{"id":86734,"date":"2022-10-23T23:00:44","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T23:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=86734"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:44:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:44:55","slug":"southwest-companion-pass-requirement-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-companion-pass-requirement-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Raises Requirements for Companion Pass, Program Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Southwest Airlines recently made changes to the Rapid Rewards program that include increasing the Companion Pass requirements, a bonus for Rapid Rewards cardholders, and tweaks to when you can cancel and refund tickets.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, these changes aren't as bad as they seem &#8212; at least for those earning the Southwest Companion Pass through credit cards. Changes took effect on January 1, 2023.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Southwest_Companion_Pass_Change\">Southwest Companion Pass Change<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img data-aspectratio=\"598\/259\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-86739 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Southwest-Companion-Pass-Change.jpg\" alt=\"Southwest Companion Pass Change\" width=\"598\" height=\"259\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Southwest-Companion-Pass-Change.jpg 598w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Southwest-Companion-Pass-Change-300x130.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Since January 2020, the Southwest Companion Pass only required 125,000 qualifying points. On <strong>January 1, 2023<\/strong>, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.southwest.com\/html\/mkt\/rapidrewardsupdates.html\" rel=\"noopener\">that increased<\/a> to <strong>135,000 qualifying points<\/strong>. This is only an increase of 8%, so perhaps not really something to be worried about.<\/p>\n<p>As covered in our <a href=\"\/airlines\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-companion-pass\/\">Southwest Companion Pass guide<\/a>, the Companion Pass is good until the end of the following calendar year in which the pass was earned. Passes earned at any time in 2023 will be good until the end of 2024. Passes earned in 2024 will be good until the end of 2025, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Another change is that Companion Pass holders can now board with their Companions\u202f\u202f&#8211;unless\u202fthe\u202fCompanion Pass holder purchased a Business Select\u202ffare, purchased Upgraded Boarding, or added the Companion after being assigned a boarding position.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Rapid_Rewards_Cardholder_Bonus\">Rapid Rewards Cardholder Bonus<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To offset the increase in Companion Pass requirements, Rapid Rewards cardholders now get a <strong>bonus of 10,000 qualifying points<\/strong> at the beginning of each calendar year, starting on the first business day of 2023. This bonus applies to cardholders of the following cards:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a data-ccid=\"520080\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-plus\/\">Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a data-ccid=\"2000147\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-premier\/\" =_blank>Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Premier Credit Card<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a data-ccid=\"4048122\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-priority\/\">Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Priority Credit Card<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a data-ccid=\"4048107\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/premier-business\/\">Southwest<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Premier Business Credit Card<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a data-ccid=\"4048165\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/performance-business\/\">Southwest<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Performance Business Credit Card<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"An_Example_of_Earning_the_Companion_Pass_Using_Credit_Cards\">An Example of Earning the Companion Pass Using Credit Cards<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Traditionally, the easiest way of earning the Southwest Companion Pass would be to combine the 80,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points from the <a data-ccid=\"4048165\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/performance-business\/\">Southwest Performance Business Card<\/a> with the bonus from one of the personal Southwest cards. This will typically land you enough points to secure the Companion Pass for the year in which you earn it, plus the following year.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"qs-card\" data-id=\"520080\">\n            <div class=\"qs-data\">\n                <div class=\"qs-view\">\n                    <div class=\"qs-cardname\">Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-image\"><img data-aspectratio=\"150\/93\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CardArt-SouthwestRapidRewardsPlusCreditCard.