Chase offering free Companion Pass in a new Southwest Rapid Rewards promotion

When COVID-19 shut down most travel, credit card issuers and rewards programs came up with tons of limited-time offers to help customers retain and enjoy travel benefits – even in the pandemic.

For instance, in 2020, Southwest gave all Rapid Rewards members a “boost” of 25,000 Companion Pass qualifying points and 25 flight credits toward Companion Pass status. Last year, new Southwest Rapid Rewards cardholders can get the Companion Pass for free as a part of an intro bonus.

Now, the Companion Pass offer is back.

The Companion Pass allows you to take a designated companion on any flight you book for just the cost of taxes and fees, as long as your Companion Pass is valid.

Normally, you’d need to earn 125,000 qualifying points or take 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year to earn a Companion Pass. However, for a limited time, new cardholders can get the Companion Pass when they meet a spending requirement.

How the new sign-up bonus offer works

For a limited time, if you sign up for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months, you can earn the Companion Pass (valid through Feb. 28, 2023) and 30,000 Rapid Rewards points.

See related: Southwest credit cards: Which Rapid Rewards card is best for you?

Is the new offer a good deal?

The length of the Companion Pass that you can receive as part of this offer is shorter than what you’d get if you earned it in a traditional way. The Pass is typically good for the remainder of the year in which you earn it, as well as the year after that.

Still, considering that getting the Companion Pass provides a lot of value but requires quite an investment, this new offer from Chase is an excellent deal – especially as more people are traveling and restrictions continue to lift.

With this new sign-up bonus from Chase, new cardholders will have plenty of time to use the Companion Pass before it expires.