Southwest Companion Pass Guide
10/15/26 Update: Southwest’s Companion Pass has long been one of the best deals in family travel: earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a calendar year (often from a welcome bonus or two) and a companion flies with you for just taxes and fees for the rest of that year AND all of the next. If you’ve ever used it to fly the whole family somewhere on essentially one set of fares, you already know how much it can save.
Here’s the change worth knowing about. Starting in 2027, the way you earn the Companion Pass will change. The companion pass will now be a perk with Southwest’s new top-tier status, where you need to earn 140,000 tier qualifying points from eligible activity or 100 qualifying flights. Qualifying activity that used to count for qualifying points will no longer count towards tier qualifying points, such as the welcome bonus earned with the Southwest credit cards. Additionally, with the introduction of milestone rewards, there’s also an opportunity to earn three Companion Pass trips at 95,000 tier qualifying points or 75 flights.
The good news for right now: the current rules are still in effect through the end of 2026, and if you earn the pass in 2026, you keep it all the way through 2027. So if earning it the welcome-bonus way has been on your list, this is the year it still works that way. Even better, Southwest is extending a courtesy on its co-branded cards: if you apply and are approved by December 2, 2026, the qualifying points from your welcome bonus will count toward your 2026 qualification even if they don’t post until early 2027. Just give yourself enough time to meet the spending requirement.
The Southwest Companion Pass is quite simply one of the best deals in free travel, especially for those who love flying Southwest.
If you don’t take big international vacations, you’re probably looking to Southwest for affordable domestic flights (and a few nearby international destinations). And if that’s the case, the Companion Pass can be incredibly valuable.
With the Companion Pass, one person can fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees) every time you fly, whether you book with cash or points.
Below, we’ll show you exactly how to earn it.
Earning the Companion Pass: The 135,000-Point Welcome-Bonus Strategy (2026, the Last Year It Works)
Here is how Southwest lets you earn the Companion Pass through the end of 2026.
When you earn 135,000 qualifying points in a single calendar year, your Companion Pass is valid for:
- The rest of the year in which you earn it
- The entire following calendar year
Earn it in 2026 and you’ll hold the pass through all of 2027. Important: 2026 is the last year you can earn the pass this way, through credit card welcome bonuses. (See the update at the top of this guide, and the timing section below, for what changes in 2027.) If the Companion Pass has been on your list, this is the year to act, and the rest of this guide walks you through the 135,000-point strategy for 2026.
What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to designate one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees) on any Southwest flight you book, whether you pay with cash or use Rapid Rewards points.
So if you earn it in 2026, the pass is good for the rest of 2026 AND ALL of 2027, expiring on December 31, 2027 (though promo offers might have different expiration dates).
There is no limit to how many times you can use it during the life of the pass. Plus, taxes and fees are minimal and are typically $5.60 each way on domestic flights (international routes may be slightly higher). And you can change your companion up to three times per calendar year (in addition to your original designation).
Why We Still Like Southwest
Despite changes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program in recent years, we continue to be firm believers in Southwest and the value of its points.
The benefits of having a Southwest Companion Pass remain untouched and Southwest credit cardholders continue to receive a free checked bag for themselves and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation.
Even more importantly, Southwest continues to have one of the most flexible cancellation policies in the industry:
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If you cancel a points booking at least 10 minutes before departure, your points are immediately redeposited and taxes refunded. And there are NO fees for doing so.
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If you cancel a paid booking at least 10 minutes before departure, your cancelled tickets result in a flight credit (expiration depends on fare type).
If you’re not absolutely sure you’re taking a trip, you can always book knowing that you can cancel. This also comes in handy if you need to book a backup flight for any reason, such as due to weather or any other uncertainty.
The Easiest Way to Earn 135,000 Points
The most common strategy for Travel Freely members is:
- Open 1 Southwest business card (Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card)
- Open 1 Southwest personal card (Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card)
- Meet minimum spending requirements on both
A note on order: it’s generally the friendlier order for approvals to open the business card first, then the personal one. Opening a personal card first adds to your 5/24 count, which can make the Chase business card harder to get; going business-first sidesteps that.
When both bonuses post, you’ll typically surpass 135,000 qualifying points, especially taking into consideration the points you’ll earn through meeting each card’s minimum spend.
The same person must apply for both cards so the bonuses post to the same Rapid Rewards account.
Southwest defines Companion Pass-qualifying points as:
- Points earned from paid Southwest flights
- Points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
- Base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners (including welcome bonuses.)
Points that do NOT qualify for the Companion Pass include:
- Points transferred to Southwest (from programs such as Chase Ultimate Rewards®)
- Points you purchase from Southwest
- Points you convert from hotel and car loyalty programs
- Points you earn from Rapid Rewards Program enrollment
- Points you transfer from another Southwest Rapid Rewards member
What If You Don’t Have a Traditional Business?
