The Best Credit Cards with Companion Fares

While award chart sweet spots and premium class redemptions tend to attract most of the spotlight, one less-discussed way to save money on travel is by taking advantage of the annual companion fares that get offered as a perk on certain credit cards. 

Like the name suggests, companion fares are redeemable when at least two people are travelling together, offering a free or discounted ticket for the second passenger.

If you tend to travel as a couple, companion fares can be a fantastic way to essentially get up to a 50% discount on your flights. Furthermore, loading up on more than one companion fare and “multiplying” their benefit is one of the best ways to reduce costs if you regularly travel together as a family or party of four, six, eight, etc.

Let’s take a look at some of the best available companion vouchers being offered as a credit card perk.

The WestJet Annual Round-Trip Companion Voucher

WestJet’s annual round-trip companion voucher comes as a perk of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. As part of signing up for this card for an annual fee of $119, you’ll earn WestJet Dollars (WSD) redeemable towards the cost of any WestJet flight, free checked bags on WestJet flights, and a companion voucher.

When redeeming the companion fare, the cardholder will pay full price for the round-trip ticket, while the second guest will pay:

• $119 for travel within Canada and the continental US
• $399 for travel to/from Hawaii, Mexico, or the rest of the WestJet network

Note that the above amounts cover the base fare only, and you must still pay for the taxes and fees on the ticket separately. 

The companion voucher expires one year after it’s issued (you have to book by this date), and at that point you’ll be given a new annual companion voucher for the following year. Therefore, as long as you can save more than $119 by using the companion voucher every year, you’re getting great value out of holding onto the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for the long term.

The WestJet Dollars you earn as a signup bonus can also be combined with the companion voucher to achieve even greater savings. The signup bonus can be used towards either the first traveller’s full fare, or the second traveller’s discounted base fare.

However, it’s important to note that the guest travelling on the companion voucher is not eligible to earn WestJet Dollars from their travel. And…