Earn Companion Pass (from one trip)

☀️ Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop — the newsletter that never flies solo (thanks to our undying love for companion passes).

Speaking of that…

• 🤯 Earn Southwest Companion Pass (from one trip)

• ✈️ Earn 5,000 bonus Delta SkyMiles this summer

• 💳 The credit card app I’ve used for years

• 🏨 Earn 3x points at IHG’s most underrated brands

🤯 Earn Southwest Companion Pass (from one trip)

Southwest is running a rare promo that makes it surprisingly easy to earn a limited-time Companion Pass for travel this fall.

Here’s how it works:

1. Register for the promo

2. Book either one round-trip or two one-way flights by June 27, 2025 (tomorrow!)

3. Travel by August 31, 2025

4. You’ll earn a Companion Pass valid from September 8 to November 15, 2025

That’s two full months of unlimited BOGO flights — and yes, award bookings qualify, as long as they’re not basic fares.

If you already have summer travel plans, this is a no-brainer. But even if you don’t, it could be worth booking a cheap trip just to unlock a season of free flights for your travel buddy.

Example 1: A $200 mileage run

A round-trip between Nashville (BNA) and Detroit (DTW) clocks in at $200 with Wanna Get Away Plus fares. That’s enough to unlock two months of Companion Pass access — even if you fly up and back the same day.

If your fall travel would cost more than $200 for a second person, this move could easily pay for itself.

Example 2: 13,000 points to get a BOGO goldmine

Prefer to use Southwest Rapid Rewards points? A flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX) is only 6,500 points one-way or just 13,000 points round-trip.

A few reminders:

• Flights booked before registration don’t count

• If you have already booked something, check current prices and consider canceling and rebooking if fares haven’t gone up

• Basic fares don’t qualify — book at least Wanna Get Away Plus or higher

• Companion still pays taxes & fees (starting at $5.60 one-way)

This isn’t the full-year Companion Pass Southwest is famous for — but for a single summer trip, you’re getting a very generous reward.

✈️ Earn 5,000 bonus Delta SkyMiles this summer

Gas might not be glamorous, but bonus miles definitely are.

Right now, if you have a Delta co-branded credit card, you can register for a limited-time offer to earn 3x bonus SkyMiles per dollar at U.S. gas stations through August 31, 2025 — up to 5,000 bonus miles total.

That means if you’re filling up a few times a week, road tripping, or just driving a lot this summer, you can casually turn your gas receipts into a few thousand Delta SkyMiles.

A few key details:

• You must register for the offer before your spending will count

• Bonus is capped at 5,000 miles total, so this is great for normal spending

• Gas stations attached to big-box stores (like Sam’s Club or Walmart) don’t qualify

Bottom line

This isn’t going to send you to Paris in Delta One (see Monday’s newsletter for that 😉).

But if you’re going to spend the money anyway, it’s a super easy way to rack up miles with a card you probably already use.

🏨 Earn 3x points at IHG’s most underrated brands

IHG is currently offering 3x base points at a handful of underrated brands — perfect for casual, budget, and business travel alike.

After registering for the offer, here are the brands that will qualify:

• avid

• Atwell Suites

• EVEN Hotels

• Garner

• voco Hotels

If you’re an IHG One Rewards member, you normally earn 10x points per dollar at most properties. But with this promo, you’ll earn 30x points per dollar — without needing a fancy credit card or elite status (although those will help).

Stack it with IHG’s “Choose Your Adventure” promo

You can also layer in IHG’s ongoing promotion, which lets you:

• Earn 2x points after two nights, or

• Earn a flat 8,000 bonus points after four nights (I chose this one)

Yep — it stacks with the 3x offer. 🤓

You may remember that some new Voco properties have been popping up in the U.S. in places like Moab, Utah. This could be a great way to stay at a nice hotel and maximize those rewards.

Add in IHG elite status and co-branded card spend

If you hold the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you’ll also get:

• Automatic Platinum status = 6x points per dollar

• Card spend bonus = 10x points per dollar

That brings your total up to a whopping 46x points per dollar when combined with the 3x offer.

Bonus miles with Capital One Offers

If you’re a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holder, you can also earn 3x Capital One miles on IHG bookings through Capital One Offers. 👇

So if you’re already planning a stay at one of these brands, this is an easy win.

And if you weren’t? It might be time to rethink your next booking. Just don’t forget to stack your earnings. 🫵

I know that was a big newsletter… but hopefully not as big as your points balance after you hop on all of those deals. 😉

See you tomorrow,

6.1944° S, 106.8229° E

With contributions by Tiffany Eastham, McKay Moffitt, and Benji Stawski