Southwest’s Elevated Personal Card Offers and Your Closing Companion Pass Window

by Zac Hood | Oct 27, 2026 | Credit Card Strategy
Three Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa credit cards displayed above text reading Increased Offers! Up to 90,000 bonus points! against a tropical beach background.

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Southwest just raised the welcome bonuses on all three of its personal credit cards, and if the Southwest Companion Pass has been on your list, 2026 is the year to act. Earn the pass this year and a companion flies with you for just taxes and fees for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027. The timing matters because starting in 2027, Southwest is changing how the Companion Pass is earned, and credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward it. The good news: the current rules still apply through the end of 2026, and below we’ll walk you through exactly what to do.

Despite the recent changes to Southwest’s program and cards, Rapid Rewards points remain one of our favorite ways to book free travel. The program is simple to use, and with no cancellation fees on points bookings, it’s still one of the most flexible, travel-friendly programs out there.

Right now, all three Southwest personal cards are offering elevated welcome bonuses, higher than the offers we’ve typically seen on these cards:

We typically recommend the Plus or Priority, with the Premier sitting as the middle option between them.

Why the timing matters right now

We’ll be straight with you: this change came fast, and it stings. For years, the easiest way to earn the Companion Pass has been to pick up a Southwest credit card or two and let the welcome bonuses do the heavy lifting. Southwest recently reworked the rules, and that path is going away. If you’ve seen earlier guidance (from us or elsewhere) describing how welcome bonuses can carry the pass well into a second year, that version no longer holds. The welcome-bonus route still works for 2026, but this is the last year for it, and we’d rather tell you plainly than let it catch you off guard.

Starting in 2027, the Companion Pass becomes a benefit of Southwest’s new top-tier status, and the welcome bonuses you earn on Southwest credit cards will no longer count toward earning it. The current rules, where 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year (welcome bonuses included) earns you the pass, stay in effect through the end of 2026. Qualify in 2026 and you keep the pass through all of 2027.

There’s even a courtesy built in for people cutting it close. If you apply and are approved for a Southwest co-branded card by December 2, 2026, you’ll have into early 2027 to meet the card’s minimum spend and still have those welcome-bonus points count toward your 2026 Companion Pass qualification, even if the points don’t post until early 2027. Southwest hasn’t published the exact deadline to finish the spend, so don’t cut it close: give yourself margin and meet the minimum spend as soon as you reasonably can.

For the full breakdown of how the Companion Pass works and what’s changing, see our Southwest Companion Pass guide.

If you’re close to the Companion Pass in 2026

If you’ve already earned some Rapid Rewards qualifying points this year, one of these elevated offers may be all you need to finish the job. Here’s how to think it through:

Check your 2026 qualifying-points total in your Southwest account, then subtract it from 135,000. Whatever’s left is your gap.

  • If your gap is smaller than a single bonus, one of these cards can close it. A 90,000-point Priority bonus, for example, more than covers a 60,000-point shortfall once you factor in the points you earn meeting the minimum spend.
  • If you’re starting from scratch or have a larger gap, you’ll want two cards (see the strategy below).

Whatever your gap, the move is the same: be approved by December 2, 2026. You’ll then have into early 2027 to meet the minimum spend and still earn the pass for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027. Because Southwest hasn’t said exactly when that spending window closes, don’t wait, meet your minimum spend as early as you can.

The strategy if you’re starting from scratch

Most members earn the Companion Pass with one of these two combinations. Both still work in 2026, with corrected timing for this year.

Option 1: Personal + Business

  1. Apply for a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. (The Premier Business card also has an elevated 80,000-point offer right now.)
  2. Apply for one Southwest personal card. We normally suggest spacing applications at least 30 days apart, but the December 2, 2026 deadline makes that tight this year. If you can handle the minimum spend on both at once, it’s fine to apply a few days apart, just not on the same day.
  3. Aim to be approved by December 2, 2026 on both. You’ll then have into early 2027 to meet each card’s minimum spend and still have the points count toward your 2026 qualification, so finish the spend as early as you can.

