Red Alert: Easy Southwest Companion Pass

Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop, the coolest newsletter on the Internet. If newsletters were TV characters, we would be the Fonz.

Today is a very special day, as you probably expected from the “Red Alert” in the subject line of this email. I won’t keep you guessing any longer:

• 🚨 Red Alert: Earn Southwest Companion Pass in one minute

• 🤔 Should you give up your seat if asked by a stranger?

• 🐶 The luxurious life of traveling pets

🚨 Red Alert: The best flight hack ever just got better (Southwest Companion Pass)

When you think of airlines with amazing travel hacks, Southwest might be the last that comes to mind… after all, they did ruin Christmas for millions of travelers.

Too harsh?

Well, regardless of how much they did or did not ruin Christmas (they did), they are coming into 2023 Pretty Woman style with a whole new look to make us regret ever doubting them…

That’s because Southwest’s highest level of elite status, the Companion Pass, is now easier to earn than ever before. 

So easy, my cat Tilly could do it. And she’s an idiot.

But before we get into that, let me tell you a little bit about what the Companion Pass is and why people drool over the prospect of having it.

The Companion Pass allows you to bring a companion with you on EVERY flight you take, free of charge, for an entire year (or longer). It’s basically a year’s worth of “BOGO” coupons for Southwest’s flights.

The only caveats are that you still have to pay the mandatory taxes and fees of $5.60 per flight and that you can only choose one person as your year-long companion, rather than choosing different people to bring on different flights.

You can change this companion during the course of the year, but only a few times… so choose wisely.

So with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I think y’all know what you should get your significant other…

Since there’s no limit to how many times you can use this perk, the value you get out of it will depend on how frequently you fly.

For example, let’s say you and your companion fly this round-trip between Boston and Los Angeles.

You could theoretically get about $600 of free flights from that one trip alone, let alone if you used the perk two, three, four, five, six, se - you get the idea.

The reason we don’t talk more about the Southwest Companion Pass is that it’s normally really difficult to earn. There are some shortcuts you can take, but there is simply no good way to earn it without flying on Southwest a LOT.

For reference, here are the normal requirements for earning Southwest Companion Pass, along with the two tiers of elite status below it:

100 flights with a single airline in just one year is not an easy feat… Nor is earning 135,000 qualifying points, though that’s definitely easier than the former option.

Once you’ve earned it, however, you will have the companion pass for the rest of the year… and the entire year after. 😮 

But here’s the kicker: None of this matters at all.

And I’m not just saying that because I’m a nihilist who thinks nothing matters at all.

I’m saying that because right now, there are a few credit cards that will give you a full year of Companion Pass just for signing up, along with a fat stack of points.

That means no flights, no racking up qualifying points, nothing. All you need to do is click a few buttons and meet some spending requirements. Oh, and by the way, one of the cards only costs $69 a year to hold. 🤯

That’s all the banks will let me tell you here in the newsletter. But don’t worry, here’s a big, gorgeous button to click if you want to learn more or sign up.

As I mentioned, this is one of the best travel hacks that has ever happened, and the offer is only valid for a limited time. So don’t miss your chance to get a year’s worth of free flights for your boo.

🤔 Should you give up your seat on a plane if asked?

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself awake at night pondering life’s great questions.

“To be, or not to be?”

“What is the meaning of life?”

“How the hell can Costco afford to sell a rotisserie chicken for only $5?”

Most of us will never figure out the answers to these mysteries. But there is one question that’s been in the spotlight of the travel world recently… and it’s probably a little easier to answer.

The question in question is this:

This question is fresh on my mind because of a recent viral TikTok of a woman who refused to give up her seat to a mom who desperately needed to sit with her adult son… 😑

Personally, I give up my seat all the time. Here are the scenarios that I generally find acceptable:

• A young child is separated from its family

• Someone with mobility problems needs an aisle seat, extra legroom seat, etc.

• People who have never flown before are confused and stressed about it and just want to sit together (I see this a lot while traveling abroad)

• A flight attendant asks me to switch for one reason or another

The last point is debatable, but I find that when I help a flight attendant out, they usually throw the favor back my way.

Last month, I moved seats when a flight attendant asked for a volunteer (people were complaining about not sitting next to each other).

Just before pushing back, that same flight attendant came and told me I could go sit in the back where I’d have an entire empty row to myself.

So I ended up getting to lay down in an empty row during my 8-hour, overnight economy flight. Even when you volunteer to help a passenger, the crew notices these things and has the power to do some nice things for you.

So, now I’m throwing the ball in your court. 👇

Once you select an answer above, you’ll see how your answer compares to the rest of Daily Drop readers’ answers. I’m curious to see how this one shakes out.

🐶 The luxurious life of traveling pets

I often wonder what it’d be like to travel with a pet. I often see beautiful social media profiles of people who travel and take amazing photos with their pet dogs, cats, hedgehogs, etc. and it just looks like so much fun.

So today, I thought I’d share an article I stumbled across that lists some of the best Instagram-famous animal profiles for your viewing pleasure.

That’s all for today! I’m pretty stoked about this Southwest Companion Pass deal… It’s not often you see an airline give out their most coveted perk so easily like this.

Are you going to sign up for a Southwest card to get this perk? Who would you bring as your year-long travel companion? Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out on social media.

Hope you have a great day,

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