Why now could be the perfect time to use for Southwest Airways bank cards
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Among the best offers in journey is the Southwest Companion Go. For the worth it gives, you’d be stunned how simple it’s to earn.
No different journey perk lets you create your personal buy-one-get-one airfare voucher that may final for almost two years. This cross lets you carry a accomplice, baby, mother or father or pal with you on your whole Southwest flights — for simply the price of taxes and costs on their ticket.
Whether or not you e book your Southwest flight with {dollars} or Southwest Fast Rewards factors, your designated companion can come together with the Southwest Companion Go. That’s a tremendous profit regardless of the way you slice it — however the deal is even higher whenever you time issues rigorously. And whereas it is true that incomes the Companion Go will probably be a bit harder in 2023, you may offset that whereas additionally incomes the Companion Go with the completely easiest technique potential.
I’ll present you easy methods to safe a Southwest Companion Go for almost 24 months (in the event you hurry).
Methods to completely time a Southwest Companion Go
Beginning in 2023, incomes the Southwest Companion Go would require incomes 135,000 qualifying factors in a calendar yr (as an alternative of the present 125,000 factors).
When you earn the Companion Go, it is legitimate for the remainder of the yr during which you earn plus your complete subsequent calendar yr. Thus, in the event you earn the Companion Go in November or December 2022, it is going to be legitimate by the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023. Nonetheless, in the event you earn the Companion Go in January 2023, then it is going to be legitimate till the top of 2024 — almost two years of validity.
Meaning making an attempt to earn the Companion Go initially of a calendar yr is perfect.
Because the various for incomes the Companion Go requires taking 100 flights with Southwest, incomes by way of factors is the best path for most individuals. Here is how Southwest defines what varieties of factors exercise will rely towards incomes the Companion Go:
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The next don’t rely as qualifying exercise:
- Purchases of factors.
- Factors transferred between members.
- Factors transformed from different loyalty applications or Valued Opinions surveys.
- New member bonuses for becoming a member of Fast Rewards.
- Flight bonus factors.
- Associate bonus factors apart from Southwest Airways bank cards.
Southwest additionally mentions that the Companion Go is earned from factors that put up to your account throughout the identical calendar yr, so you will need to begin once more from zero on Jan. 1 of every yr. What does all of this imply? Bonus factors from sign-up bonuses on Southwest Airways bank cards rely towards incomes the Companion Go and (ideally) you need them to hit your account in January to earn a Companion cross that is legitimate for almost 24 months.
This implies opening a Southwest Airways bank card late within the yr after which finishing the minimal spending requirement in early January may be your easiest path to a buy-one-get-one cross with Southwest Airways.
Associated: Methods to use the Southwest Companion Go
Incomes the factors it is advisable obtain the Companion Go
Now could be the right time to begin plotting your Southwest Companion Go acquisition. With elevated bonus gives on Southwest bank cards operating by Dec. 5, 2022, it is best to apply for one — and even two — Southwest playing cards to earn the cross in 2023 and 2024.
The Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card ($69 annual payment), Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card ($99 annual payment) and Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card ($149 annual payment) all provide the identical elevated bonus proper now. New candidates can earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. Gives finish Dec. 5, 2022.
Associated: 13 classes from 13 years’ price of Southwest Companion Passes
Keep in mind that the Companion Go requires incomes 135,000 factors in the identical calendar yr beginning in 2023, so this bonus would put you effectively in your technique to incomes 135,000 factors. And there are various methods to earn the remaining factors, similar to further bank card spending, really flying on eligible Southwest fares, accomplice exercise — even opening a Southwest enterprise bank card in tandem together with your Southwest private card.
As well as, Southwest’s two small-business playing cards are presently providing eye-catching bonuses of their very own:
Incomes a bonus on a private bank card and a enterprise bank card from Southwest Airways could be sufficient to earn the Companion Go with out another qualifying actions.
Technique for incomes the Southwest Companion Go in 2023-2024
Sadly, Chase doesn’t mean you can have a couple of Southwest private bank card open at a time. However these restrictions don’t apply to the enterprise variations.
The simplest technique to obtain a Companion Go is by incomes each a small-business card bonus and a private card bonus — no further spending or exercise is required.
For instance, the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card gives a number of Southwest perks and comes with 60,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening. In the event you had been to open this card together with any Southwest private card, you may earn the Companion Go by:
- Spending $3,000 on the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise (60,000 factors).
- Spending $3,000 on a Southwest private card (75,000 factors).
Simply $6,000 in spending would internet you 135,000 factors (price over $2,000, based on TPG valuations) and a Southwest Companion Go. Plus, you do not have to “money in” your factors to earn the Companion Go. You continue to maintain the factors in your account and may use these for award flights — and produce your companion as effectively.
Associated: Methods to redeem factors with the Southwest Fast Rewards program
Once more, transferring factors earned on playing cards just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card to your Southwest Fast Rewards account don’t rely towards the Companion Go. Nonetheless, upon getting the Companion Go, you may switch factors to Fast Rewards from Chase Final Rewards to e book your Southwest award tickets and have your designated companion fly with you for nearly free.
Because you need all of those factors to point out up in your Southwest account in early 2023, it is crucial that you do not full your spending requirement on both of those bank cards earlier than Jan. 1, 2023. In any other case, bonus factors could also be deposited in your account in 2022 — ruining your plan for 2 years of Companion Go.
Who’s eligible for a brand new Southwest bank card?
The non-public Southwest playing cards are providing their best-ever bonuses. In the event you’re interested by your eligibility, right here’s what Chase has to say:
“The product is just not accessible to both (i) present Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards® Credit score Card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards Credit score Card who obtained a brand new Cardmember bonus throughout the final 24 months. This doesn’t apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Fast Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise.”
This implies that you may solely get the brand new cardmember bonus on one Southwest private bank card inside a 24-month cycle, so ensure you’re getting the perfect bonus potential. Additionally be aware that, in the event you presently have any Southwest private bank card open, you gained’t be eligible for these gives.
The identical restriction doesn’t apply to the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card or the Southwest Fast Rewards Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card. The enterprise card restrictions state:
“This new Cardmember bonus provide is just not accessible to both (i) present Cardmembers of this enterprise bank card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of this enterprise bank card who obtained a brand new Cardmember bonus for this enterprise bank card throughout the final 24 months.”
This implies you may earn a bonus from a small-business bank card and a private bank card from Southwest in the identical calendar yr to set off the Companion Go. That’s how many people have earned our passes up to now.
Associated: Who qualifies for a enterprise bank card?
Alternatively, you may get two small-business card bonuses; you simply can’t get two private playing cards.
And don’t neglect about Chase’s 5/24 rule. In the event you’ve opened 5 or extra new private bank cards throughout all card issuers within the final 24 months, you’ll probably be denied in the event you apply for a Southwest card.
Backside line
Now is a good time to solidify your plans for incomes the Southwest Companion Go.
In the event you’re in a position to open a private card and small-business card, you may time the sign-up bonuses in order that they put up to your account in early 2023. That’ll provide you with almost two full years of Companion Go.
Learn our put up on easy methods to use the Southwest Companion Go for every little thing it is best to find out about probably the greatest offers in journey.
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card
Extra reporting by Chris Dong, Joseph Hostetler and Ryan Smith.
