If you're planning trips for next year, and want to save, some airlines and credit cards are offering special fares if you qualify.
They are called companion fares and allow someone to fly with a full-fare passenger for a free or discounted price.
The Southwest Airline Companion Pass is one of them.
"It's hard to beat two for one flights to popular destinations. It's really a great way to save money," says Sara Rathner with Nerdwallet.com.
The companion pass offers unlimited two-for-one flights for a whole year with a full fare flight.
The companion only pays taxes and fees.
But it's not easy to get.
The Southwest pass requires you either fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or accumulate 125,000 points in the previous year.
How do you get those points?
"The easiest way is probably through one of the Southwest credit cards," Sara says.
They are Chase cards usually giving you one point for every dollar spent.
And new cardholders get a big incentive.
"The sign-up bonus can sometimes get you most of the way there," Sara says.
If you fly a lot or charge a lot, this pass is by far the best companion offer because it's unlimited for the year.
But it's not the only companion offer.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express card offers one round trip taxes-only companion certificate yearly.
You can get an Alaska Airlines Visa card companion fare for $99 plus taxes and fees for any flight with a full-fare passenger.
It's also one roundtrip a year.
While the Southwest offer is tempting, Sara has a warning.
"If it is a stretch and you're blowing your budget just to earn the companion pass it's probably not worth it. It's a better deal to earn the pass with spending you'd do anyway," she says.
Again, with Southwest, you must earn the pass in the previous year, something to think about for next year.
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