This is a reminder that the 60,000 point sign up offer for the three Southwest Airlines credit cards is coming to an end TOMORROW October 4, 2017. This is only the 2nd time we’ve seen this high of an offer with the typically offer at 25,000 points. With that being said, we often do see increased offers every few months that range anywhere between 40,000-60,000 points. So if now is not the right time for you to apply, we’ll definitely see an increased offer again in the future, just not sure when or how many points.
Key Links:
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Card: Earn 60,000 points after spending $2,000 on the card within the first 3 months; $69 annual fee. This card will earn you 3,000 bonus points on your account anniversary. You can learn more about Airline credit cards here.
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card: Earn 60,000 points after spending $2,000 on the card within the first 3 months; $99 annual fee. This card will earn you 6,000 bonus points on your account anniversary. You can learn more about Airline credit cards here.
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card: Earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on the card within the first 3 months; $99 annual fee. This card will earn you 6,000 bonus points on your account anniversary. You can learn more about this credit card here.
60,000 points is worth approximately $840 towards free flights on Southwest! The best thing about the sign up offer is that the 60,000 points earned for the sign up bonus also count towards the 110,000 points you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass! Apply for two different Southwest cards and the pass is yours automatically! So not only will you earn 120,000 points, you’ll also be able to have a companion fly with you for free an unlimited number of times for all of 2018 and 2019! And yes, you are eligible for the sign up bonus for more then one card since they are all different products. Just two things to keep in mind: 1) These cards are subject to Chase’s “5/24” rule which means if you’ve applied and been approved for 5 or more personal credit cards in the past 24 months, Chase will decline your application; and 2) Chase typically will only approve you for 2 Chase cards within a 30 day time period.
Which Card(s) to Apply for?
I’ve received many questions asking if you should apply for the 2 personal cards, or 1 business and 1 personal card. And the answer is – it doesn’t really matter. Chase will approve you for any combo of the cards (as long as you meet the above criteria and are eligible for an approval, i.e., good credit, etc.). I know many readers have applied and been approved for both the Plus and Premier card as well as both the Plus (or Premier) and Business card. A few things to keep in mind though – getting approved for a business credit card can sometimes be a little more challenging and typically requires a call to the reconsideration line where they’ll ask you some questions about your business. But, Chase business credit cards do not typically count against Chase’s “5/24” rule. So applying for the business version of the card might allow you to apply for more Chase cards in the future. Or, if you are currently at “4/24”, you can apply or the business card first and then the personal card (even in the same day), so the business application doesn’t count against not getting approved for the personal version. Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions about your situation!
What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you are probably already aware that the Southwest Companion pass is my favorite benefit in the entire travel world! With this pass, a companion can fly with you an UNLIMITED number of times for the calendar year it is earned plus the following calendar year. While there are many ways to earn the pass, the easiest way is by signing up for their credit card (if you are okay with that).
As of today, the 60,000 points DO COUNT towards the 110,000 points required to obtain the pass. Apply for two different Southwest cards (yes, you are allowed to have two Southwest credit cards in your wallet) and that will give you 120,000 points – more then the required amount for the companion pass! That means you’ll automatically receive the pass once the points post.
So lets say you apply for the two cards now. Since you have 3 months to meet the minimum spend, you will want to wait until January 1, 2018 to actually spend that last dollar of the minimum spend requirement. Technically, you can meet the minimum spend after your December statement closes, but you have to be 100% certain you are aware when that happens. The 60,000 points per card will not post to your account until a few days after your statement closes. So let’s say you were to apply for the card on October 1, 2017 and you have a statement close date of the 3rd of every month. Any money you spend on your card from December 4th on will count towards your January statement close. The points will then post a few days after your January statement close date, so if it were to close on the 3rd, for example, the points will post to your Southwest account somewhere between January 5-10. You can still put spend on the card before your December statement close date, but do not go over that minimum spend amount. If you want to be 100% certain you do not mess it up, wait until January 1, 2018 to meet the minimum spend. I’ve also had many readers tell me that they have 115 days to meet the minimum spend requirement.
Southwest Companion Pass FAQs
Flying limitations: With the companion pass there are no black out dates or seat restrictions – if there is a seat available for purchase, it is available for your companion. The companion pass can even be used if points were redeemed for a free flight. This can result in both passengers flying for FREE (plus the taxes/passenger)!
Number of times the companion pass can be used: Unlimited! There is no cap on the number of times the pass can be used.
Who can be a companion: Anyone can be your companion – friends, family, a complete stranger. However, the companion pass can only be switched up to three times per year. Since you need to allocate your companion when getting the pass, this allows you 4 people to use the pass per year (those people can be repeated and put back on as the companion as well but counts as one of your allowed changes). To change your companion pass, call Southwest Customer Service (1-800-IFLYSWA) and they will easily assist you on the spot.
Companion pass expiration:Â The companion pass is valid the remainder of the year it was earned plus the following calendar year. For example, if you earn the pass January 2018, you will have it for the rest of 2018, plus all of 2019.
Related Blog Posts:
As mentioned above, I’ve written about the Southwest credit card sign up bonus plus strategies around applying to earn the Companion Pass. Here are all the recent blog posts which will detail out everything you’d ever want to know:
- Everything You Need to Know About the Southwest Companion Pass
- Earning the Southwest Companion Pass for 2018 and 2019
- Other Ways to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
- Strategic Timing for the Southwest Credit Cards
- When Do Points from the Southwest Credit Card Post?
- All Three Southwest Credit Cards Offering 60,000 Points
I personally have had the Southwest Companion Pass for 10+ years and it has saved me a TON of money. Feel free to comment below or email me with any questions!
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
So I applied for and was approved for both personal cards. Statement close date is the 18th of the month so my December statement will close on Dec 18th, and since I applied for the cards on Oct 2 looks like I have til Jan 2 to complete the spend which is in the middle of the statement cycle. So as long as I charge the $2,000 after December 18 and before January 2, the im good as the points will post shortly after the January 18 close date, is that right? Thanks for the help with this!
@Christian – That is correct. If you want them to post in 2018, you want to make sure to meet the minimum spend AFTER your December statement date and PRIOR to your 3 month expiration date. With that being said, you can send Chase a secure message to see your exact date – many folks were given a date 115 days from being approved. To make things easy, I suggest meeting the minimum spend on January 1, 2018. That way the points will definitely post in 2018 and it will be within your timeframe. You can spend $1,999 at any point, just spend that last dollar on January 1. Remember, the annual fee does NOT count towards the $2,000 spend requirement.
I applied for the card on Oct. 3 and got approved. How do you find out what the closing date is?
Jeff – Send a secure message to Chase through your Chase.com account to inquire. They usually respond within 24-48 hours.
What to do if I am just reading this post, and missed the Oct. 4 deadline. Just have to wait for the next time 60k is offered?
@Dan – The Southwest Business card is actually still available at the 60k offer: https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/southwest/60kPremierBizL?CELL=6PLS
But I have the get to 110,000 for the Companion Pass. How do I do that now?
@Dan – The Business credit card is still offering 60,000 points.
Is there still a credit card with no annual fee + free companion pass available?
@Elaine – All of the Southwest credit cards come with an annual fee.