If you regularly travel with a partner, friend or family member, an airline credit card that offers a companion ticket or pass can unlock serious savings.
From annual companion certificates and discounted fares to full-fledged two-for-one flight perks, several major airlines reward cardholders with the ability to bring a plus-one for little more than taxes and fees.
Whether you fly Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines or another carrier, here’s a closer look at the top airline credit cards that offer companion benefits — and how each perk works.
Related: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines offers a companion ticket through its Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards-branded credit cards.
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature credit card
Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Annual fee: $95.
Companion ticket benefit: The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card comes with a companion ticket benefit that’s one of the easiest to understand and use. Every year you carry this card and spend $6,000 within the prior anniversary year, you earn an annual companion fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23).
The rules stipulate that the primary traveler and their companion must be booked on the same itinerary. While the cardholder does not need to be one of the travelers, you must pay for the tickets with the corresponding Atmos Rewards card.
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The companion fare is only valid for travel in economy. It must be redeemed within 12 months of the issue date, but travel can take place afterward.
What’s great about this benefit is that both the primary traveler and the companion will earn full mileage credit for their flights. Additionally, both tickets are eligible for upgrades if you have Atmos Rewards elite status.
Carly Helfand, TPG’s director of points, miles and credit card content, used the Ascent’s Companion Fare on a recent trip to Chicago with her husband. The round-trip flights from Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) cost $542.60 per person, but she paid $679.63 for both tickets with the Companion Fare.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature.
Apply here: Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature credit card
Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Annual fee: $395.
Companion ticket benefit: The Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card offers an annual 25,000-point Global Companion Award, and cardholders can earn a second 100,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $60,000 or more with the card each anniversary year.
You can think of these awards as discounts off a second award ticket on any Alaska, Hawaiian or partner award ticket in any cabin class — a huge benefit if you are planning a trip with a plus one.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite.
Apply here: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card
Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Annual fee: $70 for the company and $25 per additional card.
Companion ticket benefit: The Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card offers an identical Companion Fare benefit to the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature: Spend $6,000 within the prior anniversary year, and you’ll receive an annual companion fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees, usually about $23).
That means you can earn one Companion Fare with the current welcome offer and another each year after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within your anniversary year.
You can find more details on the card in our full review of the Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business.
Apply here: Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business Card
Delta Air Lines
Delta offers a companion certificate as an added benefit on several of its credit cards.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership, plus earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending an additional $2,000 on purchases (for a total of $6,000) in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends April 1.
Annual fee: $350 (see rates and fees).
Companion ticket benefit: The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card has offered one of the longest-standing companion ticket benefits, and it’s still one of the best options out there. It can be used for travel to all 50 U.S. states (including Hawaii and Alaska), Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean each year after renewal of your card.
You must pay taxes and fees, though they’re capped at $80 for round-trip domestic flights and $250 for round-trip international flights.
You can find more details on the card in our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn up to 125,000 bonus miles: 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership, plus earn 25,000 bonus miles after spending an additional $3,000 on purchases (for a total of $9,000) in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends April 1.
Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees).
Companion ticket benefit: With its much higher annual fee, you can expect a better companion ticket benefit with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Each year you renew, you’ll receive a companion certificate good for one round-trip itinerary in first class, Delta Comfort, the main cabin or Premium Select for travel to all 50 U.S. states (including Hawaii and Alaska), Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean each year after renewal of your card.
You’ll only be responsible for taxes and fees on the second ticket, capped at $80 for round-trip domestic flights and $250 for round-trip international flights.
For more details, read our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Delta business cards
Delta offers business versions of the two personal cards listed above: the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. The companion ticket benefits on these cards are identical to their respective personal counterparts above, so if you have a small business, either could be a good option for traveling with a companion.
Related: Which Delta credit card is right for you? Expert advice from frequent Delta flyers
Frontier Airlines
As of mid-2025, Frontier Miles members who reach Elite Platinum or Elite Diamond status are able to earn the ability to bring a companion on board any flight for (basically) free — you’ll have to cover the cost of government taxes and fees (starting at $5.60).
You can choose any Frontier Miles member as your companion. They must have a valid Frontier Miles account number and be added to your booking at the time of purchase.
Reaching elite status with Frontier is the most direct way to earn companion benefits, but the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® can also fast-track you.
Frontier Airlines World Mastercard
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Companion ticket benefit: While there isn’t a companion ticket benefit offered outright by the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard, you can fast-track your way to elite status (thus, the companion benefit) by spending with the card. You’ll earn 1 elite status point for every dollar spent on the card, which can help you climb up toward the Elite Platinum tier.
Plus, you can earn Frontier Miles Elite Gold status after the first purchase with the card posts to your account within 90 days of account opening. To maintain Elite Gold status for 12 months, you’ll need to spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening; otherwise, your elite status will expire after 90 days. This is one tier below Elite Platinum — the level you need to earn the companion pass.
The information for the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Learn more: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard full review
Hawaiian Airlines
While not the most lucrative companion benefit on this list, the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® does offer a one-time discount on a companion fare that may be useful if leveraged strategically.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Annual fee: $99.
Companion ticket benefit: The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard offers a one-time 50% companion discount to new cardholders. The companion discount is good for a full economy round-trip fare for a companion traveling on the same itinerary between Hawaii and North America. Although this 50% off companion discount isn’t as great as some of the companion fares listed here, it still represents substantial savings for two people traveling together.
In addition to this one-time 50% companion discount, after each account anniversary, cardholders are eligible for a $100 companion discount for round-trip economy travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines or round-trip economy travel in North America on Alaska Airlines-operated flights.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Learn more: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard full review
Southwest Airlines
The Southwest Rapid Rewards consumer credit cards from Chase are currently giving new cardmembers the opportunity to earn the airline’s coveted Companion Pass through credit cards. With this benefit, Southwest Airlines customers can bring a plus-one on Southwest flights for free an unlimited number of times through February 28, 2027.
Welcome bonus: All three consumer Southwest credit cards currently include a Companion Pass as part of their limited-time offer:
Annual fee: $99 (Plus), $149 (Premier) and $229 (Priority).
Companion ticket benefit: Southwest’s famed Companion Pass is essentially an unlimited two-for-one pass on both paid and award tickets. It’s valid for the calendar year you earn it, plus the following one. You can achieve it by racking up 135,000 qualifying points or taking 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.
The good news is that welcome bonuses and points earned by spending on Southwest’s cobranded credit cards count toward this qualification threshold. Some savvy spending can get you the Southwest Companion Pass faster than you think.
Small businesses can also earn points toward this perk. Points earned on the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) also count toward the carrier’s Companion Pass.
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Bottom line
Companion tickets and passes can deliver considerable value, especially if you consistently travel with the same person each year.
While some perks require significant spending or come with higher annual fees, the savings on even one round-trip flight can more than offset the cost of holding the card. The key is choosing a card aligned with the airline you fly most and making sure you can meet the spending requirements to unlock the benefit.
If you do, bringing a plus-one along for a fraction of the cost can be one of the most rewarding perks in travel.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex, click here.
Related: How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass
