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The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals available in the world of travel. While it’s not a fit for everyone, if you are a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer, it can save you a significant amount of money on flights.
This pass allows you to add a companion to any Southwest Airlines ticket for just the cost of the taxes and fees. Even better, if you time it right, you can get this perk for almost 2 full years.
Since Southwest has expanded its network, you can use the Companion Pass to get to popular vacation destinations like Hawaii and international locations including Mexico and the Caribbean.
If you’re intrigued by the Southwest Companion Pass, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll show you exactly what it is and more importantly, how to get one so you can save big bucks on your next flight.
The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is the highest-level award that a member of the Rapid Rewards loyalty program can achieve. It allows you to essentially get unlimited buy-one-get-one-free tickets for up to 2 years. All you pay for are the taxes and fees for the second ticket.
While the Southwest Companion Pass is considered elite status by some, it’s not actually a status level and doesn’t include any Southwest Airlines elite status benefits. Southwest has 2 elite status levels, A-List and A-List Preferred, that are earned separately from the Companion Pass.
You can earn both a Southwest Companion Pass and A-List/A-List Preferred status but the benefits don’t cross over.
The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to add a companion to any Southwest ticket. All you need to do is pay the taxes and fees for the companion which are $5.60 for a one-way flight within the U.S. ($11.20 round-trip). Taxes and fees are higher on international flights, averaging ~$75 each way.
The companion can be added to any ticket as long as there is a seat available. The original ticket can be purchased with cash or points and the available seat doesn’t have to be in the same fare class as the original ticket.
For example, if you purchase a Wanna Get Away fare and want to add a companion later but there are only Business Select fares available, you’d still be able to add your companion even though the original ticket was a Wanna Get Away fare.
It’s best to add your companion at the time of booking to ensure a seat is available, but it’s not required. A companion can be added at any time, as long as Southwest has a seat for sale.
Bottom Line: The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to add a companion for just the cost of the taxes and fees ($5.60 one-way on a domestic ticket) to any and every flight you take while you have the pass. It can be used an unlimited number of times and works on tickets purchased both in points or cash.
Rapid Rewards members can earn a Southwest Companion Pass in 2 ways:
Once you qualify for the Companion Pass, it is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earn it and the entire next calendar year.
That means if you can earn a Companion Pass in January, you’ll have it for almost 2 full years. If you earn your Companion Pass in December, you only get to keep it for about 1 year.
As you can see, timing is critical when earning a Companion Pass. The earlier in the year you can earn it, the longer the pass is good for.
Another important thing to know about the Southwest Companion Pass is that once you earn the required 135,000 points, you’ll still have those points in your account to use for flights. You don’t have to “buy” the Companion Pass with points. It simply activates as soon as you earn 135,000 points in a calendar year.
Bottom Line: You’ll get a Southwest Companion Pass after earning 135,000 qualifying points or flying 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. It’s valid for the remainder of the year in which you earn it and the next calendar year.
The easiest way to earn the Southwest Companion Pass is through credit card welcome bonuses earned by meeting minimum spending requirements. That’s because you’ll earn large chunks of qualifying points at 1 time and because as a Southwest credit cardholder, you’ll get a yearly 10,000-point boost toward Companion Pass Qualification.
So essentially, as a Southwest credit cardholder, you’ll only need to earn 125,000 qualifying points to get a Companion Pass.
The 10,000-point boost only counts toward Companion Pass qualification — they are not redeemable Rapid Rewards points.
Chase offers the following Southwest Airlines co-branded credit cards:
Additionally, there are 2 Southwest co-branded business card options:
You should be able to earn a Companion Pass, or come very close, by earning 2 welcome bonuses (after meeting minimum spending requirements). Since you can’t have 2 personal Southwest co-branded credit cards at once, this needs to be done by opening 1 personal Southwest card and 1 business Southwest card.
Hot Tip: Qualifying for a business credit card may be easier than you think. Your business doesn’t need to be big to qualify for a credit card. Many small businesses, such as selling items on eBay, running a blog, or driving for Uber, can allow you to apply for business credit cards.
If you’ve had a Southwest credit card in the past or currently have one, you’ll need to determine how long it’s been since you’ve earned a new cardmember bonus. You’ll only be eligible for a Southwest credit card welcome offer if you don’t currently hold a Southwest card and it’s been more than 24 months since you’ve earned a bonus.
These rules apply separately to personal and business cards. For example, if you currently hold a Southwest business credit card and earned a bonus within the past 24 months, you’re still eligible to earn a bonus on a Southwest personal card and vice versa.
To get the most out of your Southwest Companion Pass it’s important to time your qualification correctly. Since the Companion Pass is valid for the rest of the calendar year in which you earn it and the entire following calendar year, you’ll get the most use out of it if you earn it early in the calendar year.
