If you want a Southwest credit card welcome bonus to count toward Companion Pass under the transition exception, you must be approved on or before December 2, 2026. Southwest says eligible cardmembers can still have that bonus count even if they complete the required spending in early 2027. December 2 is an approval cutoff, not an announced expiration date for the card offers below.

The Southwest transition FAQ does not explain every detail of that exception. If you qualify under the standard 2026 rules, however, your unlimited Companion Pass trips last through December 31, 2027. The key is getting enough qualifying points posted in the right calendar year.

How Southwest Companion Pass changes in 2027

Through 2026, you need 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in one calendar year. Eligible credit card welcome bonuses count toward that points total.

Beginning January 1, 2027, Southwest uses Tier Qualifying Points, or TQPs, for Companion Pass:

Each of the three Companion Pass trips can be a one-way or round-trip itinerary.

Under the new rules, welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, and extra points from card bonus categories generally do not count toward those thresholds. Those Rapid Rewards points remain redeemable for travel. The December 2 approval exception is why a welcome bonus may still help during the transition.

All Southwest credit cards will earn one TQP per eligible dollar spent in 2027. A 3x rewards category does not mean three TQPs per dollar. Cardmembers can also receive a one-time 10,000-TQP boost in 2027 after reaching 130,000 TQPs. Unlike the 2026 cardmember boost, that boost does not give you a head start at the beginning of the year.

Current Southwest credit card welcome bonuses

These are Chase's public offers checked October 16, 2026. Each spending window starts at account opening, not when the card arrives.

The Premier Business offer is labeled limited-time, without a published end date on the page checked. Offers can change and may differ by application channel. Check the bonus, spending requirement, fee, and eligibility terms on the application you use.

Even an 80,000-point bonus falls short of 135,000 qualifying points. Work out the remaining gap before taking on an annual fee or spending requirement. Count only points that are eligible and will post in the qualifying period.

Check eligibility before applying

Chase's personal-card terms exclude current holders of any Southwest personal credit card and former holders who received a Southwest personal new-cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. Business and employee cards are excluded from that personal-card restriction.

The business-card bonus restrictions are product-specific: current holders of that business card, and former holders who received its bonus within the last 24 months, are excluded. Check the exact product's terms rather than assuming all Southwest cards share one rule. Approval is still subject to Chase's credit review.

A business card is an option only if you meet its business application requirements. Do not include a business-card bonus in your plan unless you are eligible.

Can two card bonuses earn a Companion Pass in 2026?

For someone eligible for both the Plus and Premier Business cards, the current offers could cover the 2026 points requirement:

The combined annual fees are $248. This example assumes both bonuses, the purchase points, and the boost post to the same person's Rapid Rewards account in 2026. Two cards do not produce two boosts, and points in two different people's accounts do not satisfy one person's qualification requirement.

The spending requirement is only one part of this plan. You also need to qualify for both offers, meet the business application requirements, and leave enough time for the points to post. Meeting the required spending in December does not guarantee qualification in 2026.

Approval, spending, and posting: three separate deadlines

1. Approval by December 2, 2026

Southwest's exception requires approval by the cutoff. An application still pending on that date does not satisfy the published wording. The exception does not remove the spending requirement or guarantee a Companion Pass.

2. Your own spending deadline

The offers above allow three months from account opening. Annual fees, balance transfers, cash advances, and other excluded transactions do not satisfy the purchase requirement. Keep the account open and out of default through bonus fulfillment.

3. The points posting date

Chase's personal offers allow six to eight weeks after qualifying for the bonus to post; the business offers allow up to eight weeks. Regular card points transfer after the billing cycle ends. Check the statement closing date and the Rapid Rewards account, not just the purchase date.

For standard 2026 qualification, Southwest says all qualifying activity must post by year-end. Do not assume a late-December purchase or a December spending completion will produce a December bonus.

The early-2027 welcome-bonus exception is separate. Southwest's transition FAQ does not clearly say whether a bonus posted in early 2027 can combine with a 2026 qualifying balance, or how long a pass earned through that exception would last. Confirm those details with Southwest before relying on January posting. Do not assume the exception earns a pass through December 2028.

Is applying for a card worth it for you?

Start with the Companion Pass qualifying total in your Rapid Rewards account, rather than your redeemable points balance. Subtract it from the 135,000-point requirement to see your remaining 2026 gap. If the 10,000-point cardmember boost is already included in that total, do not add it again.

• If you are close to qualifying: One eligible bonus may be enough. Compare the gap with the bonus and purchase points you can realistically get posted by year-end before considering a second card.
• If you need two bonuses: The example above requires $4,000 in purchases plus $248 in annual fees. It makes sense only if you are eligible, can meet the spending requirements with purchases already planned, and can pay the balances in full.
• If your plan depends on early-2027 posting: Approval by December 2 preserves access to the stated welcome-bonus exception. Get Southwest's clarification on the qualifying year and pass expiration before relying on January posting.

Finally, compare the fees with the companion fares you expect to save on trips you would actually take. Companion travel still requires available seats and taxes and fees starting at $5.60 one-way. A pass you rarely use, extra purchases, or credit card interest can outweigh the savings.