Why I flew from Long Beach to Los Angeles via Las Vegas

Few benefits in the points and miles world are more lucrative than the Southwest Companion Pass. Once earned, you can bring a designated friend or family member on your Southwest Airlines flights — whether your ticket is a revenue booking or a Southwest Rapid Rewards redemption.

Earning the Companion Pass typically requires a lot of flying and spending — or a limited-time offer on a Southwest credit card. Last fall, however, the carrier brought back its (now expired) promotion, which allowed members to earn a limited-time Companion Pass by taking a single round-trip flight (or two one-way flights).

I knew I would fly Southwest at least three times when this promotional pass would be valid, so I hatched a wild plan. Could I find an inexpensive trip to meet the qualifications and save hundreds of dollars in airfare?

And the answer quickly fell into my lap. Here’s why I wound up taking the long way from Long Beach, California, to Los Angeles — and how I got nearly $500 worth of flights by spending less than $120.

Related: It’s back: Earn a Companion Pass plus 30,000 points with these limited-time Southwest card offers

Planning my strategy

The offer terms were relatively straightforward. After registering, you had to book a round-trip flight (or two one-way flights) between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5, 2024. Travel had to be completed by Nov. 20, 2024, and then your promotional Companion Pass would be valid from Jan. 6 to March 6, 2025.

This was particularly appealing due to a pair of previously planned trips with my family:

• Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) for this weekend’s Groundhog Day celebrations in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (Feb. 2 is my birthday)
• MCO to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) for a February weekend to enjoy the Mardi Gras festivities

While not wildly expensive, the combined price of these flights was around $500 per person, which became a pricey proposition for me, my wife and my daughter.

Related: The best hotels in New Orleans, from the French Quarter to the Garden District

So, I tried to figure out a way to utilize this limited-time offer to my advantage.

Unfortunately, it became clear that an entirely separate trip wasn’t feasible. The cheapest same-day, round-trip flight I could find that worked for my schedule still rang in at over $150 — and that’s without the drive to the airport, parking fees and lost productivity from being on the road.

However, that’s when I realized that I had a great opportunity on a trip that was already happening.

Booking the perfect itinerary

At the end of October, I had been asked to speak at a conference in Long Beach during the eligible travel window to earn the Companion Pass. Due to scheduling restrictions, I was booked to fly in and out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). That sparked my thinking — could I find cheap flights in Southern California during my trip? Or, could I even fly from Long Beach Airport (LGB) to LAX via another nearby Southwest city?

Yes, as it turns out.

A few hours after my session was set to end at the Long Beach Convention Center, there was a one-way, nonstop flight from LGB to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. From there, I had multiple nonstop options to get to LAX. Aside from the airfare, there were no additional expenses to incur. Booking these flights would replace taking a ride-hailing service back up to Los Angeles (though I did need a shorter ride to LGB).

Here’s what my same-day itinerary looked like:

Since these were separate reservations (to satisfy the requirement of taking two one-way flights), I gave myself plenty of time to connect. However, I opted to spend an extra $15 for a Wanna Get Away Plus fare on the flight from LAS to LAX — this gave me the option of a free same-day change if I wanted to cut down my layover time in Las Vegas.

I charged both flights to my Chase Sapphire Reserve® to earn 3 points per dollar (after using the annual $300 travel credit) and enjoy various travel protections in case things went wrong. Thankfully, though, the plan went off without a hitch.

Flying from Long Beach to LA via Las Vegas

After my session finished, I called a Lyft and headed to LGB. The trip cost $33.35 total (fares to get back to LAX around that time were around $60, not including tip). It was my first time flying out of that airport, and it was a lovely experience. Security was a breeze, and I had plenty of time to grab a quick sandwich and wander the open-air space between the two sets of gates before boarding commenced for my flight to Las Vegas.

The plane was only about two-thirds full, so I enjoyed a window seat with an empty middle. We pushed back three minutes late and took off at 1:09 p.m. into a gorgeous Southern California sky.

The flight was quite turbulent, so there was no drink service, but we landed just 39 minutes after takeoff and parked at the gate at 1:56 p.m., nine minutes early.

Since I just had a carry-on bag, I knew I’d have no trouble making an earlier flight. Before deplaning, I fired up the Southwest app, and, sure enough, I could confirm a seat on the 3:50 p.m. departure for no additional fee (it would’ve been $75 had I booked the cheaper Wanna Get Away fare). That still gave me plenty of time to take the train to Concourse D and visit the Las Vegas Centurion Lounge, which I accessed with my Platinum Card® from American Express.

There was a short wait to get in, but less than 10 minutes later, I was enjoying some delicious food while catching up on work.

It was soon time to head back to the C gates for my flight to LAX. Because of my same-day change, I was assigned B 58 as my boarding position — but like my first flight, the plane wasn’t nearly full, so I had another empty middle seat for the short hop.

We pushed back two minutes early and took off at 3:59 p.m. We were in the air for just 42 minutes, touching down at 4:41 p.m. and parking at the gate just six minutes after landing, 23 minutes ahead of schedule. It was a short walk from Terminal 1 to the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport.

Related: The 10 best hotels near Los Angeles International Airport

Less than 24 hours after completing the requirements, I received an email from Southwest confirming that a promotional Companion Pass would be on the way in early January.

Receiving — and then using — the Companion Pass

On Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, I received another email from Southwest notifying me that the Companion Pass had arrived and that I could designate my companion online. With just a few clicks, my daughter officially became the beneficiary of my harebrained scheme.

Then, I just had to add her to my existing reservations. This, too, was a simple process, as Southwest had a clear callout to add a companion right from my account dashboard.

You’re still responsible for taxes and fees on your companion’s ticket, but that came to just $11.20 for this round-trip flight to Pittsburgh.

I then added her to our second flight to New Orleans, paying only $5.60 in taxes and fees for her ticket. Just like that, we were all set.

I got nearly $500 in flights for about $120

So, was this trip worth it? In short, absolutely.

My two flights in California cost $156.95, and when you add the Lyft to the airport, the total cost was $190.30. However, I saved a ride back to LAX, which would’ve been roughly $72 ($60 for the base fare plus a 20% tip). So, in reality, the net expense was less than $120.

In return, I got a Companion Pass for my daughter that saved the following on airfare:

• MCO-PIT-MCO: $11.20 in taxes and fees instead of $321.96
• MSY-MCO: $5.60 in taxes and fees instead of $186.48
• Total savings: $491.64

Most importantly, this trip was done with minimal interruption to my daily life. It happened on a trip I was taking already, and I could still work full days.

Finally, while this promotion is no longer available, it is worth noting that there are currently some limited-time credit card offers to earn a Companion Pass. If you apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, you can earn a Companion Pass valid through Feb. 28, 2026 — plus 30,000 bonus points — after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.

Bottom line

Last October, I flew from Long Beach to Los Angeles via Las Vegas. And, no, it wasn’t just to avoid traffic in Southern California. Instead, by embedding these two flights inside a business trip I was already taking, I earned a two-month Southwest Companion Pass.

In all, I spent $118.30 to ultimately get $491.64 worth of flights — a fantastic return for little to no hassle. Put another way, I kept $373.34 in my pocket, which will go a long way toward covering other trip expenses.

This promotion is no longer available, but it may come back in the future. And for this or any other similar offer, there is a key takeaway: When one crops up, take a glance at your upcoming travels. You might be able to use it to your advantage.