Travelers have sadly discovered it obligatory just lately to cope with excessive airfare prices and, on prime of these, extra bills comparable to rising charges for carry-on baggage.
But Southwest Airlines (LUV) is one service that incorporates a helpful supply that individuals who fly ceaselessly communicate extremely about.
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But the possibility to benefit from the chance runs out on March 11.
The supply that’s getting all the eye entails Southwest’s Companion Pass, which permits the airline’s Rapid Rewards members to decide on one individual to fly together with on limitless events throughout a calendar 12 months.
The service has three shopper bank cards that vacationers can use: the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card.
Travelers making the most of the supply — which is offered by means of Feb. 28, 2025 — can earn a Companion Pass and 30,000 factors in the event that they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from the time they open the account.
So it is sensible to coordinate important purchases with consideration given to the time interval.
A journey skilled explains the worth Southwest is providing
The alternative concerned in Southwest’s supply 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 supplied the Companion Pass as a part of the co-brand card’s preliminary bonus, it was solely out there to residents of California.
But now it has change into extra extensively out there, even whether it is for a restricted 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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The Southwest Companion Pass had change into harder to get
One problem that has confronted Southwest’s clients is that the requirement for getting a Companion Pass was elevated from 125,000 qualifying factors to 135,000 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months.
So with out this present supply, it was turning into more durable to qualify for the move.
One of the vital issues for passengers to contemplate is {that a} Companion Pass really doubles the worth of their factors.
“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 buyer pamphlet, Southwest Airlines suggests the next directions when touring with a companion:
Reservations are required for all Companion Pass journey. You should guide your flight previous to reserving your designated Companion’s flight.
After reserving your flight at Southwest.com, go to the My Trips part of your account. Find your flight within the Upcoming part, and click on on the Add Companion hyperlink. Click Continue to proceed to the acquisition display and evaluation your Companion info. Click Purchase to finish your flight reservation and pay relevant taxes and charges. A Companion’s flight reservation isn’t thought-about a bought flight, and subsequently, one other Companion Pass reservation can’t be booked from it.
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