This master list gives you each of the major banks with their corresponding transfer partners.  I have also included the transfer ratio, as well as how long the transfer takes to go through.  Hopefully this list makes planning your next vacation a little easier.

Remember, once you transfer your points to one of the travel partners, this can’t be undone.  Be sure there is award availability before you transfer your points.  A lot of the points will transfer instantly; however, some can take hours or days.  Make sure you take this into consideration you transfer your points.

To make them easier to find, I’ve listed the transfer partners for each credit card currency in alphabetical order.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Airline Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Iberia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Singapore Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Southwest – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

United – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Hyatt – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

IHG – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 1 day

Marriott – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 2 days

American Express Membership Rewards

The Membership Rewards program from American Express also has fantastic transfer partners.  In fact, American Express is the only credit card company that allows you to transfer points to Delta.  They also have 18 other airline and hotel transfer partners so there are a lot of great options to choose from.

If you’re a frequent traveler, card_name is a great way to earn Membership Rewards points quickly.  bonus_miles_full  Terms apply. You can read more about this card here.

Airline Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Aeromexico – Transfer Ratio 1:1.6 – Points transfer in 24 hours

Air Canada – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Alitalia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

All Nippon – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

Delta – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

El Al – Transfer Ratio 50:1 – Points transfer instantly

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hawaiian Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Iberia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1.25:1 – Points transfer instantly

Singapore Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Choice Hotels – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hilton – Transfer Ratio 1:2 – Points transfer instantly

Marriott – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Capital One Transfer Partners

Recently Capital One added the ability to transfer their points to one of their 15 airline partners.  I love the move because it gives card holders more ways to use their credit card points.  Unfortunately, the only US airline transfer partner is Jet Blue, so there’s still room for improvement.  Also, the transfer ratios are a little confusing and a lot of the transfers don’t happen instantly.

Capital One does have some good airline partners, so it’s definitely worth taking a look.  If you’re looking to increase your points balance, you should consider adding the card_name to your wallet.  Right now, new card holders can earn up to 75,000 bonus points!

Airline Transfer Partners

Aeromexico – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Air Canada – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Avianca – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 5 days

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Etihad – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Eva – Transfer Ratio 2:1.5 – Points transfer in 48 hours

Finnair – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Qantas – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Singapore – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

TAP Air Portugal – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Turkish Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Accor Limitless – Transfer Ratio 2:1 – 1 business day

Choice Privileges – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – TBD points transfer time

Wyndham Rewards – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Citi Transfer Partners

Citibank lets you earn ThankYou points when you use some of their cards like the Citi Prestige and card_name.  These credit card points can then be transferred to one of Citi’s 15 airline partners.  Unfortunately, the only domestic airline on the list you can’t transfer your points to directly is JetBlue. 

The last thing to consider with ThankYou points is that most of the transfers aren’t instantaneous, so keep that in mind when you’re transferring your points.

Airline Transfer Partners

Avianca – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Ethidad – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 7 days

Eva – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 3 days

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Garuda – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Jet Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Malaysian – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Qantas – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Qatar – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Singapore – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Thai Royal – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 7 days

Turkish Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Final Thoughts

The best way to get the most out of your credit card points is by using one of their transfer partners to redeem your points.  I know it can be a little intimidating when you first start out but just remember, you don’t have to be an expert in every program to find a great value.  Simply start with the airline you fly most often then do a little research.  If you ever have questions, or need help, leave me a comment below or send me an email.  I’m always happy to help!

The post The Ultimate Credit Card Transfer Partners Guide appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® charges an annual fee of $550 because of the excellent benefits that come with having the card.  With the waiver, you can enjoy all of the fantastic benefits the card offers for free!  .

Receiving the benefits of the card, including the welcome bonus, without having to pay the annual fee is a phenomenal deal.  If that’s not enough, I’m going to show you why I think the Sapphire Reserve is the best card for those who are active duty in the military.

