Southwest Companion Pass: Everything You Need to Know (2023)

Points and airline miles are great for getting almost free flights. However, there is one loyalty program benefit that gives you almost free unlimited travel for at least one year: the Southwest Companion Pass®.

Whether you're hearing about the Companion Pass for the first time or looking for tips on how to finish qualifying, let's take a look at everything you need to know about earning and using the Southwest Companion Pass.

How the Southwest Companion Pass Works

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most coveted perks in travel. Southwest Companion Pass holders can bring a companion with them on all Southwest flights at almost no cost. On US domestic flights, travelers only need to pay US$5.60 in tax each way.

The companion pass is valid from the date of purchase until the end of the next calendar year. For example, if the Companion Pass is obtained in March 2023, it will be valid through December 31, 2024. This means that Companion Pass holders get at least one full year of benefits from a Southwest companion ticket.

You're not even stuck with the same partner all year round. Southwest will allow passholders to change companions up to three times per calendar year.

There is no limit to how many times or on which routes a Companion Pass can be used. Even better, there are no blackout dates or capacity restrictions for using the Companion Pass. Southwest will allow passholders to reserve a seat for their companion, even if it is the last available seat on the flight.

One companion can join a Companion Pass holder regardless of how the flight is booked. This means that Companion Pass holders do not need to book flights with cash to get their companion flight. Passholders can use Rapid Rewards points to pay for their flight and bring a companion for just the cost of taxes and fees. Your total direct cost can be as little as $5.60 each way.

Sounds amazing, right? Well, we're going to show you how to earn this awesome pass.

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Earn 50,000 points

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pros and cons

• 3,000 points per year on cardholder's birthday
• No seat restrictions or blackout dates
• No change fees or booking fees

• Very high balance transfer fee
• foreign transaction fee
• Very high APR and cash advance fee
• Mostly US domestic routes.

card details

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account.
• 3,000 Anniversary Points every year.
• Earn double points on Southwest® purchases.
• Earn double points on local transport and commuting, including rides.
• Earn double points on Internet, cable and phone services; select broadcast.
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In® every year.
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
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Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account.

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How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass

To earn the Companion Pass, you'll need to generate a lot of activity with thePrograma Southwest Quick Rewards. A Rapid Rewards member must fly 100 eligible one-way flights or earn 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points in a calendar year to earn the Companion Pass.

If that requirement seems higher than you remember, there's a reason for it. In January 2023, Southwest raised the Companion Pass standard from 125,000 points to 135,000 points. As a consolation, Rapid Rewards credit card members will now receive 10,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Bonus Points each year

Only certain points earned are Companion Pass Qualifying Points

Not all Rapid Rewards points activity counts towards earning the Companion Pass. However, most profitable activities qualify. Southwest lists four main categories that qualify for the Companion Pass:

• fast rewards credit card
• shopping and dining
• Trip
• home and lifestyle

As a benefit of the airline's loyalty program, the classic way to earn the Companion Pass would be to earn all 135,000 qualifying points through travel. However, this is going to be difficult for most travelers. Southwest travelers earn Rapid Rewards on commercial flights at the following rates:

• Wanna Get Away Rates: 6 points per dollar on base rate
• Wanna Get Away Plus Rates: 8 points per dollar on base rate
• Anytime Rates: 10 points to the dollar base rate
• Business Select Rates: 12 points to the dollar on base rate

That means a Rapid Rewards member would need to spend $22,500, excluding taxes and fees, on Southwest's Wanna Get Away fares to earn enough qualifying points on flights alone. If you only purchased the most expensive Anytime fares, you'd still need to spend $13,500 in fares (before taxes and fees) to get the Companion Pass.

Fortunately, Companion Pass qualifying points can be earned for more than just flying. Stays at Southwest partner hotels, car rentals, and spending on Rapid Rewards credit cards and welcome bonuses all count toward the 135,000 point requirement.

Rapid Rewards members can also earn Companion Pass qualifying points from a long list of retail and travel partners.

Earn Companion Pass qualifying points via credit cards

The easiest way to quickly increase your Companion Pass earnings is through welcome bonuses and credit card spending.

Credit card welcome bonus rates vary depending on whether there is a limited time offer.

For most travelers, earning the Companion Pass will be the result of earning Qualifying Points from multiple sources:credit cards, flights and shopping/dining partners. However, some travelers can obtain the Companion Pass with credit card and spending vouchers only.

There are five Southwest credit cards that can speed you up to the Companion Pass:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus credit card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Gain50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after opening account
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Business Premier Credit Card: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening

Points that do not qualify for the Companion Pass

While the list of eligible activities is long, some activities will not help you earn a Companion Pass. The following activity does not count towards the Companion Pass:

• purchased points
• Points transferred/gifted
• Points earned for enrolling in the program
• Tier Bonus Points
• Promotional Bonus Points (with the exception of Rapid Rewards credit cards)
• Flight Bonus Points
• Partner Bonus Points (excluding Rapid Rewards credit cards)
• Points transferred fromUltimate Chase Rewards
• Partner program transfers, including points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards, Valued Opinions and Diners Club)
• Points that qualify for purchased promotional levels

While not explicitly listed here, it's important to note that flights booked with Rapid Rewards points will not help you earn the Companion Pass. Only Southwest commercial flights earn points that qualify for the Companion Pass and flights that qualify for the 100-flight requirement.

