Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

2019 Companion Promo

Jwigs
Explorer B

Hi

New to SW and the companion pass. The current promo got me to finally sign up and switch. 

 

But I do have one small question. Since the initial spend will gift me the CP for all of 2019 but expire.. I'm trying to earn for 2020 and possibly 2021. I've read you can achieve this by booking close to end of the year but based on your statement close date. Can anyone confirm if that's possible or does it only work if you have a new offer signup with bonus points? 

 

I don't want to kill myself to get to 110K and realize that it would only work for 1 more hear. Any advice is appreciated. 

8 REPLIES 8

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

The current promotion drastically reduces the requirement for earning CP, but as you noted it's only good for the remainder of 2019  If you then earn the 110k points or fly 100 flights in 2019 that will earn you the Companion Pass for 2020. If you qualify during 2020 you would earn CP for the reminder of 2020 (whatever is left of the year after you earn CP) AND 2021. The usual sign up bonuses help you obtain CP, but it can certainly be earned without the bonus. Earning CP is based on points that post to your RR account during the calendar year and that count resets on January 1. Statement closing date is when points post, not when you make a purchase or a payment.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

Jwigs
Explorer B

So then is it at all possible to time my 110K spend in 2019 to collect the points in 2020 or does that only work if you have the sign up bonus min spend in play? Every article I've read seems to say that close to year end window works but they all seem to say sign up bonus miles. 

 

Just trying to level set my expectations. 🙂

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

As has been stated, the currently offer for CP thru 2019 with credit card spend is for 2019 only.  It is my assumption that the bonus points that also come with that offer count toward your qualifaction for CP in 2020 (next year).  You would have to combine that with other quailifying points to get to 110K.

 

As far as the magic time to get it for two years, this article might help.

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@Jwigs wrote:

So then is it at all possible to time my 110K spend in 2019 to collect the points in 2020 or does that only work if you have the sign up bonus min spend in play? 


Technically yes, if you spend $110k in December  AFTER your December 2019 statement has already closed, that spend will trigger points to post in January 2020 and you'll earn CP for 2020 and 2021. You would not have CP from January 1, 2020 until later in January when your January statement closes and the points post.

 

Safer just to wait until January 1 to start spending though. Too many people try to jump the gun and points don't post at the right time.

 

You're really going to spend $110k in one month?

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

Jwigs
Explorer B

I think all the articles I've been reading have been more focused on those who open cards late in year and hit the min spend as calendar year flips. So I don't think it would apply to me. 

 

As for being able to hit 110K in 1 mo, I don't think it would work for me. Sign up bonus definitely helps towards that goal so it's not so painful. although we do live in Seattle and the few trips we are going to use the CP on this year will get us to the 110K easily using the hotel partners and our natural spend. We have been loyal Cap One Venture for the past 10 years and have averaged 80K spend with no bonus points. Just the 2x points they use. So if we had some hotel stays in Dec and early Jan we may be able to hit 110K but I don't think it'll be worth the effort. It's my first time using CP so I wanna make sure I don't make any rookie mistakes.

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

It's not clear to me that you understand the 110k points needed for CP must be earned within the calendar year, Jan 1-Dec 31.  On Jan 1 your progress towards earning CP resets back to zero.  You can't earn 109,999 points during the year and then get one more point on Jan 1 to earn CP for the next 2 years.  As stated earlier, points earned from spending with a Southwest credit card post to your RR account each month shortly after the statement closing date so pay attention to when your closing date is.

 

If you utilize this promotion to earn CP, your CP will initially expire Dec 31, 2019.  During 2019 if you then earn enough points for CP, your CP would then expire Dec 31, 2020. 

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Jwigs wrote:

I think all the articles I've been reading have been more focused on those who open cards late in year and hit the min spend as calendar year flips. So I don't think it would apply to me. 

 

As for being able to hit 110K in 1 mo, I don't think it would work for me. Sign up bonus definitely helps towards that goal so it's not so painful. although we do live in Seattle and the few trips we are going to use the CP on this year will get us to the 110K easily using the hotel partners and our natural spend. We have been loyal Cap One Venture for the past 10 years and have averaged 80K spend with no bonus points. Just the 2x points they use. So if we had some hotel stays in Dec and early Jan we may be able to hit 110K but I don't think it'll be worth the effort. It's my first time using CP so I wanna make sure I don't make any rookie mistakes.


I think I understand it now:

 

  • Use the promotion to get the companion pass relatively quickly to use in 2019. This is independent of all your other decisions. You will find out quickly I think that you get a lot of value from CP (or not?) by mid-year. 

 

  • Assuming you find CP valuable, how do you retain it? Putting an 80k annual spend on the RR Visa, and then earning 30,000 points from flights and hotels will keep you renewing the CP every year. You'd have to start earning for 2020 now though, so you can't really wait until June to start targeting 2020 unless that annual spend you were referring to isn't evenly distrubuted through the year.
  • Forget all the gimmick articles and how to get two years for one, etc. - if you fly Southwest often and with your spend/flight/hotel profile your strategy from now on would be always to earn it anytime during the current year to renew for the next, there's not much reason to worry about any particular timing other than wrapping up in November or December. The bonus promotion is only a head-start for years of potentially earning CP. The "two-for-one" gimmick or the current year promotion only applies to people who will use the promotion to have CP briefly, but won't end up keeping it after the second year - it's independent of whether you'll be trying to have it for next year and future years as well.

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: 2019 Companion Promo

Jwigs
Explorer B

Dancing David - yes! That's what I was asking about. We have already mapped out 3 trips for 2019 due to the CP and being wcoast folks. And then possibly Hawaii when they launch. So personally crunching numbers for a living, I think the math calcs out that we will benefit from the CP but you're right by June or July we should either love it or hate it. 

 

I would love to keep earning it each year but I know it's hard to keep the spend up. Thanks for breaking it out clearer than I apparently was!