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"Southwest Rapid Rewards\u00ae Plus Credit Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-apply\"><a class=\"qs-learn-more\" data-ccid=\"520080\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-plus\/\">Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-rates\"><span class=\"qs-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"520080\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005150&type=3&u1=6832098864114615e16c097cf7a8a730&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Welcome Bonus<\/strong>\r\nEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"qs-info\">\n                    <strong class=\"qs-cardname\">Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card<\/strong>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Welcome Bonus<\/strong>\r\nEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee:<\/strong><b>$99<\/b><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-tabs\"><a class=\"qs-more\" href=\"#more\">Show more<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"wwl\">Why We Like It<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"hl\">Highlights<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"er\">Earning Rates<\/a><div class=\"qs-tab-wwl\">The Southwest Rapid Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Plus Credit Card is the most cost-effective option for enjoying Southwest benefits. Cardholders receive 25% back on inflight purchases, and a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points annually, all at a lower annual fee compared to other Southwest-branded cards. The card offers 3,000 anniversary points, and 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases.<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-hl\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ??>\n<html><body><ul><li>Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.<\/li><li>3,000 anniversary points each year.<\/li><li>Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines&#xAE; purchases<\/li><li>Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year<\/li><li>Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost.<\/li><li>Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.<\/li><li>Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.<\/li><li>No foreign transaction fees.<\/li><li>Member FDIC<\/li><\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-er\"><ul>\r\n<li>2X points per $1 spent on Southwest<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases<\/li>\r\n<li>2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year<\/li>\r\n<li>1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <a class=\"qs-share\" href=\"\/find-a-card\/SWPlus\/\" title=\"copy\"><svg width=\"12\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/awardwallet\/public\/builds\/icon\/icon-sprite.svg?v2026-5-89dddd134#share-square\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a>\n        <\/div><\/p>\n<p>When the personal cards offer Rapid Rewards as a welcome bonus, those points, combined with the points earned from the minimum spending requirement on the business card, are usually enough to reach the new requirement. That doesn't include the 10,000 bonus Companion Pass points you'll receive for holding a Southwest card.<\/p>\n<p>Please note that the 10,000 bonus points are for the Companion Pass only. These are not Rapid Rewards points that can be redeemed. Instead, these are only qualifying points for the Companion Pass.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that you can only obtain one credit card bonus on a Southwest personal credit card every 24 months. As the Companion Pass-qualifying points must be earned within a single calendar year, it's a good idea to open a new Rapid Rewards card just before the end of the year. That way, you can claim the 10,000 bonus qualifying points after the New Year, and then meet the spending threshold within the first three months to set yourself up for a Companion Pass through the end of the following calendar year.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.southwest.com\/html\/mkt\/rapidrewardsupdates.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"No-Show_Policy_Change\">No-Show Policy Change<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Another small change that will happen in the summer of 2023 is that Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus booked with Rapid Rewards points must be canceled at least 10 minutes before the flight. Otherwise, your points will be forfeited.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, you have until after the flight departs to cancel and receive a refund on your points. Again, not a big change, and it makes sense on the administration side of things.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Our_Take\">Our Take<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It makes sense that Southwest is making this change to the Companion Pass, considering all the recent changes with rewards programs, inflation, etc. And, for travelers that primarily earn the Companion Pass through credit cards shouldn't be affected, thanks to the new bonus for Rapid Rewards cardholders.<\/p>\n<p>The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best perks among airline rewards programs, so these changes are good to know about.<\/p>\n<p><em>Do you think the 10,000 points increase is a big deal?<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ftoc\"><div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Southwest_Companion_Pass_Change\">Southwest Companion Pass Change<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Rapid_Rewards_Cardholder_Bonus\">Rapid Rewards Cardholder Bonus<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#An_Example_of_Earning_the_Companion_Pass_Using_Credit_Cards\">An Example of Earning the Companion Pass Using Credit Cards<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#No-Show_Policy_Change\">No-Show Policy Change<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Our_Take\">Our Take<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Southwest Airlines has implemented changes to the Rapid Rewards program, including increasing the requirements for Companion Pass, a Rapid Rewards cardholder bonus, etc. Here are the changes that took effect on January 1, 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":49117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[12520,12036,12757],"coauthors":[36385],"class_list":["post-86734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-card-benefits","tag-major-updates","tag-southwest-rapid-rewards"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86734"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255769,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86734\/revisions\/255769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86734"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=86734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}