A business credit card does not require a formal corporation or LLC. If you run a small business, do freelance or contract work, or earn ongoing self-employment income, you may qualify for a business card.
Be sure to check out our full guide on business card eligibility.
Card Approval Rules (Tip: Let the CardGenie® Do the Work For You)
Southwest credit cards are issued by Chase, and there are two major rules to understand.
First, the 5/24 rule. If you have opened five or more personal credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months, you will likely not be approved.
TF Tip: Make sure your cards are added to your Travel Freely dashboard to check your 5/24 count. Not sure what your 5/24 number is? Here’s an article that is also in our Travel Freely resources.
Second, the 24-month bonus rule. You cannot receive a welcome bonus on a card if you currently hold that exact card or if you received a bonus on it within the past 24 months.
For personal Southwest cards specifically, they are treated as one family. You cannot currently hold any Southwest personal card if you want to apply for another personal Southwest card and receive a bonus.
Business cards follow similar bonus timing rules but do not affect your 5/24 count after approval.
This is where the Travel Freely app becomes incredibly helpful. It automatically tracks your eligibility dates and 5/24 status. So you can head right to your CardGenie® inside the app to see which Southwest cards you’re actually eligible for, based on the cards you already hold.
Note: As of posting date, there are no known rules against getting both Southwest business cards (the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card), so another easy option is to get both business cards and avoid applying for personal cards altogether. This can also be helpful if you’re trying to stay under 5/24. That said, we’re hearing Chase may be getting stricter about approving business cards. If you apply for a Chase business card as a sole proprietor, you may need to have opened 2 or fewer new personal credit cards in the past 24 months to be approved, instead of the usual limit of fewer than 5. Chase hasn’t made this official, but reps have been citing the stricter limit since mid-September 2026. If you apply under an LLC, the normal rule still seems to apply.
Additionally, some people have been successful at getting approved for both a personal and business card on the same day, but it is more difficult compared to spacing out applications. It’s easier to separate your personal and business card applications by 30+ days. This strategy makes it easier to meet the minimum spend required, too. That said, people have had success only waiting 5-6 days between applications.
Timing Strategy: Earning in Time for 2027
Bonus points typically post a few days after your statement closes, once you’ve met the spending requirement. Normally that means you’d want all your Companion Pass qualifying points to post before the end of the calendar year you’re qualifying in.
For 2026, Southwest is extending a courtesy on its co-branded cards that gives you a little breathing room. If you apply and are approved by December 2, 2026, the qualifying points from your welcome bonus will count toward your 2026 qualification even if they don’t post until early 2027. Earn the pass this way and you’ll hold it through all of 2027.
One caution: Southwest hasn’t published the exact deadline to finish the minimum spend under this courtesy. So don’t cut it close. Give yourself margin and meet each card’s minimum spend as early as you reasonably can, rather than counting on every extra day into the new year.
Booking Before You Earn the Pass
You can book your flight before earning the Companion Pass. Once the pass is active, simply log into your reservation and click “Add Companion,” as long as there is at least one seat still available for sale.
If you previously booked two separate tickets, you can cancel your companion’s ticket and re-add them under the pass.
Other Ways to Earn Qualifying Points
If you need additional points beyond credit card bonuses, you can:
- Book hotels through SouthwestHotels.com where you can sometimes earn up to 10,000 points per night.
- Use Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal. Note that anything earned specifically as “bonus” points will not count towards your Companion Pass total.
- Put additional monthly everyday spending on your Southwest card.
Remember: all qualifying points must be earned in the same calendar year.
Choosing & Changing Your Companion
Once you earn 135,000 qualifying points, you can designate your companion in your Southwest account.
You can select your initial companion and change companions online through the “My Account” section at Southwest.com, through the Southwest App or by making a phone call to Southwest Rapid Rewards at 1-800-435-9792
You may change your companion up to 3 times per calendar year.
Southwest suggests allowing up to 48 hours for changes to process, though in practice it is often immediate. In my experience, it didn’t take any time at all. I was able to add my new companion to my reservations immediately after I changed companions. I’ve even gone as far as having one person being my companion on the departure, and another person being my companion on the return. Note that you will need to cancel any existing companion reservations before changing your companion.
Adding a Companion to a Flight
The process of adding a companion is quite easy and can be done at any time until tickets are no longer sold for the flight in question. The companion pass holder simply needs to log in to Southwest.com and view My Reservations. From the reservation view, they will see a link that says “Add Companion.”
Again, this can be done up until Southwest stops selling tickets. It doesn’t matter if you paid $59 for your ticket, and the only seats left are selling for $590. If there is a seat available for purchase, you can add your companion.
