Update: The offers mentioned below have expired and are no longer available.
All 3 of Chase’s personal co-branded Southwest credit cards — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card — have increased welcome bonus offers that allow you to automatically earn the Southwest Companion Pass just for meeting the minimum spend on the card.
However, these welcome bonuses are set to come to an end soon, so here is a look at what you need to know to help you decide if the offer is right for you.
Welcome Bonus Details
Newly-approved cardholders of any of the 3 Southwest personal credit cards earn the Southwest Companion Pass through February 28, 2023, plus 30,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
This is a fantastic deal because you’d ordinarily need to earn 125,000 points in order to qualify for the Companion Pass. So not only are you automatically receiving the Companion Pass for a full year, but you’re also getting 30,000 points to boot!
Hot Tip: This offer on each card will be removed at 6 p.m. EST on March 14, 2022.
Which Southwest Card Is Best for You?
Since the bonus is the same across all 3 cards, how should you decide which is best for you? Fortunately, Southwest and Chase make this easy as all 3 cards have different price points and benefits.
The Southwest Priority card is best suited for those who frequently fly with Southwest. It comes with the largest annual fee of $149, but with that, you get some pretty fantastic perks like:
- $75 Southwest annual travel credit
- 7,500 bonus points after your account anniversary each year
- 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi
- 4 Upgraded Boardings each year when available
Next up is the middle option, the Southwest Premier card, which charges a $99 annual fee and comes with the following perks:
- 6,000 bonus points after your account anniversary each year
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins per year
- 25% back on inflight purchases
Lastly, the Southwest Plus card charges just a $69 annual fee, but also offers the least perks:
- 3,000 bonus points after your account anniversary each year
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins per year
- 25% back inflight purchases
In our view, the Southwest Priority card is the best option from a value perspective because its benefits easily outweigh the annual fee when factoring in the $75 annual credit and 7,500 bonus points alone. Better yet, this card is a great accompaniment for those with the Southwest Companion Pass to get even more value out of their flights.
However, if you don’t fly with Southwest often enough to get value out of the benefits of the Southwest Priority card, or you simply want to earn the Companion Pass for the lowest out-of-pocket cost, then either the Southwest Premier card or Southwest Plus card would be great options.
Hot Tip: Our guide to the best Chase Southwest Airlines credit cards further compares the benefits and perks of each card!
A Bonus of Buy 1, Get 1 Free Flights for Nearly 1 Year
Image Credit: Southwest
For those that aren’t aware, the Southwest Companion Pass allows you to bring a friend along on your flights for free on every trip on both cash and award flights (excluding taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way).
Thanks to this bonus, which is only available through 6 p.m. EST on March 14, 2022, you’ll be getting BOGO flights on all of your Southwest flights through February 28, 2023.
Of course, the bonus doesn’t end there, though. Included in the bonus is 30,000 points when meeting the minimum spending qualification, which will usually yield you somewhere between 1.3 and 1.4 cents per point — this means you can redeem 30,000 Southwest points for at least $390 in Southwest flights!
Don’t forget, though, that the value of those points is effectively doubled thanks to your Companion Pass. While you are booking $390 in flights for yourself, you get to bring your companion along with you for nearly free — giving you $780 in value from those points!
Where can Southwest take you? Fortunately, Southwest services most of the U.S., but also some fantastic vacation destinations including Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
Final Thoughts
Rest assured, if you’re interested in earning the Southwest Companion Pass, this is the easiest way to do just that, and you can choose whichever card works best for you and receive the same great bonus.
Just keep in mind that this bonus offer is ending at 6 p.m. EST on March 14, 2022, so if you’re interested in taking advantage of it now is the time to do so!
Featured Image Credit:
Southwest
