Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast

Southwest Companion Pass in 2026 with Max Craig

Nov 14, 2025
Guest
Max Craig
Max Craig, the mastermind behind Points-to-the-Max and a miles-and-points expert, joins to unravel the secrets of earning the Southwest Companion Pass for 2026. He shares top credit card strategies and the ideal timing to maximize points efficiency. Listeners will discover the impacts of recent program changes, how to navigate hub routes, and when to avoid chasing the Companion Pass. With practical tips for both beginners and seasoned travelers, Max provides a roadmap to travel savings like no other!
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INSIGHT

Maximize Companion Pass Timing

  • The Companion Pass gives buy-one-get-one flights for at least a year and can extend into the following year if earned late.
  • Max emphasizes timing the pass early in the year to maximize nearly two years of value.
ADVICE

Use Points Or Cash Equally

  • The pass applies to both cash and points bookings, so you can redeem points and still bring a companion for only taxes.
  • Max advises redeeming points as you go because your qualifying tracker only increases.
INSIGHT

Companion-Only Points Boost Explained

  • Southwest added a companion-pass-only qualifying points boost for cardholders that doesn't create spendable points.
  • That boost effectively lowers the hurdle for cardholders to reach the 135,000 qualifying threshold.
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