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companion pass

sierra315
Explorer C

I will hit the 110,000 points by September 1, 2017. Once I hit this amount, if I keep charging on the card, and I hit another 110,000 points lets say six months later, how would that effect elibility for another companion pass. Would it be good for all of 2019?

4 REPLIES 4

Re: companion pass

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

No. Once you earn 110k points in 2017 you'll earn CP valid through 2018. You'll then have to earn another 110k points in 2018 to get CP for 2019.

Re: companion pass

sierra315
Explorer C

Thank you for the info. No need to keep charging on SW visa once I hit the mark for the last four months of 2017. . I will go to my hilton visa for all charges starting 9-1-2017 thru 12-31-2017.  Since I earn plenty of points by flying at the SW A list and  soon to be level of SW A list preferred at 100% earning bonus why keep charging on the SW visa?  I am still gaining a lot of SW points by flying segments, so no real benefit to contiue using their visa for  the remainder of 2017?  

 

I will have the person designated for the free flights starting about 9-1-201. It is my wife and she  would have been using 90% of my points anyway if I did reach the companion pass.

 

still no real answer here. What happens if I hit the 110,000 points on lets say Feb. 1. 2018. I already have the CP for 2018. So I would only have the CP for 12 months starting Jan. 1, 2019.    

Re: companion pass

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Moving your spend to another card is one approach, nothing wrong with that.  The other way to look at it is to keep spending and rack up points via CC for when you shift to burning points.  Here's how I would handle your situation.... once you've earned CP for the year via CC and reached whatever flying status you think you'll finish the year at (AL or ALP), you should start burning points, purchasing all remaining flights for the year with points.  If you don't need additional points from CC to buy all remaining flights with points or think points in another program are more valuable then go ahead and switch your preferred CC.

 

"still no real answer here. What happens if I hit the 110,000 points on lets say Feb. 1. 2018. I already have the CP for 2018. So I would only have the CP for 12 months starting Jan. 1, 2019."

 

Not sure what you're really expecting here.  The program is pretty clear that once you earn enough points for CP you get it for the remainder of the calendar year and all of the next year.  If you already have CP you still earn it for the next year.  With your example, you have CP in 2018 because you earned it in 2017 and then in 2018 if you earn enough points you'll get CP for 2019.  

Re: companion pass

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

The CP (and A-list) qualifying points all are calendar based, so when you mentioned hitting the limit in February that would have to be from flights and CC spending in January and February next year, not the remaining/excess points from this year plus those two months.

 

I agree with the other poster about booking any remaining personal trips with points (companion still included whether booked on points or cash), but I assume that the high volume of flights is due to business that you may be reimbursing. Keep using SW Visa for those to get the compounding benefit of extra points on SWA purchases.

 

If you own your own business, then maybe it does make sense to use points even for work trips.

 

I'd have to dig a little on this one, but I think it is possible to earn a second companion pass? If you had that high of a volume of flights and also had a child or someone else that would fly with you. Obviously that wouldn't be as useful if you normally travel only with your wife. I thought I saw something about this before, but can't find it now.

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.