I got my Southwest Companion Fare!

[clarkfan1979]

I got the personal credit card around Jan 10th. It was 40,000 miles for the first $1000 spend and another 35,000 miles for another 5,000 spend. We spent the $6,000 by the end of February. However, the billing cycle ends on the 15th of the month. We got all of our bonus points by March 17th.

We ordered the business card late February. We got it in the mail on March 6th. We get another 60,000 miles for spending $3,000, we hit that number around April 1st, but had to wait until April 15th for the billing cycle to end. We got our points and companion fare on April 17th. It was super easy.

Our companion fare expires December 2021. I got an email from Southwest stating that they are going to give all rapid rewards customers 25,000 points due to lack of travel due to COVID-19.

I currently have 146,000 points and a companion fare. After the additional 25,000, I will have 171,000. I have a friend that rents a super nice beach house in Malibu. I visited him 3 times last summer. I am hoping to do the same later this summer.

A round trip ticket from Denver to LAX is 5,400 miles. This means that I could buy 31 round trip flights with 171,000 miles. I could also bring a companion with me, so it actually worth 62 round trip tickets. Crazy.

[Catica]

I got the personal credit card around Jan 10th. It was 40,000 miles for the first $1000 spend and another 35,000 miles for another 5,000 spend. We spent the $6,000 by the end of February. However, the billing cycle ends on the 15th of the month. We got all of our bonus points by March 17th.

We ordered the business card late February. We got it in the mail on March 6th. We get another 60,000 miles for spending $3,000, we hit that number around April 1st, but had to wait until April 15th for the billing cycle to end. We got our points and companion fare on April 17th. It was super easy.

Our companion fare expires December 2021. I got an email from Southwest stating that they are going to give all rapid rewards customers 25,000 points due to lack of travel due to COVID-19.

I currently have 146,000 points and a companion fare. After the additional 25,000, I will have 171,000. I have a friend that rents a super nice beach house in Malibu. I visited him 3 times last summer. I am hoping to do the same later this summer.

A round trip ticket from Denver to LAX is 5,400 miles. This means that I could buy 31 round trip flights with 171,000 miles. I could also bring a companion with me, so it actually worth 62 round trip tickets. Crazy.

Where do you get these cards?

[Jack0Life]

I beat you to it.  https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/over-150k-points-with-southwest-and-companion-pass-with-no-place-to-go/
We another couple got it. We were so looking to use it but got no place to go now.
Hopefully it will be somewhat normal by next year.

As for the extra 25k points.
   For all Rapid RewardsŪ Members, we recognize that your normal flying behavior has been interrupted, limiting progress you may have been making toward qualification for A-List, A-List Preferred, and Companion Pass. For that reason, we are giving all Rapid Rewards Members a "boost" of 15,000 tier qualifying points and 10 flight credits toward A-List and A-List Preferred status, and 25,000 Companion Pass qualifying points and 25 flight credits toward Companion Pass status.

From what its stated, I don't think they are actually giving you the FREE points.
Its just points toward getting A-list and Companion status.
If I'm wrong, I will happily accept the FREE pts.

[clarkfan1979]

If I don't get the extra 25,000 that sucks the big one. That means I only get 27 round trip flights or 54 with a companion from Denver to LAX.

[fat-johnny]

From what its stated, I don't think they are actually giving you the FREE points.
Its just points toward getting A-list and Companion status.
If I'm wrong, I will happily accept the FREE pts.

Yes, that is correct, not actually "free points".  Read about halfway down this page, in the navy blue box.  Read the *asterisk:
https://www.southwest.com/RRCoronavirusUpdates/

"These TQPs and CPQPs cannot be redeemed for travel or through More Rewards, transferred, or donated. These TQPs and CPQPs are only available toward tier status or Companion Pass qualification calculations."

So these points can not be used for travel, they are just to hep you achieve a reward status.  This obviously has been devised by some marketing genius.  In essence, what they are actually doing is lowering the qualifying requirement for Companion Pass, from 125k to 100k......but some marketing genius thought it would look better if they said "giving you 25k free points!"

