Southwest Airways loyalists have run a convoluted course this 12 months, maintaining with all the pieces from main shifts in its baggage insurance policies, boarding course of, seat assignments and route networks to an overhaul of its cobranded bank cards.
However one fan-favorite side has remained by the noise: the coveted Southwest Companion Cross, which is well the most effective offers in journey. This perk primarily means that you can create your personal buy-one-get-one airfare voucher, letting you deliver a associate, baby, guardian or good friend with you on your whole Southwest flights for simply the price of taxes and charges on their ticket.
Even for those who ebook your flight with Fast Rewards factors, your companion can nonetheless fly with you utilizing the Companion Cross.
This is what you might want to find out about timing Southwest bank card purposes to make your Companion Cross last more.
How one can completely time a Southwest Companion Cross
To earn a Companion Cross, you should earn 135,000 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months.
When you get hold of the Companion Cross, it is legitimate for the remainder of the 12 months during which you earn it, plus your complete subsequent calendar 12 months.
That timing makes an enormous distinction. For instance:
- Earn it in November or December 2025, and it will be legitimate by the tip of 2026.
- Earn it in Q1 of 2026, and it will final by December 2027, nearly two full years of two-for-one journey.
That is why the perfect technique is to begin incomes late this 12 months and have your qualifying factors submit early in 2026.
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What exercise counts towards the Companion Cross?
Because the various for incomes the Companion Cross requires taking 100 flights with Southwest, incomes it by factors is the quickest and best path for most individuals. Southwest defines what forms of factors exercise rely towards incomes the Companion Cross as:
The next don’t rely as qualifying exercise:
- Flight bonus factors
- Getaways by Southwest™ trip bookings
- New-member bonuses for becoming a member of Fast Rewards
- Accomplice bonus factors apart from these earned with Southwest Airways cobranded playing cards
- Factors transformed from resort and automobile rental loyalty applications, e-Rewards, Valued Opinions surveys or Diners Membership
- Factors purchases
- Factors transferred between members
- Factors transferred from Chase Final Rewards
- Reward journey
- Tier bonus factors
Southwest additionally notes that the Companion Cross is earned from factors posted to your account inside the identical calendar 12 months, so you should begin once more from zero on January 1 of every 12 months.
For that motive, it is crucial that bonus factors earned from Southwest card welcome bonuses submit to your account in early Q1 2026.
Now that you know the way the Companion Cross is earned, let’s dive into some prime methods for qualifying — and the right way to maintain it for almost two years.
Associated: Acquired a brand new bank card? Listed here are 4 suggestions that can assist you earn your welcome bonus
Incomes the factors you might want to obtain the Companion Cross
Understanding you will not wish to earn the Companion Cross till Q1 of 2026, the tip of this 12 months is a superb time to begin planning your Southwest Companion Cross acquisition.
Earn a Companion Cross with a Southwest private card
The present bonus on all three private playing cards:
The knowledge for the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Every card permits new cardholders to earn 85,000 factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. That welcome bonus will get you nicely over 50% of the way in which towards the Companion Cross.
Plus, every card comes with 10,000 Companion Cross qualifying factors credited to your account inside 30 days from account opening. So when mixed with the welcome provide, you’d solely have to earn 40,000 extra factors to earn a Companion Cross.
Associated: How one can rapidly earn the Southwest Companion Cross
Earn a Companion Cross with a Southwest enterprise card
In case you’re a small-business proprietor, you would contemplate making use of for one in every of Southwest’s enterprise playing cards:
You could possibly apply for each enterprise playing cards and earn the Companion Cross by their welcome bonuses, however pairing one private card and one enterprise card is the most cost effective and best solution to hit the 135,000-point mark.
For instance, opening the Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier Enterprise playing cards and incomes each bonuses may internet you round 145,000 factors — sufficient to safe the Companion Cross — with a mixed $248 in annual charges.
Moreover, there are different methods to earn the remaining factors if you cannot open two playing cards, reminiscent of extra bank card spending, really flying on eligible Southwest fares and associate exercise; however the quickest solution to earn a Companion Cross is by opening a Southwest enterprise card in tandem with a Southwest private card now for those who’re eligible.
Associated: Who qualifies for a enterprise card
Technique for incomes the Southwest Companion Cross in 2026-2027
The quickest solution to earn a Companion Cross is to open a Southwest private and enterprise card now. Their mixed welcome bonuses alone can earn you one.
Nevertheless, for those who’re unable to open each playing cards, going the private card route is your greatest guess, as you’d earn at the very least 95,000 qualifying factors (from the welcome provide and the ten,000 Companion factors increase), which might get you closest to incomes the Companion Cross.
No matter which route you go, you may wish to start making use of for a Southwest card now.
It is necessary to notice that transferred factors from playing cards that earn Chase Final Rewards, just like the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and charges), to your Southwest Fast Rewards account do not rely towards the Companion Cross.
Nevertheless, upon getting earned the Companion Cross, you may switch factors to Fast Rewards from Chase to ebook your Southwest award tickets and have your designated companion fly with you mainly for no extra value.
Associated: How one can redeem factors with the Southwest Fast Rewards program
Who’s eligible for a brand new Southwest bank card?
The eligibility guidelines for Southwest’s playing cards are fairly strict. The phrases state:
“The product shouldn’t be out there 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 acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus inside 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 which you can solely obtain the new-cardmember bonus on one Southwest private bank card inside a 24-month cycle, so be sure you select the cardboard that gives the perfect bonus attainable. Additionally word that for those who at the moment have any open Southwest private bank cards, you will not be eligible for these gives.
In the meantime, the enterprise card eligibility guidelines aren’t as strict as these of the private Southwest playing cards. The enterprise card restrictions state:
“This new Cardmember bonus provide shouldn’t be out there to both (i) present Cardmembers of this enterprise bank card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of this enterprise bank card who acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus for this enterprise bank card inside the final 24 months.”
This implies you may’t have earned a bonus on the Southwest enterprise card you are making use of for prior to now 24 months, and you can also’t at the moment maintain the Southwest enterprise card you are making use of for, however you may apply for the opposite one.
Nevertheless, bear in mind which you can earn a bonus from a small-business bank card and a private bank card from Southwest in the identical calendar 12 months to get nearer to acquiring a Companion Cross. Alternatively, you would get two small-business card bonuses; you simply cannot get two private playing cards.
Associated: Do I want a enterprise to get a enterprise bank card?
Backside line
Now’s the time to lock in your Southwest Companion Cross technique. By making use of for one private and one enterprise Southwest card earlier than the 12 months ends — and timing your spend so welcome bonuses submit in early 2026 — you may safe almost two full years of two-for-one journey by the tip of 2027.
And for those who choose to begin smaller, even one private card can get you many of the approach there and each level you earn after that strikes you even nearer.
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card
Study extra: 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