How To Qualify

To comply with the Military Lending Act (MLA) and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Chase has waived the annual fees on all of their personal credit cards.  To qualify for these benefits, you have to be on active duty for at least 30 days.  If you qualify, these benefits are easily applied to your account.  Keep in mind that business cards are not eligible for these benefits.

When applying for a Chase card, it’s been reported that Chase will automatically match your social security number with the Department of Defense’s database.  To confirm this, or if you have any other questions, you can call the Chase military department at 1-877-469-0110.  If you’re overseas you can call them collect at 1-318-340-3308. Once they verify your eligibility, they will issue you a statement credit for the annual fee.

The waiver is only good on credit card accounts that were opened after September 20, 2017.  If your card was opened before this date, you can simply open another account and have the benefits applied to that account.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Benefits

Travel Credit – The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a $300 annual travel credit.  This credit is automatically applied to your account when you make purchases that are classified as travel.  This can include things from airfare to parking garages.  And since you didn’t pay the annual fee, Chase is literally giving you $300 for free!

Increased Value With Chase Travel Portal – With this card your points are worth 1.5 cents per point when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal.  You can easily book flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, tours and more with your points through the portal.  For example, you could buy a $300 plane ticket with just 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points.

PreCheck or Global Entry Fee Credit – The Chase Sapphire Reserve® also comes with a fee credit worth up to $100 on your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application.  Simply pay for the application fee with this card and Chase will credit your account.  That’s right, more free money!  If you already PreCheck, you can also use the credit to pay for someone else’s application.  I’ve done this for two of my children.

Priority Pass Membership – When you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® you also get a free membership to Priority Pass lounges.  There are over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide you can access for free.  Plus, you are able to bring up to 2 guests traveling with you into the lounges for free as well.  There are also several airport restaurants that give you a food credit as part of your membership.

There are several other great benefits that are included just for having this card.  You can read about those in my full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Other Things To Consider

Chase has several cards to choose from but I would definitely start with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.  I think the card has the best benefits of any card on the market.  However, the AMEX Platinum is another excellent card that active duty military members should consider. I would review the benefits of both cards and choose the one that fits your personal circumstances best.

If you like both cards, there’s nothing that says you can’t have both.  Just be sure to space them out to make sure you can earn both welcome bonuses.  You’ll also want to keep Chase’s 5/24 rule in mind and prioritize those cards first as you add more cards to your wallet.

Other Chase Cards To Consider

Chase World Of Hyatt Card – Hyatt is my favorite hotel loyalty program because it offers great value.  Hyatt is one of Chase’s transfer partners so it’s easy to redeem your points and take advantage of the benefits that come with having the card.  Right now, new card holders can earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within 3 months of opening your account. Plus, up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn one point, on up to $15,000 spent

Chase Freedom Unlimited® – This card doesn’t charge an annual fee but it’s one you should definitely consider having.    This card is a perfect compliment to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and can help you maximize the number of points you can earn. 

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card – The Boundless card gives you free Silver status as well as a free award night after each anniversary year valued up to 35,000 points.  This card is also giving new card members 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of opening your account.

Final Thoughts

I have always loved the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card because it comes with it’s several amazing benefits.  With the annual fee being waived for active duty service members, this card is a slam dunk.  When you consider the $300 annual travel credit, it’s like they’re paying you to have the card.  If you are on active duty in the military, the Sapphire Reserve is the best card, in my opinion, to have in your wallet.

The post Why The Chase Sapphire Reserve Is The Best Card For Active Duty Military appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

This past spring we took our family of seven to Kauai for the first time.  We’ve been to other Hawaiian islands before but this one is my favorite.  It’s significantly less crowded than Oahu and Maui and the island’s natural beauty is unparalleled.  Now matter what your interests are, there are numerous things for you to see and do while you’re there.

