Southwest Credit Card Offers Up to 90K: Last Call for 2027 Companion Pass

Southwest and Chase have increased the welcome bonuses on all three personal Rapid Rewards credit cards, with offers reaching 90,000 points. But there's an even bigger reason to pay attention: December 2, 2026, is the final approval deadline for earning a traditional Southwest Companion Pass using credit card welcome bonuses.

Under Southwest's new 2027 rules, that popular travel-hacking strategy is disappearing.

Current Southwest Credit Card Offers

Personal Cards

All three elevated offers are scheduled to expire December 2, 2026.

View All Three Elevated Southwest Personal Card Offers

The Plus card offers the lowest spending requirement and annual fee. The Priority card offers the largest welcome bonus and more substantial seating benefits.

Business Cards

Southwest also has two attractive business card offers.

View Southwest Business Card Offers at Chase

For a closer look at the lower-cost business option, see our Southwest Premier Business 80K Offer & Review.

Why December 2 Matters

Southwest has confirmed that applicants approved for eligible Rapid Rewards credit cards by December 2, 2026, can still have their welcome bonuses count toward traditional Companion Pass qualification.

That includes bonuses earned after completing the minimum spending requirements in early 2027.

However, the resulting Companion Pass will expire December 31, 2027 — not December 31, 2028.

We've explained the rule changes in detail in our Southwest Companion Pass 2027 Guide.

Beginning January 1, 2027, ordinary credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward Companion Pass qualification. Instead, Southwest will use Tier Qualifying Points and qualifying flights.

The new program requires 95,000 Tier Qualifying Points or 75 qualifying flights for three Companion Pass trips. Unlimited Companion Pass benefits require 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying flights.

The Final Companion Pass Credit Card Strategy

Under the current 2026 rules, earning an unlimited Companion Pass requires 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights.

The most straightforward remaining credit card strategy is pairing a personal card with a business card.

Here's an example:

That's comfortably above the 135,000-point requirement without relying on anniversary points, spending-category bonuses, or the annual 10,000-point Companion Pass qualification boost.

The two cards carry a combined $248 in annual fees and require $4,000 in purchases during their respective three-month introductory periods.

Both cards must belong to the same eligible applicant, with bonuses credited to that person's Rapid Rewards account. Combining two people's balances will not work.

Eligible business owners might also consider two different Southwest business cards.

Important Application Restrictions

Before applying, keep these Chase rules in mind:

• 5/24 rule: Chase generally declines applicants who have opened five or more personal credit cards across issuers within the past 24 months.
• Personal card restrictions: Applicants generally cannot currently hold another Southwest personal card or have received a Southwest personal card welcome bonus within the previous 24 months.
• Business card eligibility: Separate product-specific restrictions apply. Reports of a tighter 3/24 threshold for some sole proprietors remain an underwriting concern, not a universally published Chase rule.
• Application timing: Applying for two cards close together may increase scrutiny. Approval is never guaranteed.

Most importantly, December 2 is an approval deadline, not simply an application deadline.

Don't assume an application submitted on December 2 will be approved that day, especially if Chase requests reconsideration or additional documentation.

Southwest has not specified a precise early-2027 spending cutoff for its grandfathering provision, so complete the minimum spending requirements as early as reasonably possible.

Is a One-Year Companion Pass Still Worth Pursuing?

Absolutely, for the right traveler.

Companion Pass allows a designated companion to travel on eligible Southwest flights for just the applicable taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 each way for domestic travel.

A family taking several Southwest trips during 2027 could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in airfare.

But the economics are different from the traditional strategy that provided nearly two full years of benefits.

Travelers who rarely fly Southwest may be better served by flexible rewards cards with transferable points.

Trash Panda Take

These are strong welcome offers, especially the Southwest Plus card's 80,000 points after just $1,000 in spending.

For travelers living in major Southwest markets such as Las Vegas, the opportunity to earn a full year of Companion Pass benefits remains attractive.

However, I would not rush into an application solely because a deadline is approaching.

The best approach is to evaluate whether you'll actually use Companion Pass during 2027, whether you can comfortably complete both spending requirements, and whether applying for two Chase cards fits your broader credit card strategy.

For eligible applicants who already planned to pursue Companion Pass, though, the window is closing.

Bottom line: Get approved by December 2, 2026, meet the required spending thresholds, and you may still qualify for unlimited companion travel through December 31, 2027. After that, the traditional credit card welcome-bonus shortcut is gone.

Sources: Travel Freely, Doctor of Credit, Southwest's official 2027 Companion Pass rules, and Southwest's 2027 FAQs.

Last verified October 27, 2026. Credit card offers, program rules, and application eligibility are subject to change. Always confirm the welcome bonus and spending requirements on the final Chase application.