The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is widely considered one of the most valuable travel perks available, allowing you to bring a designated companion on nearly every Southwest flight you take for just the cost of taxes and fees (which are typically a mere $5.60 one-way for domestic flights!). If you're looking to maximize your travel budget and share your adventures, this guide is for you.
Your Ultimate Guide to Booking a Companion Pass on Southwest Airlines
Ready to unlock incredible travel savings and share your adventures with a friend or loved one? Let's dive in! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of earning and utilizing the coveted Southwest Companion Pass.
Step 1: Understanding the Southwest Companion Pass – Is it For You?
Before we get into the "how-to," let's clarify what the Southwest Companion Pass is and why it's so amazing.
What is it? The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges, whenever you purchase or redeem points for a flight. You only pay for their government-mandated taxes and fees, which are usually $5.60 per one-way domestic flight. Yes, you read that right – nearly free flights for your companion!
Why is it so powerful?
Unlimited Use: There's no limit to how many times you can use your Companion Pass during its validity period.
Works with Points and Cash: Whether you book your flight with cash or Southwest Rapid Rewards points, your companion flies free (minus taxes/fees). This is a huge advantage over many other airline companion certificates that often require a cash booking.
Flexibility: You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year, offering great flexibility if your travel buddy changes.
Extended Validity: Once earned, the Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earned it plus the entire following calendar year. This means you could potentially enjoy nearly two full years of this incredible benefit if you time it right!
Step 2: Earning the Companion Pass – Your Path to Free Companion Flights
There are two primary ways to earn the Southwest Companion Pass:
Sub-heading: Option A: The Flying Route (For the Frequent Fliers)
To qualify via flying, you need to complete 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. This means 100 paid segments on Southwest Airlines. For most casual travelers, this is a significant undertaking, but for road warriors, it might be achievable.
Sub-heading: Option B: The Points Route (The Most Popular and Accessible Method)
This is where the magic truly happens for most people. You need to earn 135,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. Don't worry, you don't have to fly that much to earn these points! The most common and effective strategies involve:
Southwest Airlines Credit Cards: This is by far the quickest and easiest way to earn the required points. Chase issues several Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards (personal and business). Often, these cards come with substantial sign-up bonuses (e.g., 50,000-80,000 points) after meeting a minimum spending requirement.
Pro Tip: Many savvy travelers apply for two Southwest credit cards (often one personal and one business card, or two personal cards if allowed by Chase's rules like the 5/24 rule and product family rules), strategically timing their applications and spending to earn the sign-up bonuses in the same calendar year. This can easily get you to or very close to the 135,000 point threshold.
Important Note: Starting January 1, 2023, Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card holders automatically receive a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year. This effectively lowers the target to 125,000 points if you hold a Southwest credit card.
Everyday Spending on Southwest Credit Cards: All points earned from spending on your Southwest co-branded credit cards count towards the 135,000 qualifying points.
Shopping and Dining Partners: Earn points through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal and Rapid Rewards Dining program.
Southwest Vacations, Hotel, and Car Rental Partners: Booking travel through Southwest's partners can also accumulate qualifying points.
Sub-heading: Timing is Everything!
Since the Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year you earn it AND the entire following calendar year, earning it early in the year maximizes its value.
Example: If you earn 135,000 points in February 2026, your Companion Pass is valid for the rest of 2026 AND all of 2027. That's almost two full years!
Contrast: If you earn it in November 2026, it's valid for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027. Still great, but less time than earning it earlier.
Many advanced strategies involve applying for credit cards in late fall and ensuring the bonus points post to your Southwest account in early January of the following year. This way, you effectively get nearly two full years out of your Companion Pass from the very beginning of the new year.
Step 3: Designating Your Companion – Who Will Fly Free?
Once you've qualified for the Companion Pass (Southwest will usually send you an email notification), the next crucial step is to designate your companion.
Sub-heading: Online Designation (The Easiest Way)
Log In: Go to Southwest.com and log in to your Rapid Rewards account.
Navigate to My Account: Look for "My Account" or "Snapshot" on your dashboard.
Choose Your Companion: You should see a section titled "Choose Your Companion" or "Enter Companion Info." Click on the link.
Enter Companion Details: You'll need to provide your companion's full legal name (exactly as it appears on their government-issued ID for travel), birth date, gender, address, email, and phone number.
Confirm and Submit: Double-check all information for accuracy. Once submitted, it's locked in until you choose to change it (you can change it up to three times per calendar year).
Sub-heading: Designating by Phone
If you prefer, you can call Southwest Airlines at 1-800-435-9792 to designate your companion. Have all their information ready.
Important Note: While you can change your companion up to three times annually, any existing reservations with your current designated companion must be canceled before you can make a change. Allow some processing time before booking with your new companion.
