New guy's Companion pass plan
 

Hello everyone, I'm extremely new in the points/miles game. In fact I'm new to traveling in general, growing up it was mostly trips from Jersey to Orlando. Well after spending a couple months over seas I realized I had seen way more of Europe than I had seen of my own country. So I've decided to change that for both me and my girlfriend, asap.

After discovering southwest's companion pass, their impressive list of destinations throughout the country, and what seems to me to be a rather easy path to attain it mostly through their credit cards I'm thinking this is the path to take to maximize the amount of the country we get to see.
So here's my plan,
1- this week ask chase to lower my sapphire reserve credit limit to that cards min I believe 10k
2 - November of this year I plan on applying for the southwest business chase (60k correct?)
3- if/when I'm approved I will request that limit be lowered if it seems high, wait a few days and apply for the personal card (40k?)
4- hopefully those offers are still around then, and hopefully I get approved for both cards. Big IFS Any idea when the current deals end?
5- I've heard you can start spending in December as long as your statement date is in January and don't receive the bonus until January. I'd like to get started asap
6- after receiving bonuses in January I'd have 10k more to go, I have to do more research to see what the best method for this would be. I don't want to go broke but I also don't want to spend half the year getting that last bit. We have 180k in ultimate rewards points and I'm wondering if I could do something with them like booking flights through their portal to get to that goal. Is that possible?
7- After receiving the companion pass I would like to use all these UR points on southwest travel. But I wouldn't mind using all this travel to get me my first ever status with an airline, if I transfer the points to southwest and use them for award tickets do I still earn towards status? What about bookings through UR portal? Has anyone ever booked a companion fare through the UR portal?
This is all I have so far, please help me with any missing pieces, or possible roadblocks. I appreciate any and all help.

Can you explain more about how you plan on earning the companion pass?

Per WN's website, "To qualify, simply fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 110,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, and you’ll earn Companion Pass for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it."

The 110,000 qualifying points are based on spend with Southwest...not miles earned on Credit Cards.

Are you sure? I just read this on their rewards website.

"*Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest®, points issued on Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards Partners in a calendar year. Purchased points, points transferred between Members, points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions, and Diners Club, points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, and Partner bonus points (excluding bonus points earned on the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not qualify as Companion Pass qualifying points."

You are correct and your plan is sound assuming the bonuses stick around (as they always have in some form).

Q6: I'm not sure but if possible 10,000 points is a lot of WGA fares to fly & earn in a short period. You could buy BS fares for quicker accumulation but that's a waste of points/money.

Q7, no. no and why would you do that as the CP fare is free and only bookable on WN

Much better to manufacture spend or legitimately spend the remainder of $10,000 in January to get you over the hump quickly. Gift cards, pay some taxes at 2.5%, etc.

Just make sure you have the time & money to travel enough to make it worth it! Status really not worth too much on WN and impossible to get without paid flights and you'll be flush in points for awhile anyway. Buy one gate upgrade for $30-40 if you don't draw a good number in the T-24 lottery.

Wrong. All points earned with credit cards count. This includes the sign up bonuses.

im still figuring out these abreviations, what does WGA and BS fare mean?

I wasnt sure if it was possible to book the companion fare through them or not. i thought i could use those points and still travel for free while i earn toward a status.... also i forgot about all those rapid rewards points haha.
I'm not too worried about status I just kind of have this Idea in my head where i get status from CP travel and have alaska airlines match while getting me a BOGO credit card bonus they have and get me a couple first class tickets to hawaii at the end of all this.

It's with credit cards. Those credit card miles sites all basically explain it the same way. You get a personal card, then a business card, and between the two bonuses, what you have to spend to hit the bonuses, and maybe a tiny bit more spend, you've earned a Companion pass. If you have a partner, they can do the same, and then you've earned enough to take a family of 4 traveling.

That may be the next airline I do. I ran into the Chase 5/24 rule, although I may have cleared it now.

WGA are non refundable (cheapest) fare and earn 6 points per dollar spent. You need 35,000 in a calendar year for basic status or a spend of approx $5,833 to get there.

AT is fully refundable and earns 10 points per dollar spent.

BS is a misnamed "business select" fare, refundable and gets you a guaranteed place in the top 15 in line, a drink per segment and earns 12 points per dollar spent. For me, often double the price of WGA. Great way to get status quickly when someone else paying the fares.

Just a note, you will not have 10,000 to go, as the spending you do to reach the bonuses (currently $4,000) will count towards your CP as long as it hits after January 1. Also note that the bonuses are subject to change. Just because they are 60,000 and 40,000 now doesn't mean they will be that in November.

On the site it mentions for Alist can also be attained by 25 qualified one way flights.
Rapid rewards and non revenue flights aren't included
Also says a segment flight is one "booked through south west" does that mean through their website?

Very true, that's the part of my plan where I just hope and pray nothing changes 🤞🏼

Flights booked on points do not count towards A-List status.

Yes, that too is the other method, that's a lot of paid flights though, but doable.

I'm not sure how the UR portal works (is it like a 3rd party travel agency?) but as long as someone is paying for the flight in cash/cash equivalent, it will generate points & credit if your RR is attached. Flights using RR points will not.

I do it every year. my wife gets A-List Preferred the same way. It's basically 1 trip per month + 1 flight,

Me too, up until last year but I'd make it much quicker with BS points by mid Feb !! Those were the days...