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Which Southwest Credit Card Is Right For You? (Family Edition!)
🚨 Bad news. Southwest just announced that credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward the Companion Pass.
The Southwest Companion Pass changes went live today (October 15th), and starting January 1st, 2027, the pass becomes ONLY a perk of Southwest’s brand new top status tier.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it…the changes are not good, and they’re a HUGE blow for families.
Butttt there IS one last window. Earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points by December 31st, 2026, and your pass is good through December 31st, 2027.
>>> If that makes sense for your family, go for it. This is your LAST chance, so you need to apply for the Premier card ASAP.
Step 1: See Which Southwest Cards You’re Eligible For
Not everyone can get every Southwest card, so check before you apply. Use our tool to compare every Southwest card and see which ones you can get HERE.
Step 2: Apply for the Premier Card ASAP
🚨 If you’re eligible, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is the one I’d apply for ASAP!! Have a side hustle? You may be eligible for the business cards…think Etsy shop.
And I mean ASAP. Like…this week, so you have time to meet the spending before your December statement closes.
What Should I Do Once I’m Approved?
- Put your normal spending on it. Groceries, gas, the bills you’re already paying, all paid in full every month (the responsible way).
- Check where you are. In the Southwest app, tap the profile icon in the top right corner to see how close you are to 135,000.
- Watch your December statement closing date. More on why below.
Want my full Companion Pass game plan? Click HERE!
Can I Still Earn the Companion Pass With a Welcome Bonus in 2026?
YES!! For the rest of 2026, the current rules still apply, and welcome bonuses still count.
🚨 Hit 135,000 qualifying points by December 31st, 2026, and you’ll have a Companion Pass through December 31st, 2027. That’s a full year of your person flying with you on every Southwest flight for just taxes and fees.
(SIDENOTE) the points have to POST to your Southwest account by December 31st, not just be earned. Card points post when your statement closes, so anything you charge after your December statement closes counts toward 2027 instead.
And one more date to know about…reports say if you’re approved for a Southwest card on or before December 2nd, 2026, that welcome bonus may still count even if you finish the spending in early 2027. Southwest hasn’t spelled out how this will work yet, so I wouldn’t plan around it. Aim for December 31st.
What No Longer Counts Toward the Southwest Companion Pass?
Starting January 1st, 2027, these stop counting:
- ❌ Credit card welcome bonuses (the BIG one!!)
- ❌ Referral bonuses
- ❌ Card anniversary points
- ❌ Extra points from card bonus categories (a purchase earning 2 points per dollar only counts as 1)
- ❌ Partner points, like hotel stays and car rentals
What still counts: your everyday spending on a Southwest card, at 1 qualifying point per $1, plus the Southwest flights you take.
What Changes for the Companion Pass in 2027?
For the number-lovers, here’s the rest of what’s coming January 1st, 2027:
- The Companion Pass moves to the new Platinum tier. That takes 140,000 tier qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.
- A new milestone at 95,000 points or 75 flights gets you three one-time Companion Pass trips.
- Every Southwest card earns 1 tier qualifying point per $1, with no cap (including the Plus card, which earns none today).
- Southwest cardholders get a one-time 10,000-point boost after reaching 130,000.
- A-List becomes Silver (35,000 points or 25 flights), and A-List Preferred becomes Gold (65,000 points or 50 flights).
- The Companion Pass can’t be used on Southwest’s new international partner award flights.
- Already have a Companion Pass? It’s still good until it expires!
TLDR for you
- Welcome bonuses and referrals stop counting toward the Companion Pass after December 31st, 2026.
- Earn 135,000 qualifying points by December 31st and your pass lasts through the end of 2027.
- The points have to POST by then, so watch your December statement closing date.
- Check which cards you’re eligible for, then apply for the Premier card ASAP.
If the Companion Pass has ever been on your list, this is the year to go for it!!
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:
Wayfaren is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