If you’re planning to earn most of your points through credit card welcome offers, you’ll want to ensure those points post as early in the year as possible.
Of course, you can wait until January 1 to apply for your new credit cards, but if you want to get a head start, you can apply for the credit cards in November or December. Start spending on the cards right away but don’t finish the minimum spend requirement until January 1. That way, after meeting your minimum spending requirement, your welcome points will post in January and you’ll have a Companion Pass for almost 2 years.
Earning the Southwest Companion Pass from credit cards is just one way to do it, but there are lots of other ways to earn the required 135,000 qualifying points:
Southwest has additional partners and the base points you earn from these partners do count toward Companion Pass qualification:
You’ll notice some points qualify in the year they are posted and some points qualify based on the purchase date. This can be very important if you’re trying to qualify at the end of a calendar year.
For example, if you’re 5,000 points short in December so you do some extra spending on your credit card, those points won’t count unless they post in December. If they post in January they would count toward the next year’s qualification.
Hot Tip: The Southwest Companion Pass will be awarded as soon as you earn the required 135,000 Rapid Rewards points. You can then use those points to purchase tickets — you don’t have to cash them out to get the Companion Pass!
Here’s a look at the points that do not qualify for Southwest Companion Pass status:
If you aren’t sure how many Companion Pass qualifying points you currently have, you can check your balance in your online account. First, click on View Details underneath your points total. Then choose the year you want to see and filter the list by Companion Pass Qualifying Points.
Once you’ve earned your Companion Pass, the first thing you need to do is to choose your official companion.
Southwest allows you to select any 1 person to be your companion at any given time, and you can change that person up to 3 times a year, for a maximum of 4 companions over the course of the year.
You’ll be able to designate your initial companion online, but you’ll need to call Southwest at 800-435-9792 to change your companion. The first companion needs to be removed from any future reservations before a second companion can be designated.
According to the Southwest website, changing your companion can take up to 21 business days to process, however, in practice, it happens almost instantly most of the time.
Using your Southwest Companion Pass is incredibly easy.
First, you’ll need to book your ticket as you usually would. It can be purchased with points or cash and can be for any fare category (Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, or Business Select).
Once your ticket is booked, you can add your companion either through Southwest.com or via phone.
On the website, you will see a place to click that says Add Companion. This is located just below your flight information, next to the links to cancel or change your flight. Simply click the button and enter the required information to add your companion. You’ll also need to pay the taxes at this point, which will be $5.60 for a one-way domestic trip.
To add a companion over the phone, just call reservations and let the representative know you will be using your Companion Pass to add another passenger to your flight.
Your companion can be added up until the time of the flight, as long as there are still seats for sale. This is true even if the price has gone up since you bought your ticket.
After you add a companion, you’ll see the companion confirmation number (which will be different from the original ticket) with your flight information.
Since your companion will have a different confirmation number, you’ll both have to check in for your flight separately. This can result in different boarding positions, which can potentially make sitting together more difficult.
If you want to ensure you’re sitting next to your companion on the plane, you may want to consider purchasing EarlyBird Check-In or using an Upgraded Boarding pass from the Southwest Priority card and Southwest Performance Business card.
There are some additional rules for Companion Pass tickets that you’ll want to keep in mind:
If you need to make a change to a flight that includes a companion, you can do it in 1 of 2 ways. You can call Southwest to make the change, or you can make the change online. To change a ticket that includes a companion online, you’ll first need to cancel the companion ticket. Then you can make a change to the original ticket and add the companion back once the change is made.
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in travel. It allows you to add a companion for just the cost of the taxes and fees on any Southwest flight for up to 2 years.
To earn a Companion Pass you need to earn 135,000 qualifying points in a year or fly 100 one-way flights. Thankfully, credit card welcome offers are considered qualifying points, so earning a Companion Pass may be easier than you think.
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Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure and Forbes Advisor.
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214 comments
Doug Gatton
August 17, 2019
Great post and Super Q&A!!
I currently have a Southwest Rapid Rewards Chase Visa card & received a 60,000 mile bonus in July 2017.
To execute the presented strategy for 2020 I would have to cancel my personal card sometime soon. Once it is canceled get the personal card again as well as the business card in December 2019, and don’t hit the “Required Spend” until January 2020, at which time both initial offer bonus will credit. I should get the Companion Card at the end of Q1 2020 (maybe sooner depending on the Bonus offers in December of 2019) and have companion card through Dec. 31, 2020.
If I have any of the above wrong please let me know because I am going to need to cancel my card soon and time my spends. Thanks in advance for your answer!
