Chase just changed the terms and conditions of its Southwest credit cards to include language that’s going to make it much more difficult for many people to obtain the Southwest Companion Pass. Previously, it was possible to get approved for two Southwest personal credit cards (the Premier and the Plus). This was true whether you applied for them at the same time or waited to apply for the second one. However, new language now restricts new applicants to only one personal Southwest credit card.
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The new terms and conditions
The new terms and conditions read:
The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapids Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card
This means that that if you currently hold a Southwest personal card you won’t be able to get approved for another Southwest credit card. This is essentially the same new restriction that was put into place for Chase Sapphire credit cards.
While this is going to make things tougher to the Companion Pass, it’s not a completely devastating development. You can still pick up the business version of the Southwest card (which is how I earned the Companion Pass back in 2016). It’s not hard to start your own re-selling business on the side so this option is still a good option for many people.
Last chance to get around this new rule
If you’re familiar with the way the restrictions worked on the Sapphire cards you might still be able to work around this restriction but there are also some applications floating around (here and here) that don’t currently have this language. (Looks like it’s been added). If you’re interested in getting the Companion Pass via personal credit cards then I advise you to jump on those credit cards ASAP, because I’m sure that language will soon be found on those apps.
It’s also worth noting that via DOC, there’s a rumor about a premium Southwest card on its way later in 2018. We’ll see how that develops.
Cover photo by Tomás Del Coro via Flickr.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
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