Southwest Companion Pass Basics

Today, I talked to my good buddy Aly for a few minutes. He had some mile/point questions, and I brought up the Southwest Companion Pass. Basic stuff, right? But, then something shocking happened…he didn’t know what the hell I was talking about! What kind of blogger am I? What kind of friend?? What kind of man???

(Calming down)

Ok, so for those who don’t know…the Southwest Companion Pass is very, very cool. Here are some basic facts about it:

  • I’d say this is the king of perks for domestic airline travelers. Earn 110,000 Southwest points in a year to get one. 
  • It doesn’t expire until the end of the following year. Yup, if you got one now, you’d have it until the end of 2015! That’s why the goal is always to get one early in the year.
  • When you do have one, it means that on every Southwest flight (paid or points), your companion flies free.
  • There are definitely people who earn it from flying, but I got mine from 2 Southwest credit cards and a little spending. The 2 cards could be Personal, Business, or a combination of the two.

What About The Rich People?

Man, I can be jerk. Every day, I thoughtlessly focus on writing for all those average working stiffs. But what about you independently wealthy people? Who cares about you? Don’t you deserve deals too? Uh…probably not. But here’s a few ideas to help you brainstorm….

  • First, is the ol’ BankDirect checking account. Getting miles every month based on your balance seems like a smart idea. And what an impressive balance you have (translation: send me some money). The one issue is that BankDirect is a pain in the ass. Over time, they always seem to get worse. They add fees, then they reduce the miles you earn, and on and on. But there are plenty of loyal BankDirect customers out there. Not sure what the plan is with the merger, but it’s something to look at.
  • A much more nerd-friendly company has been Fidelity. With all that cash, you should be earning miles from your investments (American, Delta, or United). These have been known to be very churnable 50,000-mile bonuses. Plus, you have plenty of other rich family members, right?
  • Manufactured spending is your friend. With your huge credit limits and all that free time, you could be manufacturing piles of miles every day. Or if it’s not worth the effort, you could always hire someone you trust to do it for you. Stranger things have been known to happen. 

These are just some ideas for my rich readers. In the miles/points world, like anywhere else in the world, there is much you can do with liquid cash. 

2,000 Ultimate Rewards Points For $12

Wow, I’m getting old. My points just arrived from this one. I thought I posted about it months ago, but did a search and I never wrote the damn post! Senility strikes again. Here’s your 6 steps for success…

  1. Go to your Chase account.
  2. Log-in to your Ultimate Rewards shopping mall.
  3. Search for “Wall Street Journal.”
  4. View all subscription offers for it.
  5. Pick the one where you get 2,000 points for a 12-week subscription ($12).
  6. Your points should show up well before 12 weeks. Cancel the subscription when they do.

40% Bonus Membership Rewards To Virgin

Grab a 40% bonus transferring your American Express points to Virgin America. Their only other transfer bonus right now is a joke of an offer to Hilton. On an unrelated note, I also want to thank everyone for voting MileNerd as the best “Alternative” Travel/Points Website of 2013 last week. I genuinely appreciate it!

End Of Week Wrap-Up

  • Check if you’re targeted for 60 days of Platinum status on Delta. Especially if you live in New York.
  • Free miles for Marriott stays.
  • I’m a bigger fan of Uber, but Lyft is giving away free rides in Washington DC.
  • Most importantly, we’re down to 2 weeks left to book our United flights before they give us the shaft. Premium cabin international travel on United partners should be booked this month!