Jarrod West
August 19, 2019
Hi Doug,
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, your strategy will work to earn the companion pass. But keep in mind that you need to be under 5/24 in order to be eligible for the Southwest cards. Additionally, I would recommend you apply for a different version of the personal card than the one you hold now just to be on the safe side.
Thanks for reading!
Jenna
September 06, 2019
Despite all your info, I still have a few questions…
•If I get my CP in Jan 2020 it’ll be valid thru 2021. What happens to all the new points I earn in 2020-2021… Will they extend my pass add’l years?
•If I purchase tickets for family, will I earn the Rapid Reward points & will those points count towards CP?
Thanks for all the info & time you’ve shared with us, I really appreciate you!
Katie Seemann
September 06, 2019
Hi Jenna,
Yes, if you earn your Companion Pass in January 2020 it will be valid through December 2021. Any new points you earn won’t extend the pass unless you earn another 110,000 in 2021 (then your pass would be extended until 2022).
No, if you purchase tickets for family, the Rapid Rewards points will be earned under their accounts so they wouldn’t count towards a CP.
Thanks for reading!
Jay
September 07, 2019
Hi. Is it really true that points earned in December that would post on a January statement might be credited early, in December? You say this a few times but I haven’t found examples of people saying it happened to them, except when mistakes were made. I want to apply for a 2020 CP card now. Thanks.
Katie Seemann
September 07, 2019
Hi Jay,
As long as your statement doesn’t post until January you should be fine. We warn about earning points in December because it can be a little tricky and messing up by a day or 2 could be the difference between having a Companion Pass and not having one. It’s too early for any points to post in January now so I would hold off on getting a card for a couple of months. To earn the CP for 2020-2021 all 110,000 points need to post January 2020 or later.
Lisa
September 07, 2019
Can I apply for a different personal SW card and get bonus points, or do I have to cancel all personal cards that earned SW bonus points before applying for a new personal card? EX: I have a SW Plus card that I received Oct. 2017 and earned CP in Jan 2018 which expires Dec. 2019. Can I apply in Nov. 2019 (24+ mos. after receiving last SW Plus card) for SW Priority personal card and get bonus points to apply to CP or do I need to first cancel the SW Plus card I currently hold before applying for a new one? Does this rule also hold true for business cards? Thank you for all of your help!
Katie Seemann
September 07, 2019
Hi Lisa,
Southwest’s rule is that you can’t get a 2nd personal card if either:
You are a current Southwest consumer credit cardholder; or
You have earned a new cardmember bonus on a Southwest consumer credit card in the last 24 months
So that means if you want to get the SW Priority Card and have the bonus points count towards your CP, you would need to cancel the SW Plus Card first. Then you can sign up for the SW Priority Card as long as it’s been 24+ months since you earned the SW Plus bonus (Make sure you are going by the date you got the bonus, not when you applied for the card).
The rule does not apply to business cards, so you could get a SW business card without cancelling your current SW card. Good Luck!
Jeff
September 16, 2019
Currently, my wife is set as my companion. Would like to change it to my son.
I have a companion seat reserved on a flight, but that flight is now sold out.
I know I need to cancel her ticket/seat before I can change my companion designation.
Is it possible for Southwest to cancel my wife’s seat and quickly change to my son’s name and get that seat back? Concerned that its SOLD OUT, but my wife technically has a seat reserved.
Katie Seemann
September 17, 2019
Hi Jeff,
In your case I would suggest calling Southwest to do this over the phone. You can reach them at: 1-800-435-9792. I hope it works out!
Brenda Ummel
September 20, 2019
I saw that my companion pass is good this year and the next year? Is this true? I’m trying to book a trip to Mexico but it’s at the end of the year and thru Jan. 4. Southwest agent told me I can’t do it. Please help! Thanks!
Katie Seemann
September 20, 2019
Hi Brenda,
If you earned the Companion Pass through the credit card welcome bonus that was offered earlier this year, it’s only good through Dec 31, 2019. If this is your situation, you can book your trip as 2 one ways. Then you can use the Companion Pass on the first part of the trip that occurs in 2019.
If you earned the Companion Pass this year through points (the “regular” way) it would indeed be good through 2020. In that case you would absolutely be able to book a trip that ended on Jan 4, 2020.
Hope that helps!
Stan Chin
October 09, 2019
Which card is better to apply for first? Personal or business? Or does it matter?
Jarrod West
October 09, 2019
Hi Stan,
Generally, business credit cards are better to apply for first as the new account should not report to your credit report.
Thanks for reading!
D Amado
October 19, 2019
Just got the email from Southwest that they are changing their required points for the Companion Pass starting 1/1/20 up to 125,000 from 110,000! Ugh!