The best time to earn the Companion Pass

The Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was obtained, plus the entire following calendar year. This means that the ideal time to get the Companion Pass is at the beginning of the calendar year.

However, earning the Companion Pass requires earning a large number of Companion Pass qualifying points. Therefore, earning all 135,000 points in a short period of time at the start of a calendar year will be difficult. You can make significant progress towards a Companion Pass by strategically earning credit card welcome bonuses at the start of a calendar year.

A strategy to earn the Companion Pass for almost two years

What's better than getting the Southwest Companion Pass for a year? Getting it for two years. If you expire your apps and spend the right amount, you can do just that.

The key is the exact moment the welcome bonus arrives in your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. Your credit card welcome bonus counts towards your Companion Pass when you sign up for your account. That means you can get a head start on qualifying for next year by applying for a Southwest credit card later in the year.

For example, you could apply for a credit card in November or December and use the new card to earn your welcome bonus. However, you may want to wait until the December statement closes to reach the minimum spending threshold. This way, the welcome bonus will be released in your Rapid Rewards account in January of next year. Depending on the welcome bonus you receive, this could give you a huge boost towards earning the Companion Pass that year.

How to use the Southwest Companion Pass

Now that you know how to get it, we'll show you how easy it is to use the Companion Pass.

How to Assign Your Companion to the Southwest Companion Pass

Before you can use the Companion Pass, you must designate your companion. To designate a companion, log in to your Rapid Rewards account. In the Snapshot tab, find "Choose your friend", click "Enter friend information" and follow the instructions to complete the process.

You will need to provide Southwest with your companion's full name, gender, date of birth, mailing address, email address and telephone number. After submitting the information, Southwest will mail a Companion Pass membership kit and membership card to the Companion Pass holder. Southwest says the kit will arrive in seven to 10 business days.

Steps to use the Southwest Companion Pass

To use the Companion Pass, the pass holder must first book their own flight. If you plan to use the Companion Pass, please double check that there are at least two seats available on the flight(s). ).

Southwest may notice that only "1" is left in the search results. Don't worry about that. This is just the number of seats available at this price. As long as there are at least two seats available on the plane, a companion can accompany you.

After booking your flight, you can add a companion directly from the confirmation page.

If you need to add a companion later, you can do so in yoursouthwest travelpage. There will be a convenient link on the trip details card.

Southwest makes the rest of the process easy by automatically filling in your companion's name, date of birth, known traveler number and other details. You'll only need to pay taxes and fees for the companion ticket, which is typically just $5.60 one-way for flights within the US.

Eligible flights for the Southwest Companion Pass

Companion Pass holders can use the Companion Pass anywhere Southwest flies. And there are no blackout dates or availability restrictions for using the Companion Pass.

The same fare type does not even have to be available. You can add a companion even if you have booked a Wanna Get Away rate and only Anytime rates will be available when you add your companion.

A designated companion may join a passholder as long as the flight is during the validity of the companion's pass. This means that a companion can accompany you on a flight that you booked prior to obtaining the Companion Pass. Let's say you book a flight in March 2023 to travel in July 2023. If you get the Companion Pass in June 2023, your companion can accompany you at just the cost of taxes and fees.

On the other hand, you cannot bring a companion on a flight taken after the companion pass expires, even if you book the flight before the expiration date. Travel must be completed within the validity period of the companion pass.

How to change your Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest Companion Pass holders may change their designated companion up to three times per calendar year. This means you can have a total of four companions: the original companion and up to three new companions. However, you can only have one designated companion at a time.

There is no way to change the Companion Pass designation online. This will likely help prevent fraudulent changes to your account rather than frustrating Companion Pass holders. Instead, you will need to call Southwest at 1-800-435-9792 to change your Companion Pass companion.

Keep in mind that it may take up to 21 business days for Southwest to process the change and issue you a new Companion Pass card. Therefore, you should make changes to your companion as soon as possible if you are planning a trip.

Southwest Companion Pass Companion Restrictions

There aren't many restrictions on using the Southwest Companion Pass, but it's important to pay attention to the terms and conditions. You don't want to risk losing this valuable pass!

First, the Southwest Companion Pass is really a companion pass. If the member's ticket is cancelled, the companion's ticket will also be cancelled. And if the passholder changes their ticket, the companion's ticket must also be changed to match. The designated companion must pay for their fare if the passholder is not traveling with them.

This travel together requirement also applies to the travel process. The companion pass holder and their companion must register together. The check-in agent may request that the Companion Pass card be displayed for the companion to travel.
And, to be sure, Southwest's attorneys were keen to state, "Corporations and other entities cannot be designated as escorts."

In short

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most sought-after perks in travel for a reason. It's amazing to add a companion to all your flights for an entire year without having to pay for an additional full-price ticket. So it's understandable that Southwest would struggle to win.

However, using credit card welcome bonuses and other earning strategies, you can speed your way to earning this valuable benefit. By choosing the right moment, you can extend the enjoyment of the benefit for more than one year.