AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
You’ve done your research, you’ve met the qualification requirements, and now it’s finally here: Your Southwest Companion Pass. That little metaphorical golden ticket that opens up a whole new world of cheap travel options is now yours. Now your job switches from earning the Southwest Companion Pass to maximizing it.
Here's how to select your companion and use the Southwest Companion Pass.
Page Contents
A Quick Refresher on the One Perk To Rule Them All
The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of the most popular perks in the points and miles world, and for good reason. Holders of the Companion Pass can fly with a friend or family member — or even an enemy, really, whoever they'd like — for just the cost of taxes and fees. And it works for both revenue flights and award redemptions.
Southwest flies all over the United States (including Hawaii) and even serves a few international destinations like Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, and more. So you can see why the Southwest Companion Pass can be so valuable.
Earning the Southwest Companion Pass
To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, Rapid Rewards members need to earn 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights per calendar year. Ways to earn the 135,000 qualifying points needed include:
- Spending on a Southwest credit card
- Flying on Southwest
- Hotel stays booked through partners
- Car rentals booked through partners
- Rapid Rewards Shopping
- Rapid Rewards Dining
- Southwest credit card referral bonuses
You may also be able to shortcut earning the Companion Pass entirely. Southwest periodically offers an unlimited Southwest Companion Pass as part of a credit card sign-up bonus.
Related: Current Offers for the Chase Southwest Credit Cards
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
How To Check Your Companion Pass Progress
So, how do you know when you actually have the pass? Fortunately, Southwest makes it incredibly easy to find out. Whether you've earned the Companion Pass through a sign-up bonus offer or the hard way earning points with Southwest, the process to check is the same.
Just head over to Southwest's website and log in to your Southwest Airlines account. Navigate to the “My Account” button at the top right. Once to the page, scroll to the area labeled “My Rapid Rewards,” and your Companion Pass progress will be listed right there — along with a few other pieces of information.
How To Select Your Initial Southwest Companion
Once you have earned your Southwest Companion Pass, you can either call in to set up your initial Companion or watch out for an email from Southwest. This email will redirect you to the correct place and allow you to set up your Companion.
If you deleted the email, no worries; you can still select your initial Companion Pass companion on the Southwest website. Make sure you have their information on hand. Southwest will require you to have your companion's:
- Full name as it appears on their ID
- Birthdate
- Gender
- Street address
- Email address
- Phone number
How To Book Southwest Companion Flights
Before you can book a free Companion Pass flight, you must first purchase your ticket. Head to the Southwest Airlines website and log into your account. Navigate to the flight search engine and enter your desired flight info — departure and arrival, dates, etc.
No need to select two passengers at this point. Even if you plan to add your companion to this flight, you'll only need to select one passenger. But this is also a good time to check the search results for seat availability.
Southwest doesn't have any blackout dates for companions, but Southwest must still have a seat available. So, if a flight literally only has one seat left for sale, you will not be able to book your companion on it.
Continue with the search, select the flights you would like, and finish your booking. Once your flight is officially booked, visit the “My Trips” tab and navigate to the “Upcoming” section where your flight is listed.
Select the “Add Companion” link. Make sure the info is correct for your Companion, and once you confirm everything is as it should be, hit “Purchase.”
Who Can You Choose as Your Southwest Companion?
A Companion Pass holder is eligible to fly with one Companion for only the cost of taxes and fees. And that typically consists of just $5.60. So, think of the Southwest Companion Pass as a true two-for-one.
You can officially change your Southwest Companion three times per calendar year — in addition to your initial Southwest Companion Pass companion. So, you can technically select four different companions per calendar year. Before you commit to adding your companion, it's a great idea to have somewhat of a strategy in play. That way, you don't end up being stuck with a companion you do not plan on flying with often for whatever reason.
If you need to change your Southwest Companion Pass companion, you must call 1-800-435-9792. Southwest states that you will need to allow up to 21 business days to process and mail a replacement card, but normally it doesn't take that long. The change usually takes place almost instantly in your Rapid Rewards account.
When Does the Southwest Companion Pass Expire?
A Companion Pass is good “…for the entire calendar year immediately following the year in which you qualified.” If you earn a Southwest Companion Pass on January 16, 2025, you will have it for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026.
As your Companion Pass gets near its expiration, you'll need to book and take your Southwest flights by December 31 of whichever year it expires. Flights scheduled to leave after this date will not qualify for the free flight any longer.
Related: Ultimate Guide to Companion Fares, Companion Passes & Companion Tickets
Final Thoughts
The Southwest Companion Pass can offer amazing value. If you can earn one and it fits your travel goals, do it.
For one, Southwest's award program and redemptions are so easy to understand. It doesn't involve spending days digging around ExpertFlyer and calling centers in Australia in the middle of the night to try and grab a flight on an airline that may or may not actually have real availability. And Southwest's customer-friendly policies are hard to beat.
Do you plan to earn the Southwest Companion Pass in 2025?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
