There are lots of Southwest changes taking place right now. I’ve had the Southwest Companion Pass (BOGO Southwest Flights) for 12+ years now. For the last 4 years, my husband has ALSO had the Companion pass. That means that 2 of the 5 of us fly for the cost of taxes and fees literally anytime we travel. It’s hard not to scream loyalty when we’ve taken over 100 free flights. However, are these changes too much? Let’s break it down. Some are bad. Some SEEM bad but probably don’t really affect you. Some kid of suck (and I grew up in a house where “suck” was a bad word so I use that very sparingly).

While I have you, I’m so grateful when you take the time to use my links when you apply for a card. It supports my little business and I truly appreciate it! Alright – let’s get to it.

Earning the Companion Pass Reminder

As you remember (or read my more detailed Southwest Companion Pass blog post here!), those who earn 135,000 Southwest points in one calendar year (January – December) will earn the Southwest Companion Pass. That means that you can bring a companion with you for the cost of taxes and fees, anywhere you fly for the year you earn it, and the entire next year. By following these directions (and not earning the points too early!!), you would be able to take a companion with you for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027. That means you can literally fly every single day and bring a companion along for the cost of taxes and fees ($5.60 in the US, typically higher outside of the US).

If you applied for an elevated Southwest offer (now ended) in September 2025, on January 1st, you’ll spend the remaining money and earn 100,000 points. But where does the remaining 35,000 points come in?

• Cardholders will receive a complimentary 10,000 companion pass qualifying points boost for holding a Southwest card on January 1st. New total = 110,000 points
• If you snagged the offer while it was elevated (now ended), you’ll receive points for spending $4,000 to hit the minimum spend. New total = 114,000 points+ (remember some things will earn you more than one point per dollar)
• If you snagged the offer while it was elevated (now ended) you will now use this card for all spending until you earn 135,000 points. You’ll need to spend $21,000 (or less, assuming somethings will earn you more than one point per dollar). You can also shop in the Southwest Shopping portal for extra points when you shop at Nike, Apple, Kohls, etc or refer a friend (NEXT YEAR! 2026) to a Southwest card.

Viola! That’s how you can earn the companion pass for 2026-2027 with just one welcome offer!

What are the Current Offers? How do I Choose Which One?

There are 3 personal credit cards that will all help you earn Southwest points. They have different perks and different annual fees. Choose which one you prefer:

New Benefits Worth Mentioning:

• First checked bag free (for every person you book on your itinerary, up to 8). This will save you $35 per bag.
• Standard Seat Selection within 48 hours before departure, when available
• Boarding with Group 5 (earlier access to overhead bins).
• 3,000 points on your Cardmember anniversary
• 10% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary (not able to be used on Basic fare)
• 10,000 companion pass qualifying points boost each year
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Increased annual fee: $99

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

All information on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier is collected independently by Amber on Points.

New Benefits Worth Mentioning:

• First checked bag free (for every person you book on your itinerary, up to 8). This will save you $35 per bag.
• Preferred Seat Selection within 48 hours before departure, when available
• Boarding with Group 5 (earlier access to overhead bins).
• 6,000 points on your Cardmember anniversary
• 15% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary
• 10,000 companion pass qualifying points boost each year
• Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-list status for every $5,000 spent annually
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Increased annual fee: $149

New Benefits Worth Mentioning:

• First checked bag free (for every person you book on your itinerary, up to 8). This will save you $35 per bag.
• Preferred Seat Selection at booking, when available
• Unlimited upgrades to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure (at no additional charge), when available
• Boarding with Group 5 (earlier access to overhead bins).
• 7,500 points on your Cardmember anniversary
• 15% promo code each y
• 10,000 companion pass qualifying points boost each year
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Earn 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases
• Increased annual fee: $229

My Take:

When choosing between the 3 personal cards, I personally will stick with the Plus Credit Card ($99 annual fee). My second choice would be the Priority Credit Card ($229 annual fee). I don’t think the Premier Credit Card has significant benefits to warrant not sticking with the lowest or highest fee. I’d bet that most people who fly Southwest don’t mind not having status and the Plus card will be sufficient. Of course, if you’re very tall, I can see benefits to free upgrades, especially for those who fly very frequently! Our family probably flies Southwest 4x a year and we will stick with the Plus Credit Card.

Southwest Changes: Let’s Get Down to Business (Cards)

There have also been changes to Southwest’s Business Card portfolio. Let’s review a few things:

• You can only hold one personal card at a time, but you CAN hold both business cards simultaneously.
• You must wait at least 24 months before receiving a welcome offer for a card you previously held.

New Benefits Worth Mentioning:

• First checked bag free (for every person you book on your itinerary, up to 8). This will save you $35 per bag.
• Preferred Seat Selection at booking, when available, within 48 hours prior to departure
• Boarding with Group 5 (earlier access to overhead bins).
• 6,000 points on your Cardmember anniversary
• 15% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary
• 10,000 companion pass qualifying points boost each year
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Earn 2,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases
• Increased annual fee: $149

Benefits Worth Mentioning:

• First checked bag free (for every person you book on your itinerary, up to 8). This will save you $35 per bag.
• Preferred Seat Selection at booking, when available
• Boarding with Group 5 (earlier access to overhead bins).
• Enjoy unlimited upgrades to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, at no extra charge
• 9,000 points on your Cardmember anniversary
• 15% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary
• 10,000 companion pass qualifying points boost each year
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Earn 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases
• Statement credit up to every 4 years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or Nexus
• Increased annual fee: $299

Southwest Changes: My Takeaways

As a family who has loyally flown Southwest for a decade, some of these hurt. The increased annual fees, aren’t my favorite. That’s for sure. However, as long as Southwest keeps the companion pass, it just makes sense for my family to continue flying Southwest. Realistically, as long as we hold a card, we will probably never need 2 free checked bags per person. I think the thing that hurts the most is that Southwest created a loyal brand and it kind of feels like they lied to us. We will always hold one card in our household so things like boarding with Group 5 and one free checked bag per person will take the sting away – for now anyways. We will see what gets changed next go around!

Let me know if you have questions! xo – Amber