What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass lets one designated companion fly with you on Southwest-operated flights for just taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 one way, with no blackout dates. You currently earn it with 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, unlimited Companion Pass trips will coincide with Platinum status.
TL;DR / Key takeaways
- What it is: A perk that lets one designated companion fly with you on Southwest-operated flights for taxes and fees only.
- Current rules: Earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.
- What changes Jan. 1, 2027: The pass is earned with 140,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or 100 one-way qualifying flights. Unlimited trips come with the new Platinum status, a new Milestone Reward provides three companion trips and credit card welcome bonuses stop counting toward earning the Companion Pass.
- Existing passes: A pass earned under the 2026 rules stays unlimited through Dec. 31, 2027.
- Best use case: Frequent Southwest flyers with one consistent travel partner.
How does the Southwest Companion Pass work?
The Companion Pass lets you name one companion who can fly with you on Southwest-operated flights for just taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 one way. There are no blackout dates, but a seat must be available on your flight. You book and pay for your own flight first, then book your companion on the same flights and dates through Southwest. If you cancel, change or skip your flight, your companion’s reservation is canceled too. Under the current rules, a pass you earn in a calendar year lasts through the end of the following year. A few more rules to know:
- You can have one companion at a time, and your companion must be an individual.
- You can change your companion up to three times per calendar year.
- You and your companion must check in and board together.
How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass
Southwest is changing how you earn the pass starting on Jan. 1, 2027. Until then, you earn it with a separate currency called Companion Pass qualifying points. After that, you earn it with the same Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) that count toward elite status, or with qualifying flights.
| Through Dec. 31, 2026 | Starting Jan. 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Earning currency | Companion Pass qualifying points | Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) |
| Unlimited trips | 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights | 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying one-way flights (Platinum status) |
| Three trips | Not available | 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights (Milestone Reward) |
| Card welcome bonuses | Count toward the pass | Do not count |
| Card spending | Counts, including bonus category points | 1 TQP per $1 spent; bonus category points do not count |
Referral bonuses, anniversary points and partner spending, such as hotels and rental cars, also stop counting in 2027. They still earn Rapid Rewards points, which you can redeem for flights.
Is the Southwest Companion Pass worth it?
It can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars if you fly Southwest often with the same person. In a hypothetical example, if your companion would otherwise pay $200 per round trip and you fly together six times, you save $1,200. Starting in 2027, the three trips from the Milestone Reward would save about $600 at the same fare. The pass is most valuable when you:
- Fly Southwest frequently, especially on routes with higher fares
- Have one consistent travel partner
- Earn it early in the calendar year, which maximizes how long it lasts
- Use it on award flights, so your companion flies for taxes and fees too
Earning the unlimited version with spending alone gets harder in 2027. Every Southwest card earns 1 TQP per $1 spent, and cardmembers get a one-time 10,000 TQP boost after reaching 130,000 TQPs, so Platinum takes about $130,000 in card purchases, according to TPG’s analysis.
