How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass
Southwest Airlines recently announced it will end its bags-fly-free policy, ditch its Wanna Get Away fare and make several other customer-unfriendly changes. But, at least so far, one of the most advantageous offerings in the travel industry — the Southwest Companion Pass — remains intact.
This valuable benefit lets you bring a companion along for free (excluding applicable taxes and fees) on unlimited Southwest Airlines flights until the pass expires. For frequent Southwest flyers, this benefit alone can easily amount to thousands of dollars saved annually. So, here’s what you should know about earning and using the Southwest Companion Pass.
How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass
To earn a Southwest Companion Pass valid through the end of the next calendar year, you must accrue 135,000 qualifying points or complete 100 qualifying flights within a calendar year.
You can earn qualifying points through various means, including flying with Southwest and engaging with its partners. The latter includes making purchases via the Rapid Rewards shopping portalcompleting hotel stays and car rentals with partners, and using a Southwest credit card for purchases.
Cobranded Southwest credit cards are often the simplest way to earn the Companion Pass since you’ll earn qualifying points on purchases, and the welcome bonus points are qualifying. Additionally, travelers with a cobranded Southwest credit card get 10,000 qualifying points each calendar year, effectively reducing the Companion Pass requirement to 125,000 qualifying points yearly.
Speaking of welcome bonuses on Southwest credit cards, here’s a look at some of the current offers:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Earn a Companion Pass through Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (this offer ends March 31).
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn a Companion Pass through Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (this offer ends March 31).
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The two consumer Southwest cards offer a Companion Pass valid through Feb. 28, 2026, as part of their welcome offer. However, the bonus points from each offer could help you earn a Companion Pass valid through the end of 2026.
Finally, it’s also worth noting that Southwest occasionally offers promotions for limited-time Companion Passes. For example, for a short time in February, Southwest let travelers earn a two-month Companion Pass for later this year after just one round trip or two one-way flights.
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How to use the Southwest Companion Pass
Once you’ve earned a Companion Pass, Southwest makes it incredibly easy to use.
Set up your Companion Pass
After you earn the Companion Pass, Southwest will send you a congratulatory email within a few days. Log in to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account to track your progress toward earning the Companion Pass.
Upon receiving the email, click the link to set up your initial companion choice. The process is quick, but you’ll need to provide information about your companion, including their legal name (matching their ID) and birth date.
If you want to keep the same companion for the duration of your Companion Pass, you’ll only need to set it up once. However, remember you can change your companion up to three times each calendar year.
Related: 2 for 1: How airline companion tickets can save you serious money on your next trip
Book your flight
Before using your Companion Pass, you must book your own Southwest flight. And if you’re traveling with someone who isn’t your designated companion, book their flight, too. For example, suppose you are a family of four with one adult holding the Companion Pass and the other adult being the companion. In that case, you should initially book tickets for the Companion Pass holder and the two kids.
You can pay for your flights with cash or redeem Southwest points when using a Companion Pass. However, if you purchase the tickets with cash, remember to include each traveler’s Rapid Rewards number when booking so they can earn Southwest points on their flights.
Related: Southwest A-List status: What it is and how to earn it
Add your companion to your reservation
Once you have booked your flight, you can add your companion to your reservation. Doing so immediately after booking your flight is the best way to ensure you add your companion before the flight sells out.
However, you can’t change a flight with a companion attached. And you can often save serious points or cash by occasionally checking whether you can rebook at a lower rate. As such, TPG lead writer Katie Genter suggests setting up a Y9 alert in ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures) so you’ll get an email when only nine seats remain on your flight. Then, once your flight is less than two weeks out — the point at which Southwest flights usually become more expensive — or when you get the Y9 alert email, add your companion.
To add your companion to a flight, log in to your Southwest account and find the flight in your upcoming trips. If you haven’t added your companion yet, you should see an “Add companion” button for the flight.
Click the button and double-check the prefilled information. Proceed through the process until you reach the point where you’ll need to pay the taxes and fees for your companion’s flight. Pay the taxes and fees, and your companion will be confirmed on the flight. Your companion will get a different confirmation number than you, though.
Related: ‘The Day Southwest Died’: Reactions pour in about the carrier’s big changes
Bottom line
The Companion Pass might provide significant value if you frequently fly Southwest with a favorite companion. Likewise, if you would fly Southwest frequently with another traveler if you could do so for about half the cost, the Companion Pass is worth considering.
Southwest credit cards can put earning the Companion Pass within reach even if you don’t meet the standard requirements through flights. Best of all, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card have welcome offers through March 31 for a Companion Pass valid through Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
