The Hack That Lets You Travel for Free
Companion Pass?
So you may be asking yourself, what in the world is this guy talking about? Well, I am referring to the Southwest Companion Pass, and this is my biggest hack yet. For those of you who are not familiar with the Companion Pass, let me briefly explain. This pass allows a companion to fly for free with you (minus security fees) for the rest of the calendar year you earn it and the following year. All you have to do is take 100 qualifying one-way flights with Southwest in a calendar year (the normal way), or earn 110,000 points in a single calendar year (the hackers way). This is the biggest perk in domestic travels. You can head here for more FAQs about the pass.
Now, this is the third installment of my series, “Travel Hacking for Beginners.” There are numerous articles about the Companion Pass that will help you earn it. But I am writing this post to outline my own personal journey in earning this pass. Most people would have written about their experience after they earned the pass and ran through the 110,000 points. Well, I would like to take this journey with you.
Let’s jump into it……
Getting Started
I applied for the Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus at the beginning of November last year (2015), both on the same day. I applied for the Premier online with an offer I had from a promotional email, and I applied for the Plus via referral from the forum in Flyer Talk. I was skeptical of the Plus card at first because the only way to apply (if you want the 50,000 bonus) is via phone. But I took a chance, prayed it wasn’t a scam, and applied. I was approved instantly for both. I received both cards two weeks later.
Gaining Points
When I applied, both cards offered 50,000 points with $2,000 spending in 3 months. So I need to spend $4,000 by the beginning of next month (February 2016) to earn my points. But timing is everything! I want to have the companion pass for as long as possible, so I didn’t want my points to post until this month (January 2016). I waited until my December statement closed before I started using my cards.
By the time I hit my spending requirements, I will have 104,000 points. I will only need 6,000 more points before I reach my goal. I am currently researching different ways to earn those points in the quickest but most reasonable way possible. I am not trying to spend $6,000 in one month, this is where you get creative. So I will update this post as I continue my journey. Feel free to share your thoughts, tips, or questions you may have. If you’re just now catching on, be sure to check out the first two installments of my series: 2015 Hacks and the Introduction.
Ways to gain 6,000 more points
- Transfer points from my UR (Chase Ultimate Rewards) to Hyatt, then Hyatt to Southwest.
- I am planning to go to an NBA game so I can buy tickets through Southwest partner, Score Big.
- I can do surveys to earn points.
- I can pay rent with my credit card.
(Updated 02-03-16)
3,267 Points Away From My Companion Pass
As promised, I am updating this post as I move closer to earning my Companion Pass. I received my first 50,000 bonus offer from my Premier credit card at the beginning of January. I checked my account today and saw that my second 50,00o offer posted from my Plus card. Also, my transferred points from UR->Hyatt->Southwest account posted. I transferred 5,000 UR points into my Hyatt account. Then I transferred 5,000 Hyatt points to my Southwest account, which equals 2,400 Southwest points. Transfers between my UR account to my Southwest account take no longer than 24 hours. The transfer between my Hyatt account to my Southwest account took about 2 weeks. I was a little skeptical at first about this transfer because I read that some people had trouble with making this transfer count towards their Companion Pass. I would have hated wasting points if I didn’t have to. If everything goes according to plan, I will be receiving my Companion Pass in the beginning of March. That means I will have my Companion Pass for almost a full 21 months! That’s not bad for a beginner. I could have earned it a little sooner but again, you have to move at your own pace. Stay tuned as I move that much closer to completing this journey!
(Updated 03-08-16)
Goal COMPLETED!
Finally, after 4 months of preparation and execution, I have earned my Companion Pass! You may be wondering how I earned 3,267 more points? It’s no science or magic behind it. I simply paid both Shake’s rent and my rent on my card. I figured that the 3% apartments usually charge for paying rent on a credit card were well worth it. Then I paid bills for the month of February on it too. I could have maximized my strategy a little bit better, but I am totally satisfied with having the Companion Pass for 21 months. On top of that, I have 82,000 points at my disposal. This is going to be a fun and interesting journey. I will keep everyone up-to-date on how I use my points because there’s no telling where I may end up. In the meantime, it’s on to the next hack! Hmmmm…I’m thinking about tackling American Express travel credit cards next. Stay tuned!
PS: If you have any advice to contribute or any questions, feel free to comment below or shoot me an email! I would love to hear from you, we can even plan a trip and meet up!
*I do not earn commission from any of these credit cards. I am only outlining my personal journey in earning this companion pass.
Click here for the next post in my “Travel Hacking for Beginners” series
-Brandon Boone