How does companion pass work

It's Southwest Airline's version of a buy-one-get-one deal, where you buy a flight and one lucky buddy gets to fly for free aside from taxes and fees. But even fairly frequent Southwest flyers will have a hard time getting their hands on one. It can be tough to earn, and its value lies in how often you use it once you have it. So is the Southwest Companion Pass really all it's cracked up to be? To earn the Companion Pass, you either need to take qualifying one-way flights or earn , qualifying points in a calendar year.

Among the best ways to earn qualifying points include:. Booking revenue airfares on Southwest meaning it excludes tickets booked on points. Online shopping through the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal.

But here are a few other reasons why the Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals out there:. That should help carve out a decent chunk of the ,point goal. Your travel plans might entail flying with your sibling to a wedding, taking a friend to Vegas and going on a romantic getaway to Hawaii with your partner. You may change your designated companion up to three times each calendar year that you hold it. Any reservations with the current designated companion need to be canceled or completed before changing your designated companion, and you should also allow up to 21 business days for processing when you change that person.

The value you get out of the pass might not be worth the effort you put into its pursuit. If you check in one person first and then check in the other person next, you may well lose out on some of the best boarding positions. Related: Is Southwest EarlyBird check-in worth it?

While you can change your companion three times in a calendar year, Southwest Companion Pass holders should know that doing so requires you to make a phone call. There is no way to change a companion online. In our experience, the companion is always changed nearly instantaneously.

It will take a while for a new Companion Pass card to arrive in the mail for your new companion, but the change is implemented for online booking purposes within seconds.

If you have two trips close together with different companions, things can get a bit tricky. It is theoretically possible that the March 15 flight could sell out before March 1, leaving your spouse high and dry for the March 15 trip. If a flight does sell out, you may find yourself in the position of having to book a new flight for yourself at a higher price to find an itinerary with availability for your companion.

Using the Southwest Companion Pass is a breeze. With travel starting to pick up again, this is the perfect way to travel more often next year — and even into if you wait to earn the points until Terms Apply. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser.

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The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. The Southwest Companion Pass has long been considered the holy grail of travel passes you can earn through an airline credit card. Not only that, but the Southwest Companion Pass is usable whether the owner pays for their flight with points or with cash.

Yes, you read that right! Southwest Airlines has rolled out some fresh changes in how you can earn the pass due to the emergence of COVID, which we outline below. Even better, if you opened your Rapid Rewards account by Dec. You should find these posted to your account within a week:. On the bright side, certain Southwest rewards credit card members will have the rewards limit for tier qualifying point spending removed for To qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass, you need to fly qualifying one-way flights or earn , Southwest Rapid Rewards points in an eligible manner.

Activities that can count toward the Southwest Companion Pass include:. Points from a Southwest credit card count toward this status based on when they post to your account after your credit card closing date and not on the day the spending occurs. Southwest makes this distinction on credit card spending because its companion pass is so valuable.

You have to spend the money early enough so the points post to your account in your December billing statement, and you have to ensure you earn the full , points for the pass before the calendar year ends.

Also, your companion can only fly for free with you; they cannot use the pass to fly alone or with someone else. Credit Cards Credit card reviews. Best credit cards Best rewards credit cards. Best cash back credit cards. Best airline credit cards. Best small business credit cards. Best balance transfer cards. Best student credit cards. Best starter credit cards. The best online brokerages for beginners. The best investment apps. The best stock trading apps. Best robo advisors. Average stock market return.

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