Diane L
November 01, 2019
I understand the companion pass and how to get it.
I want to make sure if my husband books a ticket in November 2019 for the end of January 2020, and earns his companion pass in January 2020 also, will he be able to add me as his companion for this ticket? (Considering, ticket was booked BEFORE the pass was earned.)
Thanks!
Jarrod West
November 03, 2019
Hi Diane,
Yes, once he earns the companion pass he should be able to add you onto a flight he has already booked, assuming there are seats available on the flight.
Thanks for reading!
Genise
November 06, 2019
IMHO .. out of all the bloggers, you do the best job of explaining a clearly complicated process.
My question is the following:
As I understand it, all points earned until 12/31/19 will be reset to 0 on 1/1/20. Would it therefore be prudent to save the biggest chunk of the spending requirement over the 3-months-period for January 2020 ?
Andrew Kunesh
November 07, 2019
Thanks, Genise! We’re glad you enjoy the blog — your support means a lot to us.
Anyway, we do recommend waiting until January to qualify for the benefit. Doing this will let you take advantage of the Companion Pass throughout the bulk of 2020 and all of 2021. Just note that the Companion Pass qualification requirements change in 2020 — the mileage requirement is increasing from 110K to 125K. Thankfully, credit cards spend, dining program points, etc will still count towards the pass.
Best,
Andrew
Theresa T
November 11, 2019
Thanks for your blog! I am confused about points resetting on 1/1/20 and what that means for a companion pass. We applied for our card in July and have 25k points left to earn a companion pass. As recommended in a few articles, I was hoping to have points post in Jan 2020 to take advantage of nearly 2 years of companion pass. Now with points resetting to 0 on Jan 1, does your idea of having points post in Jan still hold? I was told by a RR card rep that everything I earned in 2019 resets to 0 in regards to earning a companion pass. And though the points don’t expire, what I have in points does not go towards earning a companion pass; I would have to earn another 125,000 points in 2020 to get the pass for the year 2021. So it seems when the points post doesn’t really matter anymore with this resetting business. Is that right? Thanks for any clarification!
Jarrod West
November 11, 2019
Hi Theresa,
In order to receive the Southwest Company pass, you need to earn 110k qualifying points (in 2019), or 125K qualifying points in 2020, in the same calendar year.
If you’re 25k point away from earning the companion pass, as of 1/1/20, all of those qualifying points will reset and you will have to start from 0.
The only way to have 2 full years of the companion pass is by having all of your qualifying points post in January. Since a large portion of your points have already posted to your account, they will not count for you in 2020.
pennie gregory
November 17, 2019
I got my card on November 15, 2019. I would like to have my points post in January for a companion fare. However I need to make the spend in December. How do I figure out when to do this so my points post in January?
Thanks
Katie Seemann
November 17, 2019
Hi Penny,
This can be a tricky situation since the date your statement closes can affect when your points post. I would suggest not hitting your minimum spend until January 1, 2020. So, let’s say your minimum spend is $2,000. You could spend $1,900 in December, but don’t spend the final $100 until January. This should ensure your bonus points don’t hit your account until January. If you do this, please keep close tabs on your numbers – you don’t want to accidentally miscalculate and have your bonus points post in December. Good Luck!
Sally Beatty
November 22, 2019
I got a personal SW credit card with the special promo they ran in Feb 2019, where you quickly earned a companion pass, but only good thru 12/31/19.
I would like to apply for a business credit card and could very quickly make the qualifying purchase amount ($5,000) as soon as I get the card. The bonus points would push me well over the 110,000 points so the companion pass could extend another year.
When I called SW Rapid Rewards to ask about the timing of this, they said the bonus points would not get applied until after THREE billing cycles, which puts earning those points into at least Feb 2020 and blows the extended companion pass idea.
I’m reading here, and thought I saw with the personal card, that the bonus points posted as soon as you hit the qualifying purchase amount.
Can you please clarify? THANKS!
Jarrod West
November 22, 2019
Hi Sally,
Traditionally, the points will post with the following statement after the minimum spend threshold has been met, but Chase has also stated that it can take 6-8 weeks in some circumstances. I think the information the Southwest representative gave you might be incorrect since they do not issue the credit card, nor the points that come with it, that is done through Chase bank.
Scott
December 16, 2019
My December closing date was 12/7 on my SW performance biz card.
I signed up mid Oct. and my MSR has to be completed by 1/14 to earn the 80K RR bonus.
There is a note on my Dec statement that reads:
“IMPORTANT: Your December statement closing date above is
the cutoff for purchases made with your Rapid Rewards
Credit Card to count towards Companion Pass for this year.