Southwest Personal Cards
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Personal Card, OR
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Personal Card, OR
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Personal Card
Southwest Business Cards
Southwest Companion Pass FAQ’s
Q: Can you add your Southwest companion if you bought your ticket using your Rapid Rewards points?
A: Yes. It doesn’t matter whether you booked your ticket with a credit card or with Rapid Rewards points, you can add your companion and just pay the taxes and fees.
Q: Can you add your Southwest companion if someone else bought your ticket?
A: Yes. The companion pass holder can add their companion to nearly any reservation in the pass holder’s name, even if the ticket was booked with points from someone else’s account. In fact, you can even use points from your companion’s account.
Q: Can you add your Southwest companion if your company bought the ticket?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you add your Southwest companion if you bought a Basic fare and now there is only Business Select available?
A: Yes. As long as there is 1 seat available for sale on the flight you would like to book, you can add your companion. It does not need to be in the same “fare class” as the one you originally purchased.
Q: Are there any situations in which you can not add your Southwest companion?
A: Yes, but not many.
One example of a situation in which it would NOT be possible to add a companion is this: You can not daisy-chain companions. This means if your companion also has the Companion Pass, your companion can’t also add a companion onto their companion pass ticket. That is to say: Let’s imagine Bob earned a Companion Pass. He designates Shelly as his companion. Shelly is also a Companion Pass holder that same year and designates Billy as her companion. If Bob is the one who purchases a ticket and adds Shelly as his companion, Shelly cannot then add Billy to her reservation.
Q. Do I have to trade the points earned in for the Companion Pass?
A. No, once you earn the 135,000 qualifying points needed, you’ll automatically earn the Companion Pass. Those points do not need to be “cashed in” for the pass and can still be used as redeemable points towards free flights on Southwest.
Q: Can I change my flight on a companion booking?
A: Yes. You will first need to cancel the companion’s reservation. You can then change the primary traveler’s flight, and will then need to add your companion back onto the new flight.
Q: Can I just cancel the companion’s reservation if they cannot travel with me?
A: Yes. You can cancel the companion’s reservation and either receive a refund of the taxes and fees or keep it as a credit to use on a future flight. Note that you need to choose the option to refund the amount to your credit card, rather than as travel funds, if that is what you prefer. Southwest will not automatically refund the amount to your credit card.
Q: Can my companion travel without me?
A: NO. The terms of the program explicitly forbid the companion from flying without the primary traveler, and Southwest will likely revoke your companion pass if you do this. It is theoretically possible to do, where both travelers check in, and only the companion shows up, but will almost certainly get you in trouble with Southwest. Furthermore, if the itinerary is round-trip, the companion might have their return flight canceled. Don’t do this.
Q: Does my companion earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points?
A: No, they do not. However, the primary traveler does earn points on a paid reservation (but not a reservation made on points).
Q: Do I need to carry the Companion Pass card with me?
A: No, you do not need the card. The terms may state that you should have the card with you, but in over a dozen years of being a Companion Pass holder, nobody has ever asked to see mine (or anyone else’s as far as I know).
Q: What happens to my companion’s reservations if I change my companion?
A: You must first cancel your companion’s reservations before changing companions.
Q: Can I book a round-trip flight that begins before my Companion Pass expires on December 31st but returns after the pass has expired?
A: This isn’t possible. Southwest won’t let you add a companion to a reservation that extends beyond the pass’s validity period. You would have to book a one-way in December (you could add your companion to this reservation) and then a one-way flight returning in the new year where you pay for both seats (in either cash or points).
Q: Is there an advantage to booking one-way flights or round-trip flights with the Southwest Companion Pass?
A: It makes more sense to book one-way flights with Southwest in general. In the vast majority of cases, the round-trip price (at least on domestic flights within the US) is simply the cumulative total of the 2 one-way flights. You will enjoy greater flexibility in making changes to one segment or the other if you book one-way flights.
Q: What are some of the best uses of the Southwest Companion Pass?
A: This is obviously completely subjective. You can definitely enjoy some cheaper trips around the US (including Hawaii). Southwest also flies to a growing number of international destinations, including:
Aruba
Belize
Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos, Mexico
Cancun, Mexico
Cuba
Grand Cayman Island
Liberia, Costa Rica
Mexico City
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Nassau, Bahamas
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
San Jose, Costa Rica
Additionally, you can use Southwest to position for an award flight or cheap flight deal out of a different city. This can be a great option when saver-level awards on American/United/Delta are not available from your city.
(Some of this content originally appeared on The Frequent Miler and has been posted with permission.)
Ready to go for the Southwest Companion Pass? Have a question specific to your situation? Please email us at letstalk at travelfreely.com for any help.
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