How Your Credit Card Can Help You Obtain an Airline Companion Ticket

Dinogo collaborates with CreditCards.com and may earn a commission from card issuers. This site does not feature all financial institutions or every available financial offer. Compensation might influence how an offer is presented. Our reporting remains impartial and unbiased, and has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these organizations. The views expressed here are solely those of the Dinogo editorial team.

Terms apply to benefits and offers from American Express. Enrollment may be necessary for certain American Express benefits and offers. For more information, visit americanexpress.com.

All details regarding the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card and AAdvantage® Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard® have been gathered independently by Dinogo.

While generous welcome bonuses and attractive benefits like lounge access may grab more attention, a companion ticket stands out as one of the most significant perks any airline credit card can offer. Fortunately, numerous airline credit cards provide members with companion tickets, allowing them to take a friend along for (almost) free. These tickets may be included in introductory offers, given for retaining cardholder status and paying the annual fee, or earned by meeting spending or points requirements. With rising airfare costs, this benefit could lead to savings of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Here’s how to obtain an airline companion ticket and how your credit card might assist you in this process.

What is a companion ticket, exactly?

A companion ticket functions much like a buy one, get one free offer. When booking flights, this ticket allows you to secure a second seat on the same reservation. You won’t need to pay the full fare for the extra ticket—typically just a base fee along with taxes and charges. It’s not entirely free, but it can lead to substantial savings based on how you utilize it.

As with any attractive offer, there are terms, conditions, and restrictions; these differ from airline to airline, and even between types of companion tickets with the same airline. One voucher might only be applicable for economy seats; another could be valid for business or first class. Some might restrict travel to the continental United States, while others allow journeys to Hawai‘i and beyond.

Before attempting to use a companion ticket—or applying for a new credit card that includes this benefit—make sure you fully understand how to actually redeem it.

The ultimate companion ticket experience: The Southwest Companion Pass

Before diving into the primary methods for earning companion tickets, it's crucial to highlight a special situation: Southwest Airlines stands out because members of its Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program can obtain what is known as the Southwest Companion Pass. This could be one of the most valuable benefits provided by any airline. It enables pass holders to fly with a companion for free (excluding necessary taxes) on both paid and award tickets. Once you secure the Southwest Companion Pass, it's not merely a one-time buy one, get one free deal. Depending on how and when you earn it, it could be valid for the entire calendar year in which it's obtained plus the whole following year. That amounts to a lot of complimentary flights!

To earn a Companion Pass, you typically need to accumulate 135,000 qualifying points or complete 100 qualifying one-way flights within a calendar year. However, here's the twist: Most people achieve it through the airline’s cobranded credit cards. Rapid Rewards points collected with these credit cards, including those from welcome bonuses, contribute towards qualifying for the Companion Pass. This means that obtaining the Companion Pass is often within reach simply by acquiring and using credit cards. When Southwest has elevated introductory offers on its personal cards (think: 60,000 or 75,000 Rapid Rewards after meeting spending requirements), all that’s needed is to get both a Southwest personal card and a Southwest business card to reach the 135,000 qualifying points. (Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers a standard bonus of 80,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months.) The Companion Pass is then valid for the calendar year in which you earn it and the subsequent calendar year.

There’s also another workaround with credit cards. For several years, Southwest has run a winter promotion on its personal credit cards to expedite the path to the Companion Pass. Unfortunately, the most recent introductory offer that included a Companion Pass concluded on March 11, 2024.

Three additional methods to earn companion tickets through airline credit cards

1. Via a welcome bonus

Southwest isn’t the sole airline offering companion tickets through welcome bonuses. Several other airline credit cards also provide a companion benefit as part of their introductory deals: You simply need to fulfill the bonus offer requirements to automatically receive the perk.

For instance, the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card is currently offering 70,000 bonus miles along with an Alaska Airlines Companion Fare after you spend $3,000 or more within the first 90 days of account opening. The Alaska Companion Fare starts at $122—you pay $99 in airfare, plus taxes and fees beginning at $23. This means you purchase the first ticket and then use your Companion Fare to secure the second one for just $122. While that might not seem like an appealing offer, remember you can use it for nearly any destination that Alaska serves—across the United States, to Alaska and Hawai‘i, as well as down to Mexico and Costa Rica. For example, if you book a domestic trip and the first ticket costs $700, the second would only be $122, saving you $578 (note that international tickets, such as those to Mexico, might have higher taxes). This more than offsets the card’s $95 annual fee, which is waived in the first year under the current promotion.

However, there are a few limitations. Firstly, it’s only valid for economy seats, although both tickets qualify for upgrades—if you have elite status or choose to pay for an upgrade to first class—and both passengers earn miles on their flights. Companion Fare certificates expire 12 months after they are issued (though travel can occur after that).

2. As part of your annual rewards

Some airline credit card companion fares serve as an anniversary benefit that you receive after paying the annual fee, which might encourage you to retain the card each year. For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (terms apply) provides members with an annual Companion Certificate for Main Cabin domestic flights (including Hawai‘i and Alaska), as well as Caribbean or Central American round trips to select destinations. (Keep in mind that basic economy fares do not qualify.) Simply purchase the first ticket and apply the Companion Certificate to the second. You will still need to pay taxes and fees, which cap at $85 for the second seat domestically and $250 internationally, but this can result in significant savings.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (terms apply) provides an even more attractive companion certificate, usable for First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin domestic flights (including Hawai‘i and Alaska), as well as Caribbean or Central American round trips to select destinations each year upon card renewal. This aligns with the Reserve’s higher $650 annual fee (see rates and fees) compared to the Platinum’s $350 fee (see rates and fees). The Reserve also comes with additional perks, such as complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs when flying on Delta-marketed or operated flights, and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when booking a Delta flight with the card. Cardholders receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. Starting February 1, 2025, Reserve cardholders will enjoy 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. (Unlimited Club access can be earned after spending $75,000 on eligible purchases within a calendar year, valid for that year plus the following year.)

3. After reaching a certain spending threshold

High spenders are sometimes rewarded by their credit cards upon hitting specific spending levels. For instance, if you spend $20,000 or more on the AAdvantage® Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard® from Barclays in a membership year and renew the card, you will receive a $99 companion ticket (plus taxes and fees). This certificate can be applied to a round-trip, domestic economy ticket on American Airlines-operated flights within the 48 contiguous states (or from Alaska, Hawai‘i, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands if you reside there). This card has a $99 annual fee and currently provides 60,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and fully paying the first year’s fee within the first 90 days.

With the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, for every calendar year you spend $30,000, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket. This ticket is valid for a round-trip flight in any cabin class, originating and returning to the United States, and is valid for two years. The catch is that the companion ticket requires payment of taxes and fees, which British Airways tends to charge quite high. The current welcome offer for this card is 75,000 Avios points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus 5x Avios on up to $10,000 spent on gas, groceries, and dining.

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card also rewards significant spenders with a companion ticket. After spending $30,000 on your card within a calendar year, you’ll receive a companion ticket valid for 12 months. This travel is only permitted on Aer Lingus flights in economy class between the USA and Ireland, and must start and end in the United States. There are no taxes or fees charged for the companion (which is a plus) and there are no restrictions or blackout dates for redemption. The current welcome offer on this card includes 75,000 Avios points after spending $5,000 within the first three months, plus 5x Avios on up to $10,000 in gas, groceries, and dining purchases.

While the offers listed above are accurate as of publication, they can change at any moment and may have been modified or may no longer be valid. This article was first published in 2020 and was updated on April 4, 2024, to reflect the most current information.