Purchases posted to your account after the closing date
above will not count towards Companion Pass for this year.”
Doesn’t this mean I can now make purchases in Dec to put me over the top b/c those purchases won’t show up until my Jan. 7 statement?
OR am I confusing purchases with the bonus?
Thank you.
Jarrod West
December 16, 2019
Hi Scott,
I think you’re confusing purchases with the bonus. I strongly advise that you do not meet the minimum spend requirement on the card until January 1st at the earliest. You want to make certain you qualify for the companion pass at the beginning of 2020, not the end of 2019.
Thanks for reading!
Beth D
December 30, 2019
I have the companion pass through the end of this year. Can I book a companion for May of next year even if I don’t re-qualify? Or will I have to pay for that ticket?
Jarrod West
December 31, 2019
Hi Beth,
You cannot book companion flights after the date that your companion pass is set to expire.
Carolyn
January 03, 2020
I had a quick question on the 100 one way flights. If you book flights that have connecting flights (that change planes) does that qualify as 2 one way flights or just the one?
Working on CP for 2020 and want to see if connecting flights would be worth the hassle.
Thank you so much, loved this post!!
Jarrod West
January 04, 2020
Hi Carolyn,
If you book the flights separately, then yes each leg will count towards the companion pass. On the other hand, if you book a flight from Chicago to Hawaii, with a layover in Oakland, then you will only receive credit for 1 leg. So to execute the strategy you’re suggesting, the idea is to book a two separate one-ways. One from Chicago to Oakland, and one for Oakland to Hawaii.
Hope that makes sense! Thanks for reading!
Andrea Stanek
January 16, 2020
Hello,
I’m currently interested in the current bonus offer (for any of the personal Southwest credit cards) for 75,000 miles/points, as long as I spend a certain amount that is required for the month and six month marker. Do the bonus points earned count towards the balance that is required for the companion pass?
Jarrod West
January 16, 2020
Hi Andrea,
Yes, the welcome bonus for your Southwest card will count towards the companion pass!
Thanks for reading!
Jenny Joseph
February 10, 2020
Lovely blogs. Thanks for sharing these nice thoughts with us. KLM airlines reservations is the best service provider in USA.
Susan B
April 01, 2020
Have you heard about what Southwest is going to do for those of us with a companion pass and now cannot fly due to COVID-19? I would think Southwest would honor the pass for the following year, (2021)
Katie Seemann
April 01, 2020
Hi Susan,
There have been no announcements about any changes to Companion Pass expiration dates due to COVID-19. While I think it would be great if they extended Companion Passes, I wouldn’t expect to get an entire additional year out of it (but wouldn’t that be great!)
Brent Orm
June 15, 2020
Great article…very informative!
Question 1. Just received SW card and I have met the requirements for the 40,000 pt bonus. Its June 2020 and I need to reach 125,000 points by December. To keep it simple…I have 30,000 rapid reward points and the 40,000 point bonus. I just want to confirm that my rapid reward points will count towards the companion pass?
Question 2. If I exceed the 125,000 points requirements in a calendar year, do the excess points roll over to the next year? I doubt it, but it is worth asking.
Jarrod West
June 15, 2020
Hi Brett,
Yes, your rapid reward points count towards the companion pass as long as you earned them this calendar year. However, if you exceed 125k points, the rest do not roll over into the next year.
Thanks for reading and safe travels!
Kristen Sullivan
July 28, 2020
A single parent with three teens (16, 16, 14) here. I’m wondering if there’s any way for my family to have two companion passes? I realize I can only have one (in essence taking one child for free), but can I get one for them? or connect a business account to their southwest account allowing them to be the other companion pass holder?
Jarrod West
July 29, 2020
Hi Kristen,
Yes, you can set up a Southwest Rapid Rewards account for each of your children so that they can earn points when you all fly together. If any of your children earn 125,000 qualifying points or fly 100 one-way flights per calendar year on Southwest Airlines, then they will qualify for the companion pass as well!
Chris
August 05, 2020
If my wife gets a new business card can I add that to my pre-existing account points? What is the typical bonus for a business card?
Jarrod West
August 07, 2020
Hi Chris,
If your wife opens a business card then the points will be deposited to a Southwest Rapid Rewards account in her name. Southwest does not allow members to pool or combine points, but you can transfer points from one account to another for a fee – through the fee really isn’t worth it. The bonus offers on the Southwest business cards usually range between 60,000 to 80,000 points depending on which card you select.
Thanks for reading!
Dennis
October 30, 2020
If I earn my companion pass Nov 2020 but I have travel booked for Feb 2021 on SW. Can I get that refunded so that my companion travels free?
