New Southwest Card Bonuses – 100,000 Points for an Easy Companion Pass

There are new Southwest credit card bonuses out and they are big, like 6 figure big. The personal cards now offer up to 100,000 points while the business cards offer up to 80,000 points. Let’s dive in and check out these new bonuses.

New Southwest Card Bonuses – 100,000 Points

Link: Southwest Card Bonuses (this is a personal referral link that lets me earn points also – thanks!)

Let’s see all the bonuses on all the Southwest cards as of today (October 21, 2021):

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus – Earn 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months and an additional 50,000 points after spending a total of $12,000 in the first 12 months – $69 annual fee
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier – Earn 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months and an additional 50,000 points after spending a total of $12,000 in the first 12 months – $99 annual fee
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority – Earn 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months and an additional 50,000 points after spending a total of $12,000 in the first 12 months – $149 annual fee
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business – Earn 60,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months –  $99 annual fee
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business – Earn 80,000 points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months – $199 annual fee

Ok, got all that? Of course, it comes with the usual Chase 5/24 stuff (cannot get a card bonus if you have had 5 or more new accounts with any banks in the last 24 months) as well as the 24 month rule on card products (cannot get a personal card bonus if you have had a new bonus on a card in the last 24 months – same for business cards).

Getting the Southwest Companion Pass for 2 Full Years

These card offers are good through 12/1/2021 so you will need to apply for them before that date. But, I suggest you hold off from most of the spending until after your December statement closes. The points count towards your Companion Pass year based on when the points post, which is after the statement closes.

So, if you were to get the card in the last week of November, you would have until 90 days after that to hit the first spending threshold on the personal cards. If you can do all $12,000 in spending in the first couple of months of 2022, you will get a total of 112,000 points (bonus plus the spending) leaving you just 13,000 points shy of the 125,000 point total needed to obtain the Southwest Companion Pass. Remember – it is about hitting that 125K number, you do not use your points for the Companion Pass.

That’s it! You can actually close that gap swiftly if you get the card and then refer it to someone else. As long as they get the card by January 4, 2021, you will get 20,000 points per approval!

Bottom Line

The Southwest Companion Pass continues to be one of the best travel perks out there since you can designate up to 4 people in a calendar year to fly free with you (only one person at a time) – whether you travel on points or cash. Plus, you will end up with 112,000 points which will be worth around $1,600 in Southwest travel just for you! Not bad for a new card bonus!

Southwest is not the low cost carrier they once were but they still can save you money and convenience with more direct routes and free checked bags.