Our family was able to fly there using one of the best award travel sweet spots out there.  Even if you don’t live on the West Coast, there are other inexpensive ways to get there.  I frequently see great airfare sales to Hawaii from all across the U.S.  Plus, now that Southwest flies there, you can even use the Companion Pass to fly there.  However you get there, just make sure to pay for your flights using a card that gives you a bonus on travel purchases.  If you don’t have one, my favorite travel card is the card_name.

Best Adventure Activities To Do

Na Pali Coast Boat Tour – Visiting the Na Pali coast is an absolute must-do when you visit Kauai.  It is absolutely breathtaking and there’s nothing else like it in the world.  There are no roads that go to this coast line, so the only way to see the whole thing is by air or by sea.

There are a few tour companies that offer tours of the Na Pali coast and we booked ours with Captain Andy’s.  The cruise was fantastic and provided great views of the coast!  The trip also included about 45 minutes of snorkeling and a BBQ lunch which were great.  This cruise was the highlight of everyone’s trip.  If you book a boat tour, and I highly recommend that you do, here are two important tips.

First, the water can get choppy, so be sure to take your motion sickness medicine before you go.  Second, book your tour near the beginning of your trip.  The day we planned to go, out trip was cancelled because of a rainstorm.  Luckily, it was on the second day of our trip so we were able to reschedule for later in the week.

Kauai Tubing – You can book a tubing trip down the canals of an old sugar plantation with Kauai Backcountry Adventures.  You’ll float down about 2 miles of the canal system and go through 5 tunnels along the way.  The water is calm the entire way so this trip is great for travelers of all ages.  While it’s not as adventurous as I had originally thought, each one of my kids had a fantastic time.

Helicopter Tours – There are several companies that offer helicopter tours of Kauai.  While these tours can be a little pricey, there’s nothing like seeing Kauai from the air.  The tours typically last about 45 minutes and they’ll take you all around the island.  You’ll be able to see several waterfalls, Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali coast.  If you’re going to pay for a helicopter tour, I would definitely pay the extra fee to sit in the front so you have the best views.

Bike Along The Coast – One of my new favorite things to do on vacation, is to enjoy a bike ride around town.  We rented bikes in Kapa’a and rode the bike paths up and down the coast.  While not quite as “adventurous” as my other recommendations, it’s a fantastic way to enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the beach.

Best Beaches In Kauai

Hideaways Beach – My favorite beach on the island is Hideaways Beach on the north shore of Kauai.  The trail head down to the beach is located just outside of the Princeville Resort.  There’s a small public parking lot that only has space for about 6 cars, so be sure to get there early.

From the parking lot you’ll have to hike down to the beach using various ropes along the way.  While it is a little steep, our 5 year old did it without a problem, so it’s definitely doable.  Just go slow and take your time, it’s absolutely worth it!

Poipu Beach – This beach is located on the south side of the island.  This is a great beach for snorkeling and seeing wildlife.  Each time we visited, we either saw seals or sea turtles resting on the beach.  This beach is pretty popular, so it can get a little crowded at times.

Hanalei Bay – If you want to try your hand at surfing or kayaking, spend an afternoon at Hanalei Bay on the north shore, we recommend you to check out at campingfunzone.com these tips before going in a kayaking adventure.  My favorite thing about this visiting this beach was the views surrounding it.  Directly behind the beach are the lush green mountains that have several waterfalls flowing from the top.  Where else in the world can you enjoy that kind of a view while relaxing on a beach!

Kalihiwai Beach – This beach is located on the north side of the island near the Princeville airport.  It’s a small, quiet beach where a small river empties into the ocean.  You can take kayaks or paddle boards up the river to some waterfalls nearby.

Scenic Things To Do

Waimea Canyon – Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, visiting Waimea Canyon is something you have to see when you visit Kauai.  The canyon is located on the southwest side of the island.  It can take several hours to make the round trip, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get up there and enjoy it.

When you get to the canyon, there are a couple of look out areas that can give you a great view of the canyon and waterfall.  It can get windy and chilly up here, so be sure to bring a jacket or sweatshirt.

