Ever wish you could bring a friend on your flight with you for FREE?! Imagine the savings if you’re flying with a family and have one less ticket to buy, that is HUGE! Southwest offers a companion pass that does just that.
What is the Companion Pass?
Yes, there are other airlines that offer a companion pass, it is not a completely unique idea to Southwest. However, something that makes this pass extra valuable is the unlimited amount of times you can use it. It is UNLIMITED! As much as your heart desires, you can take your buddy with you for (nearly) free. To be clear, taxes and fees still apply when flying as a companion so it is not quite free but it is pretty darn close.
Another fun fact: this applies to reward flights too. That means you can use your rapid reward points toward flight A and still book flight B for no additional points, paying only fees and taxes. Now that is some pretty darn cheap travel, folks.
Now, your companion pass is good for the remainder of the calendar year that you earned it as well as the entire following year. That means if you play your cards right, you could be in possession of a companion pass for close to 24 full months!
More Fun Facts: Not sure who you would designate as your person? That’s ok because you can change this companion up to 3 additional times in the first year and 3 more in the following year. That is 7 designations throughout the course of your pass! Pretty amazing! To note, if you switch back to a previous user, that is still counted as an allotted switch.
How do you earn the Companion Pass?
So here’s the deal, there are two ways to earn this elusive pass that makes travel even more fun than ever before! ✈️
- Taking 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. Who has time for that? 🤔
- Earning 135,000 qualifying reward points
I for one will likely never qualify by taking that many flights in a year. However, 135,000 points is completely doable by signing up for Southwest credit cards. Qualifying points are any points earned by booking through Southwest, those earned while using Southwest Credit cards, and base points earned by booking travel with a Southwest hotel, rental car and dining partner. That means transferring points from Chase to Southwest does not count towards qualifying points. Buying points as well would not qualify.
So here’s the deal on best strategies for earning this pass:
- Get a Southwest Credit Card and earn the sign on bonus which boosts your points fast.
- Book a Southwest flight using a Southwest CC. This earns 2 points on every 1$ spent.
- Book a hotel, rental car or pay for dining once you’re a dining member with a Southwest Partner. Check out some hotel partners here: HOTEL PARTNERS
- Shop online through the Southwest Portal to rake in points.
The timeline on this matter to get the most bang for your buck. Ideally you want to apply for one (or two) SW CC in November, however you can not complete the minimum spend until the following calendar year. Finishing the minimum spend in January of the following year would gives you the most time to hold the companion pass.
Overall, if you regularly fly or plan to travel domestically in the United States, Southwest Airlines is a great option that offers a lot of flexible options. Throw in a companion pass and it can seriously pay off in savings. And don’t forget, SW has opened up several international destinations to make this deal an even more lucrative option!
Have more questions? Check out the Southwest Companion Pass page for all the info! Southwest Companion Pass Page.
