The Southwest Companion Move is without doubt one of the most coveted elite journey advantages. It has been round for a very long time now, and surprisingly, it nonetheless delivers the identical nice worth as at all times.
This move permits one other passenger to fly with you free of charge as many occasions as you need. They solely have to pay taxes for his or her fare. Historically, the move is legitimate for the remainder of the yr it’s earned, plus your complete following yr. That’s why it’s finest to earn it early within the yr, and presumably begin engaged on incomes it even earlier.
Necessities to earn this move have elevated a bit through the years, however because of Southwest Fast Rewards bank cards you may nonetheless earn it with out even flying. So how does the Southwest Companion Move work? How are you going to earn it with bank card? How are you going to maximize its worth? Let’s leap into the small print and see if getting the Southwest Companion Move is smart for you.
What’s the Southwest Companion Move?
The Companion Move stands out as a coveted characteristic inside the Southwest Fast Rewards program, providing vital financial savings. This perk lets you choose a journey companion to accompany you on any Southwest flight free of charge, whereas solely paying any taxes and charges. These usually value as little as $5.60 one-way for a home flight.
You should use your move no matter whether or not you’re paying in your ticket with money or factors. It really works for home flights in addition to Southwest’s worldwide locations. There isn’t any restrict to what number of occasions you employ it whilst you’re eligible.
The Southwest Companion Move is legitimate for the remainder of the yr it’s earned, plus the entire following yr.
You can even change your designated companion as much as 3 times per calendar yr. That implies that you should not have to deliver the identical particular person alongside every time you employ it.
The are two main guidelines to remember when utilizing your move. First there have to be no less than one seat obtainable on the market in any fare class on a flight for which you’ve bought your personal ticket. And in addition, your companion can not fly with out you.
Southwest Companion Move Necessities
To earn the Southwest Companion Move, you have to fulfill one of many following necessities:
- Full 100 qualifying one-way flights inside a calendar yr, or
- Accumulate 135,000 Fast Rewards factors inside a calendar yr. Qualifying factors embody these earned by means of income flights booked with Southwest, factors acquired from Southwest bank card utilization, and base factors obtained from Fast Rewards companions.
Assembly both of those standards grants you the Companion Move for the rest of the qualifying yr and the next calendar yr. As an example, should you earn the Companion Move on the time of writing in January 2024, it will likely be legitimate till the till December 31, 2025.
Finest Solution to Earn the Southwest Companion Move
Until you’re flying Southwest fairly incessantly, the easiest way to earn the Southwest Companion Move is by accumulating the 135,000 Fast Rewards factors inside a calendar yr.
That requirement might sound intimidating at first, however bank cards will help. They often include good welcome bonuses, you earn Fast Rewards for on a regular basis purchases, and since 2023, you get an computerized 10,000-point enhance every year just by having a cobranded Southwest card. All these factors depend towards the Companion Move necessities.
Getting certainly one of these playing cards will get you effectively in your option to incomes the Companion Move. You can even apply for a small enterprise and private Southwest bank card to make it even simpler. Clearly it’s finest to use when there’s an elevated welcome supply, and you might want to keep watch over your Chase 5/24 standing to be eligible for these welcome bonuses.
Southwest Credit score Playing cards
Southwest Airways has three shopper bank cards which usually have welcome bonuses various between 50,000 and 75,000 Fast Rewards factors. All three playing cards often have the identical bonus, however they’ve completely different advantages and annual charges. Listed here are the three playing cards:
Southwest additionally presents two small enterprise bank cards with welcome presents often various between 60,000 and 80,000 factors:
You possibly can earn one of many shopper bank card bonuses should you don’t have one of many three playing cards, and when you’ve got not earned a bonus by means of these playing cards inside the final 24 months. So you may’t apply for 2 private bank cards. Nonetheless, that rule doesn’t apply to cardmembers of the Southwest Fast Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise. So it’s attainable to use and earn the welcome bonus for a small enterprise card and a shopper bank card.
Extra Methods to Earn Fast Rewards
Whereas bank card welcome bonuses get you a considerable amount of factors directly, there are different methods to get you over the end traces should you nonetheless want extra Fast Rewards.
You possibly can store on-line by means of Southwest’s Fast Rewards Procuring mall and earn further factors in your purchases. There are tons of widespread retailers listed on that purchasing portal, so it’s positively price testing. Additionally they supply frequent bonuses.
Flying Southwest and paying with a Southwest card will earn you 2 factors per $1 spent. So a $200 flight will get you 200 factors for instance. You can even be a part of Fast Rewards Eating and earn extra qualifying factors when eating at taking part eating places and pay together with your enrolled card.
Issues like level transfers, or shopping for Fast Rewards is not going to depend for the Companion Move.
Finest Time to Earn the Southwest Companion Move
As talked about above, the Companion Move is legitimate for the rest of the yr through which you earned it, plus the next full calendar yr. So it is smart to earn it as early as attainable in a calendar yr, so you may take pleasure in it for nearly two full years.
However timing is the whole lot. As soon as these 135,000 Fast Rewards hit your account inside a yr, the clock begins.
So let’s say that you simply wish to earn the move for 2024 and 2025 by means of bank card bonuses. Then you definitely need your welcome bonus factors to hit your account in January of 2024. To try this, you’ll need to satisfy the minimal spend requirement after your December assertion shut date. That means, the welcome bonus will submit in your January assertion shut date.
Factors are credited in your the bank card assertion cut-off date, which is completely different out of your fee due date. This date is listed in your bank card assertion, however should you haven’t acquired your card but, you may name or message Chase to ask when the cut-off date is. It’s additionally price noting which you could request to alter your cut-off date if you wish to time issues higher.
Simply remember the fact that you usually have three months to met the minimal spend requirement, from the date of approval. That doesn’t change once you change your cut-off date.