Jarrod West
October 30, 2020
Hi Dennis,
Yes, you can cancel the ticket and rebook it so that you can add your companion for free.
Dennis
October 30, 2020
Family of 5 traveling…. if I call SW will they just switch over the one ticket? Or would I need to cancel all of us.
Jarrod West
October 30, 2020
Hi Dennis,
If you call Southwest they should be able to switch it over for you.
Rob Sell
November 22, 2020
Southwest extended our Companion Pass til June 30, 2021, does anyone know what they are doing if we qualify for Companion Pass again this year? Will it just be until December 31, or until June 30, 2022?
Jarrod West
November 22, 2020
Hi Rob,
At this time, it seems that those earning companion pass this year will only be valid until Dec 31, 2021. This could very well change though.
Janine
December 09, 2020
I just was reminded by your wonderful article that I have a travel credit from one of my credit cards as a benefit. Do you know how I access that $75.00 credit? Thank you!
Katie Seemann
December 09, 2020
Hi Janine,
I’m glad to hear the article was helpful! If you are referring to the annual $75 credit that comes with your Southwest Credit Card, it will automatically be applied when you make a qualifying Southwest Airlines purchase.
Jeff
December 11, 2020
If I only need one more flight to reach companion pass or a-list can I buy a $49 cheap fare and not actually fly on the flight? Will it still count?
Jarrod West
December 14, 2020
Hi Jeff,
Unfortunately not, you’ll need to check in and show up for the flight in order to receive credit for it.
Mary R
January 11, 2021
This was a great article, thank you! Last year I qualified for a Companion Pass. Too bad that due to the pandemic we won’t be doing much traveling this year but hopefully that will change once we get the vaccine. I’m assuming that since I now have a Companion Pass, I’m still earning points towards A-list right? I know it’s just January, but I noticed that I have about 3000 points toward a Companion Pass for next year but zero points towards A-list (this is from my RR Credit Card purchases that closed in early January and posted to my account.) Thanks!
Jarrod West
January 11, 2021
Hi Mary,
Yes, that is correct, when you start traveling again you will still earn points towards A-list status even though you already have the Companion Pass.
Gary James
February 04, 2021
Since I am uncertain who I want to take on my first Companion Pass trip, I want to be strategic about who I name as my Companion #1 the first time. How quickly after earning Companion Pass does SWA require you to designate that person’s name? For instance, if I earn my Pass on March 1, can I wait all the way until July 1 or later to decide what friend or family member I want to take with me on a trip that I have not yet planned? 😉 In other words, can I leave the very first companion name/setup blank indefinitely or is there like a 30day time-limit to designate someone?
Jarrod West
February 04, 2021
Hi Gary,
You can wait as long as you’d like to designate your companion. There is no set timeframe that it needs to be done by.
Gary James
February 05, 2021
Excellent, thanks for that confirmation Jarrod 🙂
Chris
August 24, 2021
Thank you for the great article and responses to the questions. I have the SW Priority Visa card and, with the “pandemic boosts” in points for this year, am about to qualify for A-List and Companion Pass through 2022. I need to get another card to use for the rest of this year, don’t I? I’m thinking of applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred while they’re offering 100,000 bonus points with qualifying spend in the first 4 months. Good idea?
Jarrod West
August 24, 2021
Hi Chris,
If you’re looking to add another credit card to your wallet, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent option, especially now that it has refreshed its bonus categories. However, it will not help you requalify for the Southwest Companion Pass if that is what you were thinking.
Susan
September 22, 2021
I am my husbands companion. Today is the second time that we have checked in for a flight and he originally gets a higher boarding number than me and then his boarding number changes to the one before mine. Why is this happening if we are on separate records? Should I wait to check in until after he prints his boarding pass? Ex: He got B21, I got B26. When he went to print his boarding pass it had changed to B25. We paid for the early bird on his record for our return flight…I’m afraid his boarding number may change when I check in 3 days later. Can you clarify?
Jarrod West
October 03, 2021
Hi Susan,
We are not, nor do we have any affiliation with, Southwest Airlines. So I am afraid I cannot say why that would be happening. I recommend you contact that Southwest customer service team for assistance with this at 1-(800)-435-9792.
Ann
October 09, 2021
If I book a future flight before I earn my companion pass, then I earn the companion pass later, can I add a companion then? Basically, will it apply to flights I booked before earning the companion pass? I would like to book a flight now (Oct 2021) for April 2022 and I plan on getting my companion pass before April. So I’d like to add a companion to that flight. Thoughts? I have earned the CP twice before and LOVE IT! I really like your timeline for the process. I always thought I had to wait until January to apply for the cards but now I’m going to apply for the business card earlier so I get it in November. Then apply in December for the Plus card. I think that timing will get us our companion pass by February 2022. Thanks for this article!
