Get All Access for $5/mo

Southwest Airlines Is Making It Easier To Fly For Free With a Friend — Here's How to Get the Deal The carrier's Companion Pass is now a credit card perk for a limited time.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

For frequent flyers, a new Southwest Airlines credit card perk is about to make flying with friends a whole lot cheaper.

In a video that's been viewed over 309,000 times, travel blogger Austin Maxwell shares the airline's newest credit card benefit — a Companion Pass — which allows two people who buy the same flight and travel together to get a second flight completely free.

Related: Southwest Airlines Debuts New 'Thin' Seats, No Video Screens

Maxwell says if you apply for any of the three variations of the Southwest credit cards (they range in yearly fees from $69 to $149) and spend $4,000 in the first three months after approval, you'll be entitled to a Companion Pass through February 2025.

@themaxwellstravel

THIS IS NOT A DRILL‼️ comment "COMPANION" on our last IG/FB post for all the details or head over to our bio

♬ Dancing In The Moonlight - 苏颜悦

"I honestly don't understand how they're even doing this, but they're effectively giving the Southwest companion pass away," Maxwell said. "It is the easiest to get that I've ever seen in seven years of trying to get it."

According to Southwest's website, approved card members will also receive 30,000 bonus points with the airline in addition to the Companion Pass.

"Companion Pass means you can bring your friend along for free (excludes taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) on every trip through February 28, 2025," the airline wrote.

However, Maxwell said interested applicants must be approved by March 11, 2024, to get the perk.

Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to Entrepreneur's request for comment.

Naturally, viewers were in disbelief in the comment section at how sweet the deal is, especially for seasoned travelers.

"I've got the companion pass, it is straight-up awesome," one viewer wrote.

"I did this last year! We've saved over $5,000 in airline tickets so far," another said.

Related: Southwest Gets Creative to Fix the Agonizing Boarding Process

Southwest was down just over 7% in a one-year period as of Friday afternoon.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

At 16, She Started a Side Hustle While 'Stuck at Home.' Now It's on Track to Earn Over $3.1 Million This Year.

Evangelina Petrakis, 21, was in high school when she posted on social media for fun — then realized a business opportunity.

Health & Wellness

I'm a CEO, Founder and Father of 2 — Here Are 3 Practices That Help Me Maintain My Sanity.

This is a combination of active practices that I've put together over a decade of my intense entrepreneurial journey.

Business News

Remote Work Enthusiast Kevin O'Leary Does TV Appearance Wearing Suit Jacket, Tie and Pajama Bottoms

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary looks all business—until you see the wide view.

Business News

Are Apple Smart Glasses in the Works? Apple Is Eyeing Meta's Ran-Ban Success Story, According to a New Report.

Meta has sold more than 700,000 pairs of smart glasses, with demand even ahead of supply at one point.

Money & Finance

The 'Richest' U.S. City Probably Isn't Where You Think It Is

It's not located in New York or California.

Business News

Hybrid Workers Were Put to the Test Against Fully In-Office Employees — Here's Who Came Out On Top

Productivity barely changed whether employees were in the office or not. However, hybrid workers reported better job satisfaction than in-office workers.