Kalalau & Pu’u O Kila Lookouts – After you’ve had a chance to visit Waimea Canyon, continue up the highway for about another 20 minutes until you reach these lookouts.  From the lookouts you can see the gorgeous Kalalau Valley which is also the start of the Na Pali coast.  If you aren’t able to do a boat cruise or helicopter tour, this view can give you a small sample of what the coast looks like.

Queen’s Bath – Located up north in Princeville, Queen’s Bath is a natural rock formation that forms a large pool next to the ocean.  To get there, you have to hike down a trail from the parking lot.  We went right after it had rained and so it made it a little tougher to get to.  When the tide is low, you can get swim inside Queen’s Bath.  However, when the tide is high it can be very dangerous to enter.  Use common sense and be careful.

Kauai Waterfalls – Kauai is littered with gorgeous waterfalls.  Some of them are easy to get to by car and others require a lot more effort to get to.  I would recommend driving up to see Opaekaa Falls and Wailua Falls when you’re on the southeast side of the island.  Each has a designated area to park your car so you can get out and enjoy the view of the falls.  Another gorgeous waterfall on the east side of the island is Ho’opi’i Falls but this one requires a short hike to get to.

Best Hikes To Do

Kalalau Trail – This trail just recently opened after being closed for months due to damage caused by a storm.  The total trail is about 11 miles along the Na Pali coast and can be difficult in some places.   You won’t be able to do it in one day so you’ll need to plan to do some camping along the way.  If you want to see the beginning of the Na Pali coast, you can hike in a couple of miles and come back.  Either way, you will need a permit if you want to hike the trail.

The Sleeping Giant – This trail is located up in the Nounou Mountains.  The hike gives you beautiful views of the island and is a popular place to watch the sun rise.  Some portions of the trail are narrow and have steep drop offs, so be very careful you go on this hike.  If you decided to go, here’s some additional info that will help you on your hike.

Bonus Things To Do In Kauai

Visit Hanalei – The town of Hanalei is on the north side of the island, just past Princeville.  It’s a picturesque town that’s a great place to walk around, relax and enjoy the island life.  If you have a sweet tooth like me, there are two places you need to visit while you’re there.

The first is Pink’s Creamery.  They have some of the best ice cream you will ever eat.  The other place is JoJo’s Shave Ice.  Treat your taste buds to a snow cone with a scoop of Macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom and their homemade vanilla cream on top.

Go To A Luau – There’s nothing more Hawaiian that enjoying a luau!  There are several places on the island that host a luau most nights.  The menus will vary slightly but they all serve delicious traditional Hawaiian food.  We have been to several luaus before, so we skipped going to one on this trip.  However, I did have some friends who went to the Smith Family Luau that’s located near the airport and they had nothing but great things to say about it.

Final Thoughts

There’s no shortage of incredible things to do while you’re in Kauai.  No matter what you decide to do, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy the tip of a lifetime.  If there’s something you loved doing on your trip to Kauai that I missed, leave me a comment below and let me know what it was.  I’ll be sure to check it out the next time I’m there.

The post Best Things To Do In Kauai appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Airline credit cards are some of the best travel cards you can have in your wallet.  In fact, I always carry the co-banded card for the airline I always fly most frequently.  Having their card has saved me a lot of money on checked bag fees and I get other great benefits like discounts on in-flight purchases and lounge access.  They also offer some great welcome bonuses that will help you get a lot closer to your next vacation.

card_name

My Take – This is a great card for those who love to fly Southwest Airlines. Especially if you’re traveling as a family. The thing I love most about Southwest’s programs, is the points are super easy to use. As long as there’s an open seat on the flight, you can book it with your miles. So when you’re traveling as a family, you don’t need to worry about trying to find enough award seats for everyone.

Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – Earn 2x on Southwest purchases, internet, cable and phone purchases. Earn 3,000 bonus points each anniversary year. Plus get 2 free Early Bird check-ins each year.