It's really not free points....but congrats on your CP anyway!  That's a really cool perk.
FJ

[Terrestrial]

A round trip ticket from Denver to LAX is 5,400 miles. This means that I could buy 31 round trip flights with 171,000 miles. I could also bring a companion with me, so it actually worth 62 round trip tickets. Crazy.

Your assumption may be misleading.  All SW fares right now if you quote them are bottom basement low because there is essentially zero demand - they're just trying to get people in seats.  I think you'll find when travel 'normalizes' it takes significantly more points to fly this route.  If your planning on flying a ton during the COVID situation though, you'll get great value.

I fly SW all the time for work and personal travel and even one way in 'normal' times for west coast regional direct are usually 5-6k minimum ONE way and those cheapest fares are usually for really crappy super early/late redeye flight times or mid week, not Fri-Sun.  I may be wrong as I have never 'specifically' flown the Denver to LA route (though I have flown into/out of both plenty). That specific route may be abnormally cheap, I couldn't say, but I suspect not.   

I just looked at routes I normally frequently fly (I had not looked at flights in 5-6 weeks, first time I have not flown that long in years).  They are all a fraction (quarter to third) of the required points right now than what it normally is for near-ish term (I was looking in May).  West coast regional flights of the Denver to LA distance usually cost ~15-25k round trip on average depending on demand, weekend or not, etc.   Quote weekend flights for October right now (when I'm sure SW is presuming travel will have normalized a little) and you'll see what I mean.  Even those are STILL a little lower than I normally see.

SW companion pass is still awesome, I have had it on and off over the years and have accumulated a ton of free travel for my wife, definitely enables cheap quick weekend getaways.  Last year when we had it we went to cancun, boston, seattle, and a couple quick weekends in SD/LA, for 'free'.  Still a great deal but I'd suspect 140k points will get you more like 6-10 flights (plus your companion) gauging from previous experience.

[Terrestrial]

On the plus side your post and my subsequent looking up fares revealed that travel I had previously booked for June a couple months ago is now way cheaper, so I can cancel and re-book for savings. Nice!

[dandarc]

Man. I did it with just a business card - 75K bonus plus 30K from spend (put taxes on card, did some recket-miles for last trip before Covid-19 hit) plus a 25% promotional offer I signed up for but I didn't think actually qualified for.

So I'll have overshot companion pass by like 50K miles by the time this is all over with.

And now we're finding ourselves with nowhere to go.

[Jack0Life]

A round trip ticket from Denver to LAX is 5,400 miles. This means that I could buy 31 round trip flights with 171,000 miles. I could also bring a companion with me, so it actually worth 62 round trip tickets. Crazy.

Your assumption may be misleading.  All SW fares right now if you quote them are bottom basement low because there is essentially zero demand - they're just trying to get people in seats.  I think you'll find when travel 'normalizes' it takes significantly more points to fly this route.  If your planning on flying a ton during the COVID situation though, you'll get great value.

I fly SW all the time for work and personal travel and even one way in 'normal' times for west coast regional direct are usually 5-6k minimum ONE way and those cheapest fares are usually for really crappy super early/late redeye flight times or mid week, not Fri-Sun.  I may be wrong as I have never 'specifically' flown the Denver to LA route (though I have flown into/out of both plenty). That specific route may be abnormally cheap, I couldn't say, but I suspect not.   

I just looked at routes I normally frequently fly (I had not looked at flights in 5-6 weeks, first time I have not flown that long in years).  They are all a fraction (quarter to third) of the required points right now than what it normally is for near-ish term (I was looking in May).  West coast regional flights of the Denver to LA distance usually cost ~15-25k round trip on average depending on demand, weekend or not, etc.   Quote weekend flights for October right now (when I'm sure SW is presuming travel will have normalized a little) and you'll see what I mean.  Even those are STILL a little lower than I normally see.

SW companion pass is still awesome, I have had it on and off over the years and have accumulated a ton of free travel for my wife, definitely enables cheap quick weekend getaways.  Last year when we had it we went to cancun, boston, seattle, and a couple quick weekends in SD/LA, for 'free'.  Still a great deal but I'd suspect 140k points will get you more like 6-10 flights (plus your companion) gauging from previous experience.

I think there was some sarcasm in his point. He knows he won't be able to get fares that cheap normally.