Katie Seemann
October 11, 2021
Hi Ann,
Yes, that should work. Once you have your CP you should be able to go into any previously booked flights to add a companion, as long as your CP is valid during the time of the flight.
GG
November 23, 2021
Urgent question, hoping someone can help!
My statement date is the 15th of every month. When I make my payment on its due date on 12/15, I will be 4,000 pts from reaching companion (121,000). I will have spent $4k on the card between today and the end of the year, but that would be reflected on my 12/15 statement with a due date of 1/15/2022…after the Companion Pass cut off.
Does anyone know if I make a payment on the balance before 12/31, will that get applied to this year’s Companion Pass qualification?
Katie Seemann
November 29, 2021
Hi GG,
Your points should post to your account based on your credit card’s closing date, not the payment date, so any points you earn with a statement date this year should count toward your 2021 CP balance. If your card’s closing date is in January 2022, then the points would count toward your Companion Pass balance for 2022. Good luck – I hope it works out for you!
jt
December 01, 2021
Confused at this part of the article:
– Complete most of the spending after your December statement closes (so all points post in January)
– Finish up your minimum spending the first week of January
Why can I not complete all the minimum spending after my December statement closes?
Jarrod West
December 02, 2021
Hi Jt,
It is a precautionary measure to make certain that the transactions do not post prematurely, thus triggering the welcome bonus to be posted to your account in 2021 instead of 2022.
George
January 04, 2022
My wife and I have booked four tickets (the two of us, plus our two kids) for a trip during the first week of February. We qualified for a Companion Pass in October and will receive our Pass this Thursday (January 6). Can my wife and I apply our Companion Pass to my two kids’ tickets, thus having them fly free AND get credit for the already booked flight? I’m hesitant to cancel and rebook, and find out there are no seats available.
Katie Seemann
January 04, 2022
Hi George,
You will need to cancel your kid’s tickets and then re-add them with the Companion Pass. If there are any tickets left (even if they are Business Select or Anytime seats you’ll be able to add a companion to your ticket). You can always call in and have a Southwest rep do it for you if you’re nervous about the flight being full. Have a great trip and enjoy those Companion Passes!
Donna
January 16, 2022
If I buy a Business Select ticket will my Southwest companion also have Business Select privileges? The reservation is showing an option to add EarlyBird to my companion’s ticket which shouldn’t be necessary if his ticket is the same category as mine.
Thanks
Katie Seemann
January 18, 2022
Hi Donna,
Unfortunately, Business Select privileges don’t apply to a companion added to the reservation.
Sanjay B
January 20, 2022
Got my rewards chase card in Feb 2021. Credit card points posted on Dec 19, 2021 – that put me over 125000 points. Now SW website says CP is valid till Dec 2022. I thought it would be till Dec 2023. I called SW and rep told me its always one year validity of CP. I could call them at then end of Dec 2022 and if I am still over 125000 points then I will get additional 1 year CP benefit. Is that how it works?
Jarrod West
January 20, 2022
Hi Sanjay,
In order to receive 2 years of the Southwest Companion Pass you need the points from your bonus to post in January, not December. Southwest awards the Companion pass for the rest of the year that you qualify in, and all of the following year. So, since you qualified in 2021 and not 2022, your Pass will end in December 2022.
Sanjay B
January 21, 2022
Thank you for explaining why my CP expiration is Dec 2022. If my rewards account has more than 125000 points then would SW extend it another year? Thank you.
Jarrod West
January 21, 2022
Hi Sanjay,
Unfortunately not. You would need to earn another 125,000 points in 2022 to extend it.
SW4Life
February 04, 2022
My husband and I discovered the Companion Pass over 5 years ago now and are in the midst of locking it in for 2022/23. What we are tripped up on right now is whether points earned by booking a hotel through Southwest would count towards the CP total. Ex. I’m booking a room that would give me 4,000 additional points, would those count in addition to the points earned from what is charged to my Priority card.
Jarrod West
February 04, 2022
Hi SW4Life,
Yes, points through Southwest Hotels count towards your Companion Pass.
Franklin B
February 17, 2022
Hi Jarrod,
I’m a big guy and always try to book two seats next to each other so I’m not infringing on my neighbor’s space. Can I use the companion pass to add myself as the companion so I don’t have to buy two full tickets?
Thanks!
Jarrod West
February 17, 2022
Hi Franklin,
Unfortuantley not. The Southwest terms state that your companion must be another physically ticketed passenger.
Linda White
April 14, 2022
I already purchased our tickets for the whole year. My Husband just got the Companion Pass.
I am listed as his Companion. Will I get refunded the cost of my tickets once I am added as a companion?
