Tips for a Cheap Disney Flight

My family of four flew from our home in New Hampshire to Disney World for a grand total of $44.80. I'm not sure the numbers emphasize enough how absolutely, insanely cheap this deal is. I could buy meals for three people at Panera Bread for $44.80. I could spend my morning at the trampoline park for slightly more than $44.80. I could buy a pair of nice new leggings for $44.80. Or I could buy FOUR plane tickets to Disney World for $44.80!

I never in my wildest dreams would have believed this was possible until I started to learn about travel hacking and points.

There were some wonderful bloggers who taught me the value of the Southwest Companion Pass. I had never heard of the pass before and didn't know it existed. But it is a travel game changer!

Facts about the Companion Pass:

• A Companion Pass allows you and one other person to fly out of the same airport for the cost of one plane ticket, plus taxes for each person.
• You are able to buy a plane ticket with points earned from Southwest. With the ticket you purchased using points, you are able to use your companion pass so that your companion flies free.
• You do have to pay taxes on the flights, which are $5.60 per person each way.
• You are allowed to switch companions up to three times per year.
• I have yet to find another airline that offers a pass as valuable as this one. In my opinion, this pass is one of the best ways to get the most value out of your points and is well worth the effort to earn it.

Ways to Earn the Companion Pass:

Pros and Cons of Strategy 1:

Pros	Cons
You are able to have the companion pass for a longer amount of time, nearly two full years, which means you will get greater redemption value out of it.	It is more complicated to earn the Companion Pass this way. You will have to plan ahead and do some strategic spending to ensure that you meet the minimum spends at just the right times.
You will have the pass, PLUS the 135,000 points that you used to earn the pass, which could mean a lot of flights that you can pay for with points.	You have to earn 135,000 points. With bonus offers, this is doable, but will take time to plan.
You only have to worry about trying to earn the pass once every two years. Earning the Companion Pass sounds like a stressful process, but I feel like the anxiety may be worth the two years of free flights for your companion, especially if you have a family.	You have to open at least two different credit cards. One of these cards has to be a business card. Although a lot of things can qualify as a business, not everyone I know has an eligible business to apply for a card.

Pros and Cons of Strategy 2:

Pros	Cons
It was relatively easy to earn the Companion Pass using this strategy. I only had to meet the minimum spend requirements, which was $4,000 in 3 months. I think this is a great way to earn a pass if you are just starting out in points and miles.	I had the companion pass for less than one year (May 2022 through February 2023). I was only able to redeem the pass for one trip.
I only had to open one credit card to earn the pass. It was a personal card, so I did not have to worry about opening a business card.	This option is not always available. From what I have seen, Southwest only offers the option in February.
Coming from someone who is relatively new to the points and miles game, earning the Companion Pass using Strategy 2 seems much less stressful than Strategy 1. Strategy 2 was very easy and straightforward. I did not have to apply for business cards or stress about when I would hit my bonus.	You do not earn nearly as many points using Strategy 2.

How to Claim a Companion:

1. Once you earn the pass, Southwest will send you an email, congratulating you for receiving the pass. Click on the link in the email to set up your companion pass.
2. Log into your Rapid Rewards account. You should have an account because you are enrolled in one when you sign up for your credit card.
3. Look for the "Snapshot" tab.
4. Find "Choose Your Companion."
5. Click "Enter Companion Info" and start filling out the requested stats.
6. Your companion is all set and should appear!

How to Redeem a Companion Pass:

I found the process of redeeming the pass relatively easy. Stressful, but overall, easy peasy lemon squeezy!

• I booked my flight first and made sure that there were enough seats on board for all four of us. It would be bad news if only half of us made the flight.
• Stephen, who also had the pass, booked his flight. Note: at this point, we had not yet booked our flights for Zeke and Eli, who were our companions. This is also the most stressful part of the process. It felt like we had mere seconds to get seats for both boys. Who knew how fast those 120 other tickets on the plane would sell? Gahhh....lots of stress!
• While holding my breath, I went back to the Southwest Web site and navigated to the "My Account" button at the top of the page. Quickly, I scrolled to "My Upcoming Trips."
• I found the button called "Add Companion" and clicked. All of my trip information was already filled out. Keep in mind, I'm still holding my breath and beginning to turn blue.
• I clicked the "Continue" button. A page called "Passenger and Payment Info" appeared. All of Zeke's and Eli's information was already filled in correctly, thank goodness!
• I was prompted to pay taxes for the flight. I gladly handed over the $5.60 per child per flight as I exhaled, relieved that the most stressful part of my day, perhaps even year, was complete.
• I received a confirmation email for both of our flights. Success!