If you often travel with friends or family, scoring a discount for your flight companion can make booking much more affordable. Fortunately, some airline credit cards offer companion passes and discounts as benefits.
They go by a variety of names: companion pass, companion certificate, companion fare, companion ticket and more. And although most airlines offer a discount only for you and your travel buddy, there are ways to earn fully comped tickets.
Southwest Airlines Companion Pass
Southwest’s companion pass is quite possibly the most popular on the market—and can save you a ton of cash. For just taxes and fees (roughly $6 per one-way ticket), you can bring a companion with you on any trip for the duration of your pass, which extends through the end of the year you earn it, plus a full calendar year after.By timing your companion pass status wisely, you can have up to two full years of nearly free companion travel. But you will want to plan ahead to make sure you take full advantage of the benefit.
How to Earn the Companion Pass
There are two ways to qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass:- Completing 100 qualifying one-way Southwest flights within a year
- Earning 135,000 qualifying points through Southwest Rapid Rewards
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card*
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
American Airlines Companion Certificate
For frequent American Airlines flyers, American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards give you a few companion certificate options.American’s companion certificate allows you to bring along a guest on one round-trip main cabin domestic ticket for $99 (plus taxes and fees).
How to Earn the Companion Certificate
There are a few different credit cards you can use to earn a companion certificate with American Airlines.- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®*
- AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®*
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* (with this card, you’ll earn a companion certificate for two guests at $99 each, plus taxes and fees)
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*
British Airways Travel Together
British Airways offers its own version of companion passes, called travel together tickets.This British Airways offer is available when you book reward flights with the Avios you earn. With the ticket, you’ll receive a second seat (of equal value) to bring a friend along on a future trip—paying only taxes, fees and carrier charges. Alternatively, you can use the ticket to pay just 50 percent of your British Airways Avios value when you book a reward flight without a companion.
How to Earn the Travel Together Ticket
Using a British Airways Visa Signature® Card*, you can qualify for the companion ticket by spending $30,000 in a single calendar year (Jan. 1 through Dec. 31).Delta Air Lines Companion Certificate
Delta’s co-branded Delta SkyMiles credit cards offer a few different options for earning its companion certificate.How to Earn the Companion Certificate
If you’re an eligible Delta cardholder, you’ll receive a companion certificate each year of membership upon the renewal of your card. There are currently four eligible cards:- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (main cabin only)
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (main cabin only)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (first-class eligible)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (first-class eligible)
Hawaiian Airlines Companion Discount
As a Hawaiian Airlines cardholder, you can earn one-time or annual companion discounts on flights with the airline.Each of the eligible cards offers a one-time 50 percent discount on a single round-trip coach fare ticket for a companion flying with you. But two of the cards also offer an annual $100 discount off a companion’s round-trip coach fare ticket. These discounts apply to travel between Hawaii and North America booked directly with the airline.
How to Earn the Companion Discount
Here are the exact discount offers from each eligible Hawaiian Airlines credit card:- The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®* (one-time 50 percent off and $100 yearly companion discount)
- Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard®* (one-time 50 percent off and $100 yearly companion discount)
- Hawaiian Airlines® Business Mastercard®* (one-time 50 percent off companion discount)
Alaska Airlines Companion Fare
Eligible Alaska Airlines cardholders can earn the airline’s companion fare after meeting certain requirements.How to Earn the Companion Fare
When you apply for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, you could be eligible for the following offer: Get a $0 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) and 50,000 bonus miles after qualifying purchases made with the Alaska Airlines Visa® card. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. The card has a $95 annual fee.You can also qualify with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card*, which has a welcome offer of 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in your first 90 days, plus companion fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23).
Lufthansa Companion Ticket
With Lufthansa’s co-branded rewards card, you can get one companion ticket each year.These tickets are eligible for economy-class bookings departing from the U.S. to eligible international destinations. You’ll still have to pay taxes and fees, but you’ll be gifted a fully covered ticket each year you hold your card membership.
How to Earn the Companion Ticket
You’ll need to be a Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®* cardholder to score Lufthansa’s companion ticket.When you sign up for the card, you’ll be gifted your initial companion ticket after you complete your first purchase. Afterward, you’ll receive an additional companion ticket on each account anniversary if you hold your membership.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re a frequent flyer or a once-in-a-while traveler, your pocket will feel a little heavier when you’re able to bring company along at a fraction of the cost.While each airline offers ways to save when traveling with friends or family, you can really maximize your savings by planning ahead and taking full advantage of your preferred airline’s deals.
*The information on the cards indicated with an asterisk has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.