With operations in over 120 airports across 11 countries, Southwest Airlines offers plenty of options for travelers seeking new cities and destinations to explore. That includes flights to Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, and more — all with Southwest’s generous policy of two free checked bags per person.

And with newly updated Southwest business credit card offers, you can reduce your flight costs and put that saved money toward lodging or activities. New cardholders can take advantage of these welcome bonuses:

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Earn up to 120,000 points — 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional 40,000 points when you spend $15,000 in the first nine months

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Earn up to 120,000 points — 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional 60,000 points when you spend $15,000 in the first nine months

That’s a lot of points and potentially a lot of nearly free flights. For example, you could book a roundtrip flight between Los Angeles and Honolulu for about 25,000 points plus $11.20 in taxes and fees.

Even better, completing one of these offers would immediately qualify you for a coveted Southwest Companion Pass, letting you add a travel companion for free (other than taxes and fees) to your Southwest flights. So that same flight to Hawaii would only cost about 25,000 points plus $22.40 in taxes and fees for you and a friend.

Let’s dig into the details of these deals.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

The updated welcome offer on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business is nearly identical to one we saw in 2023, and it’s one of the best bonuses available for small business owners who want to earn the Southwest Companion Pass.

But just because a similar offer has been around before doesn’t mean we���ll see it again, so keep that in mind as you decide whether this is a good fit for you and your upcoming travel plans.

Here’s what the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business has to offer:

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $199
• Welcome offer
  Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, and an additional 40,000 points when you spend $15,000 in 9 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Airline, Business
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  21.49% - 28.49% variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • 4x on Southwest purchases
  • 3x on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
  • 2x on rideshare
  • 2x on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
  • 1x on all other purchases

Benefits:

• 9,000 bonus points each anniversary year
• Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit every four years
• Four upgraded boardings per year when available
• Up to 365 InFlight Wi-Fi credits per year
• 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent
• Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year
• No foreign transaction fees

Learn more

How to earn a Companion Pass: The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card offers up to 120,000 points if you complete both parts of its welcome offer. Add in the total amount you have to spend ($20,000) and that’s at least an additional 20,000 points you can earn.

Earning a total of 140,000 points would more than meet the 135,000-point requirement for a Companion Pass. But there’s an important caveat: All the required spending must be completed in the same calendar year.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business has a similar welcome offer and benefits with a lower $99 annual fee.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $99
• Welcome offer
  Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, and an additional 60,000 points when you spend $15,000 in 9 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Airline, Business
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  21.49% - 28.49% variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent Credit

• Rewards rate
  • 3x on Southwest purchases
  • 2x on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
  • 2x on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
  • 1x on all other purchases

Benefits:

• 6,000 bonus points each anniversary year
• Two EarlyBird Check-Ins each year
• 25% back on inflight purchases
• 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent
• Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year
• No foreign transaction fees

Learn more

How to earn Companion Pass: The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card offers up to 120,000 points if you complete its welcome offer. Add in the total amount you have to spend ($18,000), and that’s at least an additional 18,000 points you can earn.

Earning 138,000 points with the welcome offer would more than meet the 135,000-point requirement for a Companion Pass (as long as all the spending is completed in the same calendar year).

How the Southwest Companion Pass works

The Southwest Companion Pass lets you choose a person to fly nearly free (other than taxes and fees) with you an unlimited number of times when you purchase or redeem points for a Southwest flight.

Basically, you can bring along a travel companion on any of your Southwest flights, and you only have to cover their taxes and fees. This can be a fantastic benefit if you frequently fly Southwest and/or have upcoming plans to fly Southwest.

Consider these essential tips about the Southwest Companion Pass:

• To qualify, you must fly 100 one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year

• You can earn qualifying points toward a Companion Pass with Southwest credit card purchases, making purchases through Rapid Rewards partner programs, and purchasing Southwest flights

• Your pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was earned and the entirety of the following calendar year

• You must designate your companion in your online account or by calling Southwest

• You’re limited to one designated companion at any given time

• You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year

• To book a flight for your companion, you must first book a flight yourself and then add your companion to that flight through your online account (or by calling the airline)

How to choose the right Southwest Rapid Rewards business credit card for you

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business airline credit cards are pretty similar, but there are a few differences you should consider:

1. Annual fee

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business has a $199 annual fee, while the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business has a $99 annual fee. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business is the better option for lower membership costs.

2. Rewards

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business has the advantage of having more spending categories and a better overall rewards rate.

3. Benefits

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business also provides more benefits, including inflight wifi credits, more anniversary points, and four upgraded boardings per year (when available).

4. Personal credit cards

It’s also worth noting that there are personal Southwest credit cards, such as the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. You can use these in tandem with the Southwest business cards or on their own.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Learn more

Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card

If Southwest co-branded cards don’t seem like the right fit for you, check out our recommendations for the best travel credit cards or best airline cards.

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

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