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Last chance: Earn a Companion Pass and 30,000 bonus points with these Southwest card offers

Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox
Credit card writer
Ryan joined TPG in 2022 and works as a credit cards writer, overseeing refreshes of card reviews and updating card offers. He enjoys racking up cash back and helping readers maximize their points and miles for their next big trip.
and
Emily Thompson
Emily Thompson
Credit cards editor
Emily Thompson specializes in beginner content as a credit cards editor. She taps into her prior experience as a high school English teacher to help others demystify credit scores and unlock experiences that credit card rewards can make possible.
March 05, 2024
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9 min read
Southwest planes at the gate in Palm Beach
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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

If you've been wanting to earn a Southwest Companion Pass, now is a great time to get a personal Southwest credit card.

All three personal Southwest credit cards are offering a Companion Pass (good through Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. These welcome offers end on March 11, so this is your last chance to grab one of them.

This is one of the best offers we've seen on these cards, so jump on if you've been considering getting a personal Southwest credit card.

Plus, there's an opportunity to earn up to 80,000 points with a Southwest business card.

Let's take a look at the current sign-up bonuses on the Southwest Airlines credit cards.

Southwest personal cards

THE POINTS GUY

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

  • Best for: Beginners and infrequent travelers
  • Annual fee: $69
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn a Companion Pass (good through Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on your card in the first three months from account opening. This offer ends March 11.
  • Earning rates: 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming service purchases, 2 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and 1 point per dollar on everything else
  • Primary perks: Two EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary and 3,000 points every card anniversary

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card.

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Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

  • Best for: Regular Southwest flyers
  • Annual fee: $99
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn a Companion Pass (good through Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on your card in the first three months from account opening. This offer ends March 11.
  • Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases (including ride-hailing services), 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming service purchases, 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and 1 point per dollar on everything else
  • Primary perks: Two EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary, 6,000-point anniversary bonus, Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent (each $5,000 spent from Jan. 1) and no foreign transaction fees

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

  • Best for: Southwest loyalists who can take advantage of day-of-travel perks
  • Annual fee: $149
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn a Companion Pass (good through Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on your card in the first three months from account opening. This offer ends March 11.
  • Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-hailing services, 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming service purchases, 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and 1 point per dollar on everything else
  • Primary perks: Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent (each $5,000 spent from Jan. 1), $75 annual Southwest credit, 7,500-point anniversary bonus and no foreign transaction fees

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Southwest business cards

If you already have a personal Southwest card — or are looking for alternatives to these welcome offers — don't forget that the airline fields two cobranded business credit cards. Here are the details on those.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

  • Best for: Business owners who fly Southwest regularly
  • Annual fee: $99
  • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
  • Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases (including ride-share services), 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and 1 point per dollar on everything else
  • Primary perks: Two EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary, earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status, $500 fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers to another Rapid Rewards member, 6,000-point anniversary bonus, and no foreign transaction fees

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

  • Best for: Business owners who are loyal Southwest flyers
  • Annual fee: $199
  • Sign-up bonus: 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This offer ends on March 11.
  • Earning rate: 4 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases (including ride-share services), 3 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, 2 points per dollar on social media and paid search advertising, internet, cable and phone services, 1 point per dollar on everything else
  • Primary perk(s): Four upgraded boardings per year, earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status, $500 fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers to another Rapid Rewards member, 9,000-point anniversary bonus, up-to-$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year and no foreign transaction fees

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

Should you apply for a Southwest credit card now?

Southwest has many fans who love the airline's personality and the fact that all passengers get two free checked bags. The carrier's Rapid Rewards program is also popular thanks to its simplicity. The number of Southwest Rapid Rewards points required to book a flight is directly tied to the flight's current fare, and you often get good deals if you know when and where to look for redemptions.

Furthermore, because of Southwest's policy of no cancellation or change fees on its flights, you can re-price a Southwest flight if you book a trip and then find the same itinerary at a lower price before departure. In addition, Southwest points never expire, so you don't need to worry about earning points and then not getting a chance to use them.

JAMES D. MORGAN/GETTY IMAGES

However, you can get even more value from your Southwest points if you can earn a Companion Pass. This perk allows you to bring along a designated travel companion on all of your Southwest flights — both paid and award tickets (but you must pay taxes and fees).

Normally, to get a Companion Pass, you must earn 135,000 qualifying points or take 100 qualifying, one-way flights in a calendar year. But credit card welcome bonuses and points earned from card spending count toward qualification, so the current offers on these cards can jumpstart you toward earning your Companion Pass.

You can receive nearly two years of buy-one-get-one flights by opening a personal and business Southwest credit card and timing your spending to earn the bonuses near the beginning of any given year. That's because the standard Companion Pass is valid for the year it's earned and the entire following year.

Southwest cardholders get a 10,000-point boost at the beginning of the year (for existing cardholders) or within 30 days of opening an account (for new members).

But with the current offer on the personal cards, you can get a Companion Pass just by meeting the minimum spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus. That's about a year of two-for-one flights for way less effort than a Companion Pass typically requires.

These offers end on March. 11, so you should act quickly if you're looking to gain a Southwest companion pass.

Read more: 13 lessons from 13 years' worth of Southwest Companion Passes

Bottom line

If you're looking for a personal card, you can choose from three Southwest cards and get a Companion Pass (good through Feb. 28, 2025) as part of the welcome offer.

Or, if you're in the market for a business card, you can get up to 80,000 bonus points on one of the current welcome offers. It's a great time to be a Southwest fan. This is your last chance to take advantage of these welcome offers before March 11.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

Featured image by ALAN SCHEIN PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.