I spent a lot of money on 3 flights, and 2 of them were out of the country.
Katie Seemann
April 15, 2022
Hi Linda,
After you cancel your original ticket and add yourself as the Companion on your husband’s ticket you’ll see a refund/credit based on what type of ticket you originally purchased. If the ticket was purchased in points, you’ll get those refunded back to your account. If you purchased a Wanna Get Away ticket, you’ll get a credit in your account. If you purchased Anytime or Business Select tickets you’ll get a refund. If you have a lot of tickets to change it may be easier to call in to have the rep do all of the changes for you. I just did this a couple of months ago and they were very helpful. Enjoy your travels this year!
Tess
August 03, 2022
Can you switch who is the primary card holder? I am currently the card holder but my husband is traveling more for work now and would likely earn us the CP if he was the primary and his points were going towards CP. if the answer is no, can he open a new card so that he is the primary, even those he currently has one of my cards in his name?
Jarrod West
August 03, 2022
Hi Tess,
You cannot transfer your card to his name, but he can open up his own card even if he is already an authorized user on your card.
Kevin Cooley
January 19, 2023
I received a SW Chase Plus card in October. I had to spend $1,000 in 3 months for the 50K points. I had 2 an Air B&B refunds on my November statement, but Chase considered these “transactions” and that put me over the $1,000 and Chase gave me the points. I was holding out until January to get the Companion Pass. The Rapid Rewards/Chase Program agreement states “points are earned for purchases made during that billing cycle…minus any returns or refunds”. Chase has said points were awarded and nothing they can do. Southwest says it is Chases’ issue. Any recourse???
Katie Seemann
January 20, 2023
Hi Kevin,
I’m a little unclear as to how 2 refunds put you over $1,000 in spend, but regardless, what you heard from Chase and Southwest are true. Southwest has nothing to do with the credit card bonus and Chase won’t change when they award you a bonus, so unfortunately you’re out of luck for that card.
Yami
February 19, 2023
I have been a member of SW plus credit card since 2015, I want to access to the companion pass. What is the route for me?
Jarrod West
February 20, 2023
Hi Yami,
Through February 28th, all you need to do is add a new Southwest credit card to your wallet to receive the Companion Pass.
Marie
February 26, 2023
Hi there,
If I sign up for a new SW card for the CP perks do I physically have to fly with my companion each way or is there a way for one of my kids to be designated as the principal flyer? I work out of state 6 months out of the year and fly both my kids out several times. I’m trying to figure out if I can use this perk to get them both out to see me. Thanks!
Katie Seemann
February 27, 2023
Hi Marie,
You must fly with your companion each and every time so you wouldn’t be able to use it to fly your kids out to see you if you had a Companion Pass.
John
March 10, 2023
The current deal for 30,000 points and a companion pass that lasts until feb 28, 2024 is compelling. I didn’t realize that was the deal until I ordered a SW business card for the 80,000 points yesterday. Should I get the personal card for the pass and dont use the business card until next year to preserve the 80,000 points to go towards renewing the companion pass for two more years?
Jarrod West
March 10, 2023
Hi John,
If you already applied and were approved for the SW business card then you have 3 months to meet the minimum spend requirement to receive the 80,000 points. If you wait to use the card until next year then the window for the welcome bonus will have passed.
Dan H
March 31, 2023
I signed up for the Companion Pass + 30k bonus credit card offer at the end of Feb 2023, and hit the minimum spend within a few weeks. I received the bonus points, and have already added a companion, but it says my Companion Pass is earned only through the end of Feb 2024. I thought it should be valid till the end of the next calendar year (i.e. Dec 2024)? Any help with clarifying this would be appreciated. Thanks!
JN
August 08, 2023
What if you already have companion pass and qualify again in the same year? I already have it for the rest of this year. If I qualify again now, the “rest of the year” overlaps with my current companion pass. So I assume it’s “wasted”, right?
Jarrod West
August 08, 2023
Hi JN,
That extends your companion pass by 1 additional year, so it would not be wasted.
Rama
August 12, 2023
The current SW promotion requires an application by 9/4 for a 120K bonus for the business card. It requires 3K spend in 3 months (by December) for 60K points. That means your last statement of the year will post in December and the points will come in the current year, right? So, it’s impossible to get all 120K points in the following calendar year, I think.
Is there anyway to make this work so you get to 135K points in Jan 2024? Thanks!
Jarrod West
August 14, 2023
Hi Rama,
Your math is correct. The only way to make sure the points post in January would be to apply sometime in October or later, and then refrain from meeting the minimum spend until January hits. That said, we have no idea what the credit card welcome bonuses will be by that point.
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