Key takeaways
- The Southwest Companion Pass lets you designate a companion who can fly with you for free (minus taxes and fees) on any Southwest flight you book with cash or points for up to two years.
- You can score a Companion Pass by earning 135,000 qualifying points or taking 100 qualifying one-way flights.
- Southwest’s rewards cards can be a big help in earning a Companion Pass, as you can earn points via both regular spending and a sign-up bonus.
- It’s wise to be strategic about when you earn the pass to squeeze as much time out of it as possible (the earlier in the year you earn the pass, the better).
The Southwest Companion Pass has long been considered the holy grail of travel passes you can earn through a co-branded airline credit card.
It’s valuable for a few reasons, including the fact that it’s good for the year you earn it and the entire following year. Not only that, but the Southwest Companion Pass applies both to flights you buy with cash and flights you book with Rapid Rewards points.
Since Southwest Airlines flies to more than 120 airports within the United States (including Hawaii) and throughout the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, having this pass lets you explore incredible destinations while gleaning significant savings on airfare.
Let’s dive into the details on how the Southwest Companion Pass works and steps required to earn it in 2024.
How the Southwest Companion Pass works
Rewards enthusiasts who earn the Southwest Companion Pass get the chance to add another person to their flight reservation for each trip they take.
Once someone achieves Companion Pass status, they can add a companion for the remainder of that year and the entire following year. This means someone who earns the Companion Pass in March of 2025 would receive all the benefits for a full 21 months (the nine remaining months of 2025 and 12 months in 2025).
There’s no limit on how often the pass can be used, so Companion Pass members could easily fly with a free companion dozens of times. The only costs for the companion fare are government-required airline taxes — just $5.60 per leg for domestic trips.
What’s the catch? For the most part, there isn’t one.
The only real “gotcha” of the Southwest Companion Pass is the fact you can only change your companion up to three times each calendar year. This prevents pass holders from traveling with a new companion every time they fly. Even so, there’s plenty of flexibility to change companions when required.
How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass
To qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass, you’ll need to join the Southwest Rapid Rewards program and fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points per calendar year.
Many people achieve Companion Pass status by using a combination of Southwest credit card sign-up bonuses, credit card spending and rental car or hotel bookings made through Southwest.
Points that qualify toward the Companion Pass
Not all points will count toward the Companion Pass. Generally speaking, only the following points count:
- Points earned via flights booked through Southwest
- Points earned with Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
- Base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners
- Points earned through Southwest Rapid Rewards dining partners
Southwest credit card points count toward Companion Pass status when they are posted to your Rapid Rewards account (after your credit card closing date), not on the day the spending occurs. This is an important distinction; if you wait until December 31 to try to earn the Southwest Companion Pass before the calendar year ends, running out and spending money on your credit card that day likely won’t help.
You need to spend the money early enough so the points post to your account on your December billing statement. This ensures you can earn the full 135,000 points needed for the pass before the calendar year ends.
Points that do not qualify for the Companion Pass
Points that do not count toward the Companion Pass include:
- Purchased points
- Points transferred between members
- Points converted through hotel and car loyalty programs
- Points transferred to this program from Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Points earned through certain promotions offered to members
Earning Companion Pass-qualifying points through credit cards
While some of the details on Southwest credit cards change over time, getting one of these cards can be a huge leg up toward Companion Pass status. That’s because sign-up bonuses and points earned through regular spending can count toward status requirements.
The following Southwest credit cards can help you get to Companion Pass status significantly faster:
How to use the Southwest Companion Pass
Earning the Southwest Companion Pass can take some time, particularly if you don’t fly often or you can’t spend very much each month on a co-branded Southwest credit card. However, the steps required to actually use the pass once you earn it are easy to understand and follow.
How to designate your companion for the Southwest Companion Pass
To use the pass, all you have to do is log in to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account and set up a designated “companion.”
To assign your companion, you will:
- Log into your rewards account at Southwest.com.
- Click the button that says “Choose Your Companion” under the Snapshot tab.
- Click on “Enter Companion Info” and enter the details for your companion.
You can also call Southwest to add your companion over the phone at 1-800-435-9792.
How to apply the Companion Pass to a flight
Your designated companion gets to fly with you on each domestic or international flight you take. You will still owe airline taxes and fees for your companion. While these fees start at $5.60 per leg for domestic flights, they can climb as high as $100 or more for international flights to Mexico and the Caribbean.
To use your companion pass for a flight, you will go ahead and book your own airfare first (with points or with cash). After that, you will head to the “My Trips” section of your Southwest account.
At that point, you will:
- Find your flight in the “Upcoming” section of your account
- Click on “Add Companion” and then “Continue.”
- Click on “Purchase” to confirm your companion and pay for airline taxes and fees.
You can also add your companion to an existing flight reservation by calling Southwest at 1-800-248-4377.
How to change your Southwest Companion Pass companion
You can only change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year. The steps required to change your companion are the same as if you were adding one in the first place. You’ll head to the Snapshot tab in your Southwest account, locate the “Choose Your Companion” button and follow the prompts to update your companion’s details.
Keep in mind: Your companion can only fly for free with you; they cannot use the pass to fly alone or with someone else.
More tips about the Southwest Companion Pass
To make the most of your Southwest points and Companion Pass, keep these tips in mind:
- Earn the pass early in the year. Since your pass is valid for the rest of the calendar year in which it’s earned, plus the following calendar year, you can squeeze more use out of the pass the earlier you earn it. For example, if you earned the pass on Jan. 1, 2025, you’d be able to use it nearly 24 months (through the rest of 2025 and all of 2026). But earning the pass on Sept. 1, 2025 would only give you around 16 months of use (four months from September through December of 2025, plus all of 2026).
- Feel free to plan ahead. You can still plan a trip with your companion (and potentially get a better deal) even if you haven’t earned the Companion Pass yet. If you’re confident you’ll earn the pass before the flight takes off, you can simply book your own ticket ahead of time and add your companion once you earn the pass. As The Points Guy notes, it may be worth booking your companion’s spot via points to save them a seat (you can cancel and rebook with your pass later).
- Cancelation is simple. If your plans change and you need to book a new flight with your companion, simply cancel their reservation, rebook your flight and add your companion to your new reservation.
- Don’t expect to double-dip on points. Only the primary passenger will earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points from flights booked with a companion. While your companion can take advantage of plenty of other Southwest perks (like two free checked bags), they won’t earn any points from their flight.
- Look for bonus offers on Southwest cards. If you aren’t already a Southwest rewards cardholder and are hoping to earn a Companion Pass, you may not need to get there via flights or points. Southwest cards have previously featured limited-time sign-up bonuses offers that offer a Companion Pass right off the bat when you meet the bonus spending requirement. While there’s no guarantee these offers will pop up again in the future, it may be worth waiting to see, assuming you think you’ll have trouble earning the pass via flights or points.
The bottom line
If you’re willing to put in the work, a Southwest Companion Pass is well worth the effort. It comes with numerous benefits and savings that you can enjoy during the year you earn it — and the year after. Southwest also flies to a diverse array of destinations that can make this pass a game-changer when it comes to planning family trips.
Just remember that you’ll reach Companion Pass status easier if you let a Southwest credit card do most of the heavy lifting. Starting as early in the year as possible also gives you more time to earn all the points you need through qualifying activity.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
*The information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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