Annual Fee – $69 (not waived during the first year)

Learn How To Apply

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My Take – While the card_name credit card isn’t co-branded with a specific airline, you can transfer the points earned with this card to several airlines.  With the flexibility this card provides, it’s my top choice for the best airline credit card.  You can read why this is the card I recommend most often here. If you’re just starting out, this is the first card I recommend to almost everyone.

Welcome Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – These points can easily be redeemed through the Chase travel portal.  You can also transfer the points to one of several airlines and take advantage of some of the redemption sweet spots like this for flying to Hawaii.  This card also offers great travel insurance that covers a lot of those unexpected events that come up while traveling.

Annual Fee – $95 (not waived during the first year)

Learn How To Apply

card_name

My Take – I love this card because it comes with a solid welcome bonus, premium travel benefits and a lower annual fee than other premium travel reward cards. This card comes with some great benefits like lounge access and Hertz elite status that I use all the time. For anyone who is a frequent traveler, you should definitely give this card a closer look.

Welcome Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – These points can be redeemed for $750 worth of travel!  Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, these points can also be transferred to one of several transfer partner airlines.  No foreign transaction fees are incurred on purchases made with this card.  You will receive up to a $120 credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck frees every 4 years.

Annual Fee – $95 that isn’t waived the first year.

Learn How To Apply

card_name

My Take – This card is an excellent choice for small business owners who fly Southwest Airlines frequently. I love this card because it has a welcome bonus that’s higher than a lot of other business cards and comes with some excellent travel benefits as noted below. Plus, Southwest points are super easy to use, so you’ll be able to easily use your points for an upcoming trip.

Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – Earn 4 points for every dollar spent with Southwest Airlines as well as 2 points per dollar on select business categories.  Each year you’ll receive 4 upgraded boarding passes to positions A1-A15 that can be used on any available flight.  Each card anniversary year you will receive 9,000 additional Rapid Rewards points.  Every 4 years you can receive up to a $100 statement credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees.

Annual Fee – $199 (not waived during the first year)

Learn How To Apply

Final Thoughts

These offers are constantly changing, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly as new offers become available.  If you’re looking for other types of cards, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best overall credit card offers as well as the best business credit card offers.

If you still have questions after reviewing our list, you can always reach out to us and we’d be happy to help.

The post The Best Airline Credit Cards appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of the best travel perks you can have.  It’s both easy to use and can save you a ton of money.  I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about it and you how you can earn it.  If fact, I’m going to show you a way you can have the Companion Pass for almost two years!

What Is The Companion Pass

The Southwest Companion Pass is exactly what it sounds like.  The pass allows you to bring a designated companion along with you on any flight for FREE (though you do need to pay taxes associated with the ticket).  Plus, there are NO blackout dates.  The best part about it is that the Companion Pass works for tickets you purchase with cash, as well as on reward flights.

It doesn’t matter where you’re going, or how often you fly, your companion can join you.  You can use it on their new flights to Hawaii, an international destination or any other city Southwest flies to. If you flew on Southwest every day of the year, your companion could travel with you for free every time.

There’s also no restriction on when you book your tickets.  You can book your flight months in advance or the day before you leave.  As long as there’s an open seat on the plane, your companion can go with you.  Plus, you can change or cancel your companion tickets without any fees just like any other ticket you buy on Southwest. You can see why the Companion Pass is often referred to as the Holy Grail of travel.

How To Earn The Companion Pass

Now that you’ve seen just how great this travel perk is, I’m going to show you how to earn it. You can qualify for Southwest’s Companion Pass in one of two way.  The first way is to earn 135,000 qualifying points in a CALENDAR year.  The other option is to fly on 100 qualifying one-way flights in a CALENDAR year.  I know this seems like a lot but it’s more attainable than you may think.

What Counts

Revenue Flights – All points earned from flights you paid for with cash count toward your total.

