changes on January 1st that should make this less stressful next year 🙌

Your Three Main Expiring Credits:

• $150 StubHub credit
• $150 Restaurant credit
• $250 Edit hotel credit

(There are also monthly credits like Lyft and DashPass, but those don't expire annually, so we're focusing on the big three.)

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💳 The $150 StubHub Credit

This one's straightforward:

Activate the credit first in your Chase.com account. It's located under benefits. Buy any ticket on StubHub.com using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You can purchase for yourself or let someone you trust buy a ticket in their account using your card—as long as the purchase goes through StubHub directly, you're good.

Key detail: You only need to purchase the ticket by Dec. 31st, not attend the event. You need to activate the credit before you make the purchase! 

Pro tip: You could buy a ticket and relist it on StubHub. Even if you resell for the same price, you're up $150 from the credit 💡

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🍽️ The $150 Restaurant Credit

This one confuses people, but it's actually pretty flexible:

1. Go to Chase Sapphire Exclusive Tables on OpenTable
2. Click your city (or wherever you're visiting) to see participating restaurants
3. Book a reservation through OpenTable—you can choose ANY available time, not just the ones marked "Chase Sapphire"

But here's where it gets better—you don't even need a reservation:

• Walk in and dine
• Order takeout
• Get delivery (if the restaurant offers it directly—not through third-party apps)
• Buy a gift card online IF the restaurant uses Toast as their payment system (you'll see "Toast" on the checkout page)

Just make sure you pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to trigger the credit.

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🏨 The $250 Edit Hotel Credit

This one takes a bit more work:

Log into the Chase Travel Portal and search for hotels. Edit properties sometimes appear at the top if they include a points boost, but there's no dedicated filter (annoying, I know).

Since Edit hotels are typically 4-5 star luxury properties, filter for those categories to narrow your search. Some more affordable options include Kimpton hotels and MGM properties in Las Vegas.

What you get with Edit hotels:

• $100 property credit
• Daily breakfast
• Early check-in/late check-out
• Free WiFi

Important notes:

• 2-night minimum required
• Book by Dec. 31st, but your actual stay can be in 2025
• Some people are booking refundable 2026 stays—we're still figuring out what happens if you cancel or modify
• You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to cover any remaining balance after the credit

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My Vegas Plan 🎰

I already have trips booked for next year, but the Edit hotels in those cities were way over budget. So I'm doing a quick midweek Vegas trip instead:

• MGM Grand - only $40 out of pocket after the $250 credit for 2 nights
• Daily breakfast included
• $100 property credit for lunch or dinner
• $150 restaurant credit for another meal out
• $150 StubHub credit for Sphere tickets
• Southwest points + Companion Pass for flights

Total out-of-pocket: $40 for a 2-night Vegas getaway ✈️

I'll report back on how it goes! 

In January, Chase is changing the bi-annual $250 credit to an annual $500 credit, BUT you will still need to book a 2 night minimum for each $250 credit. The theory is you can book back to back reservations to use both credits. You will need to contact the hotel to connect the reservations so you don't need to change rooms. 

If you don't have a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet and these credits sound interesting to you, there is an increased 125,000 point offer right now for a $6,000 minimum spend. You can read more about the benefits of the card here. If that's too steep for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is also offering an increased 75,000 point bonus offer for $5,000 minimum spend.

Want more personal help planning your next trip? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Stack, Stack, Stack To Earn The Most Points And Miles

This is the best time of the year to earn so many extra points and miles! The secret is to stack the offers when you are doing your holiday shopping online. A few things to keep in mind, you don't have to use the credit card that matches the shopping portal. For example, you can shop in the Southwest Shopping Portal, but pay with your Capital One credit card to get 2x points. Make sense?

 I'll give you several examples that I've actually done in the past week. 

Example #1 

Southwest Shopping Portal is offering 1,000 extra points if you spend $200 in the portal. That's easy, let's stock up on pet food. 

The Southwest shopping portal is also offering 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at Chewy. Awesome. Then we pay for our purchase with Paypal and our Chase FREEDOM FLEX credit card which nets us 5x points since this card has the 5x bonus rotating categories. 

So this one pet food purchase should earn:

• 1,000 bonus Southwest points 
• 400 Southwest points 
• 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards 

Example #2

I was referred to Rakuten.com and bought flowers for a friend through 1-800flowers. I spent $65 on flowers, but got a FREE $50 for following the referral link plus 10% bonus cash back. Then I linked my Bilt account with my Rakuten account. Rakuten transferred more than 5,000 points into my Bilt account. You don't need a Bilt credit card, just create an account. Be sure your email is the same on both accounts. Woohoo! When I'm ready I can transfer the Bilt points to dozens of airlines or hotels like Air France, KLM, Southwest, Hyatt and more. On the first of the month, Bilt offers transfer bonuses too so I may be able to squeeze more value out of those points. 

So this flower purchase earned:

• $50 referral cash 
• 10% cash back 
• 5,500 Bilt points that I can transfer the points to dozens of airlines or hotels

Example #3

I wanted to buy a new Iphone, Capital One Shopping was offering 10% back on Apple purchases and I could pay for the phone with Paypal and my Chase FREEDOM FLEX credit card for 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points. 

So this phone purchase earned:

• $69.90 Capital One shopping rewards which I can use to buy gift cards for stores like Home Depot, Ulta and REI.  Use this referral link and you get a FREE $40. 
• 3,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points 

To find these deals, start with cashbackmonitor.com and my new fave Rakuten.com. The $50 referral offer is still active so use my link. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.