Southwest Airlines is ending the easy Companion Pass. You have until Dec. 2, 2026 to get approved for a Southwest credit card. After that, ,card bonuses from a new account will no longer count toward earning a Companion Pass.,
This is a fake corporate press release, but the facts are real.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southwest Airlines is pleased to announce that the thing you wanted is going away, and the way to keep it is to borrow money.
Here is the old deal. ,You need 100 qualifying flight segments or 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year., That is a lot of flying. Nobody does it. So people open credit cards instead.
The reward is a companion who flies along ,on an unlimited number of Southwest flights, paying only the applicable taxes., A plus-one with no cover charge. Your brother-in-law's dream.
Starting in 2027, ,the welcome bonus stops counting. Everyday spending earns 1 point per dollar., The shortcut is closing. The long road stays open, for people who enjoy long roads.
There is a catch. The deadline is the approval date, not the finish line. ,You can be approved by Dec. 2 and meet the spending requirement in early 2027, and the points can still count., Some travel bloggers say that means a pass for most of 2027. The official language is vague, and the bloggers are arguing about it in the comments.
That is your edge, retail traders. Strangers on the internet are parsing a corporate FAQ for you. Parse faster.
Consider the math. You will spend thousands of dollars to unlock a discount on a second ticket. The ticket is on Southwest. The seat is not assigned. You will board in group C, next to the person you bribed with free air travel.
Your portfolio is down. Your credit score is about to take a hit. But you will have a Companion Pass, and a friend who now texts you every time Dallas Love Field has a sale.
Congratulations on your new best friend. He is only here for the flights.
Photo by Forsaken Films on Unsplash
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