Credit Card Bonuses – Welcome bonuses that you earn when you sign up for a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit card.  With the increase in the amount needed to earn the Companion Pass, this one is even more important.

Credit Card Spending – The points you earn from purchases made on a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit card also count.

Other Partners – There are other shopping and dining partners you can earn qualifying points with as well.  You can get the specific details from the Companion Pass website.

Points Boost – Starting in 2023, if you have a Southwest credit card you will get a 10,000 point “boost” at the beginning of each calendar year. If you open a card during the year, you will receive the 10,000 point boost with 30 days of opening your card. Just note, while these points will help you earn the Companion Pass, you can’t redeem them for travel.

What Doesn’t Count

Transferred Points – Southwest is a transfer partner with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program and some hotel loyalty programs.  That means, if you have the card_name and transfer points to your Rapid Rewards account, these won’t count towards the Companion Pass.

Purchased Points – You can also purchase points from Southwest if you need a few extra for an award ticket.  Unfortunately, these do not count either.

Timing Is Everything

Once you qualify for the Companion Pass, it is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earn it PLUS the entire following calendar year.  That means, if you earn it at the beginning of the year, you can have it for almost two years!  I know it might seem crazy to do but it is possible and I’m going to show you how.

Timing is everything if you want to have the Southwest Companion Pass for almost 2 years.  It is earned based on your activity during a calendar year. You don’t want to sign up for a card and earn the welcome bonus at the end of a calendar year.  If this happens, you’ll have a nice pile of Rapid Rewards points but you’ll be back to square one earning the Companion Pass.

In the fine print of the application, it says the bonus points can take 6 to 8 weeks to post to your account.  I found that it actually happened a lot sooner than this.  When I opened my account, I received my bonus points shortly after the statement closed where I met the spending requirement.  Be sure to keep track of your spending on the card so the points don’t post too soon.  It’s OK to open the account in December and put a little Christmas shopping on it during the holidays.  Just make sure you don’t meet the spending requirement until January if you’re trying to have the pass for 2 years.

Using Credit Cards

The fastest way to earn points for the Companion Pass is through a welcome bonus with a Rapid Rewards credit card.  As you can see, these bonuses can add up quickly.  There are several different card options to choose from and their welcome bonuses can change periodically.  However, here are the current offers for each of the personal and business cards.

card_name – bonus_miles_full

card_name – bonus_miles_full

card_name – bonus_miles_full

card_name – bonus_miles_full

card_name – bonus_miles_full

Card Restrictions

Your first thought is to simply sign up for a few of these cards and you’re all set.  Unfortunately, Chase has restricted how often you can earn a sign-up bonus from their Southwest family of personal credit cards.  If either of the following are true, you are not eligible to receive a sign-up bonus for a personal credit card:

1. You are a current card member of ANY Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card.
2. You were a previous card member and received a bonus within the past 24 months.

These cards are issued by Chase and will fall under their 5/24 Rule.  Remember, try not to raise any red flags with Chase by opening too many accounts in a short amount of time.  We recommend opening no more than 1 personal card and 1 business card every 3 months.

Companion Pass Tips

While there are restrictions for opening multiple personal Southwest credit card accounts, you can open 1 personal account and 1 business account.  If you own a small business, or have a side-hustle, you can qualify for a business credit card.  By combining the sign-up bonuses you will either qualify for the Companion Pass or be extremely close.  I personally did this and was able to have the pass for 22 months.

Final Thoughts

The Southwest Companion Pass is easily one of the greatest travel perks available and can save you a lot of money.  I was able to use it to travel to Hawaii, Costa Rica and everywhere in between with the pass.  I calculated that it saved me over $2,000 during the first 2 year period I had it.  If you love flying Southwest, this will be perfect for you.  Hopefully I’ve been able to show you that it may be more attainable that you previously thought.  If you have any other questions about the Companion Pass, leave me a comment in the section below.

The post How To Earn The Southwest Companion Pass appeared first on Easy Travel Points.