Option 2: Two Business Cards

You can hold both Southwest business cards (you just can’t hold more than one personal). Same timing applies: be approved by December 2, 2026, then meet each card’s minimum spend as early as you can.

The math works comfortably either way. A 90,000-point Priority bonus plus an 80,000-point Premier Business bonus is 170,000 points from the welcome bonuses alone. That clears the 135,000 you need with room to spare. Even the Plus at 80,000 paired with a business card gets you there.

If you’re not sure whether you qualify for a business card, you probably have more options than you think. A business card doesn’t require an LLC or a formal company; freelance, contract, or self-employment income can be enough. See our full guide on business card eligibility.

How the three cards compare

Each card has an elevated welcome bonus right now. The main differences are in the annual fee and the ongoing perks, so here’s what sets each one apart.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card ($99)

  • 2x at gas stations and grocery stores (up to $5,000/year)
  • Standard seat selection up to 48 hours before departure
  • 3,000 anniversary points each year, plus a 10% Southwest flight promo code (excludes basic economy)

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card ($149)

  • 2x on groceries and restaurants (up to $8,000/year)
  • Standard or Preferred seat selection up to 48 hours before departure
  • Earns 1,500 tier qualifying points per $5,000 spent, toward A-List status
  • 6,000 anniversary points each year, plus a 15% Southwest flight promo code (excludes basic economy)

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card ($229)

  • 4x on Southwest purchases including flights, inflight and Southwest gift cards; 2x on gas and restaurants (no cap)
  • Standard or Preferred seat selection at the time of booking, plus unlimited complimentary extra-legroom upgrades within 48 hours of departure (pending availability)
  • Earns 2,500 tier qualifying points per $5,000 spent, toward A-List status
  • 7,500 anniversary points each year

All three also include a free first checked bag (for you and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation), 25% back on in-flight purchases, no foreign transaction fees and Group 5 boarding.

Who should skip this offer?

If you rarely fly Southwest, you’re probably better off with a different travel card. And if the Companion Pass isn’t your goal, these cards are far less compelling now that the welcome-bonus earning path is on its way out. For most non-Southwest flyers, a flexible-points card will stretch further (more on that in the summary).

Application rules

To be eligible, you’ll generally need to:

1) Be under 5/24 (opened fewer than 5 personal credit cards from any bank in the last 24 months) Update 9/26: We’re hearing Chase may be getting stricter about approving business cards. If you apply for Ink cards and Chase’s co-branded business cards (United, Southwest, Hyatt, and IHG) as a sole proprietor, you may need to have opened 2 or fewer new personal credit cards in the past 24 months to be approved, instead of the usual limit of fewer than 5. Chase hasn’t made this official, but reps have been citing the stricter limit since mid-September 2026. If you apply under an LLC, the normal rule still seems to apply.
2) Not currently hold the card you’re applying for (for personal cards, this extends to all Southwest personal cards, so you can’t have any of them open)
3) Not have earned the welcome bonus on the card you’re applying for in the past 24 months (for personal cards, this extends to any Southwest personal card)

The Travel Freely app tracks your 5/24 count and eligibility dates automatically, so you can see at a glance whether you’re clear to apply. If it’s been more than 24 months since your last Southwest personal card or business card bonus, you can close your current card, wait at least a week (longer if possible), then open a new one to earn the bonus again.

Summary

Southwest Rapid Rewards points are some of our favorites, and these elevated offers may be exactly what you need to earn the Companion Pass. But the window matters: 2026 is the last year the welcome-bonus path works, so if the pass is your goal, get approved by December 2, 2026 and meet your minimum spend as early as you can. Our Southwest Companion Pass guide has the full rundown.

If the Companion Pass isn’t for you, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred or one of the Ink business cards. Both earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, which you can transfer to Southwest if it’s your preferred airline, with a lot more flexibility besides.

A quick note: Travel Freely may earn a commission if you’re approved through our links, at no cost to you. We only ever point you to what we think are the best offers, even the ones that earn us nothing. Thanks for supporting us.