Step 4: Booking Your Flight – The Primary Passenger Flies First
This is a critical step: you must book your own flight first before you can add your companion.
Search and Book Your Flight:
Go to Southwest.com and search for your desired flight.
Enter your origin, destination, dates, and select only 1 passenger.
Proceed with booking your flight using either cash or Rapid Rewards points. Complete the purchase process as you normally would.
Consider availability: While there are no blackout dates for Companion Pass, a seat must be available for purchase on the flight for your companion to be added. If a flight is completely sold out, you cannot add a companion.
Receive Your Confirmation: Once your flight is booked, you'll receive a confirmation email with your reservation details.
Step 5: Adding Your Companion to Your Reservation – The "Free" Flight!
Now for the exciting part – adding your companion!
Access "My Trips": Log back into your Southwest.com account.
Find Your Trip: Navigate to the "My Trips" section and locate your upcoming flight.
Look for "Add Companion": Under your flight details, you should see an "Add Companion" link. Click on it.
Review Companion Information: The system will pre-fill your designated companion's information. Verify that everything is correct.
Confirm and Pay Taxes/Fees: Proceed to the payment screen. Here, you will only be charged the government-mandated taxes and fees for your companion's flight (typically $5.60 one-way for domestic travel).
Complete Purchase: Finalize the reservation. You will receive a separate confirmation for your companion's flight.
Sub-heading: What if the "Add Companion" link isn't there or you need to call?
Online Option: Sometimes, the "Add Companion" link might not immediately appear, especially right after booking. Give it a few minutes or refresh the page.
Phone Option: If you encounter any issues or prefer to speak with someone, you can call Southwest Airlines Customer Service at 1-800-248-4377 and inform the representative that you wish to add your designated companion to an existing reservation. Have both your confirmation number and your companion's details ready.
Step 6: Travel Day Considerations
Check-in: You and your companion will typically receive sequential boarding positions unless you purchased a Business Select fare or added the companion after you had already been assigned a boarding position. For Business Select, only the purchaser gets A1-A15. For other fares, if you or your companion are A-List or A-List Preferred, you both get reserved boarding positions.
Boarding: While Southwest has open seating, you and your companion will want to board together to secure seats next to each other.
ID Check: Both you and your companion will need valid government-issued identification for travel.
Congratulations! You've successfully booked a companion pass flight! Enjoy your travels and the incredible savings.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are 10 frequently asked questions about the Southwest Companion Pass, with quick answers:
How to Check My Companion Pass Progress?
You can check your progress toward earning the Companion Pass by logging into your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com and navigating to the "My Account" or "Snapshot" section. Your current qualifying points and flights will be displayed there.
How to Change My Designated Companion?
You can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year. To do so, log into your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com, go to "My Account," find the "Choose Your Companion" section, and follow the instructions to update their information. Any existing reservations with your current companion must be canceled first.
How to Add My Companion to an Existing Flight I Already Booked?
Log into your Southwest.com account, go to "My Trips," find your flight in the "Upcoming Trips" section, and click on the "Add Companion" link. Follow the prompts to confirm your companion's details and pay the taxes/fees.
How to Know When My Companion Pass Expires?
Your Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earn it and the entire following calendar year. The exact expiration date (December 31st of the following year) will be displayed in your Rapid Rewards account.
How to Earn the Companion Pass the Fastest Way?
The fastest way for most people is by strategically opening one or two Southwest co-branded credit cards from Chase, meeting their sign-up bonus spending requirements, and ensuring the bonus points post to your account in the same calendar year.
How to Use the Companion Pass for International Flights?
The Companion Pass can be used for international flights too! While the $5.60 domestic tax/fee is minimal, international flights will have higher taxes and fees for your companion due to varying country-specific charges.
How to Get My Companion's Boarding Position?
Your companion will generally receive a sequential boarding position with you when you check in. If you have A-List or A-List Preferred status, both you and your companion will receive reserved boarding positions.
How to Cancel a Companion Pass Booking?
You can cancel a Companion Pass booking just like any other Southwest flight. If you cancel your primary flight, the companion's reservation will also be canceled. If you only want to cancel the companion's portion, you can usually do so online or by calling Southwest.
How to Determine What Points Count Towards the Companion Pass?
Qualifying points include those earned from Southwest flights, spending on Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards, and points earned through Southwest's shopping, dining, hotel, and car rental partners. Points transferred from other loyalty programs (e.g., hotel points), purchased points, and some bonus points typically do not count.
How to Utilize the Companion Pass if I Don't Have a Fixed Companion?
Since you can change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year, you have flexibility. If you travel with different people throughout the year, you can strategically update your companion to match your travel plans. Just remember the three-change limit.
