Can you buy Southwest points to get companion pass?

The following do not count as Companion Pass qualifying points: purchased points; points transferred between Members; points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, e-Rewards®, Valued Opinions, and Diners Club®; points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment; tier bonus points; flight bonus points; and ...



In 2026, the answer is no; purchased points do not count toward the Southwest Companion Pass. To earn the highly coveted Companion Pass, you must either fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a single calendar year. While Southwest allows you to buy points for your Rapid Rewards account to redeem for flights, these "purchased" points are classified as non-qualifying. Qualifying points must come from "butt-in-seat" flights, base points earned via Southwest co-branded credit cards, or points earned through select partners like hotel and car rental bookings. A popular strategy in 2026 remains the "Credit Card Sign-up Bonus," as the large chunks of points earned through new card offers do count toward the 135,000-point goal. However, simply going to the Southwest website and using cash to buy a balance of points will only increase your "Redeemable" balance, not your "Companion Pass" progress, making it impossible to "buy" your way into the perk directly.

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You CAN change who flies as your companion based on the details below: The Companion Pass card is not transferrable. The Member may, however, change his/her designated Companion and request issuance of a new Companion Pass card up to three (3) times each calendar year that the Member maintains Companion Pass status.

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To qualify, simply fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points* in a calendar year, and you'll earn Companion Pass for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it. Learn more about how to earn tier status or Companion Pass for 2023.

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You'll maintain your Companion Pass for the remainder of the calendar year in which you qualified and the entire calendar year immediately following the year you qualified. To continue receiving Companion Pass privileges, you must re-qualify each calendar year.

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This $5,000 minimum spend is admittedly higher than other welcome bonuses, but it pales in comparison to what you'd need to spend outside of this promotion. To earn the standard 125,000 points you'd normally need for the Companion Pass®, you'd have to pay for up to $125,000 in purchases with your Southwest card.

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Re: Has Southwest offered to Extend A Plus or Companion Pass? A-List and Companion Pass has been extended to 1/31/2023. Thank you Southwest!

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Do the points I earn expire? No, your Rapid Rewards points do not expire. However, if you choose to close your account, the points in your account will be terminated.

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If you want to know how many Southwest points you need for a free flight, the answer is that it depends on the cash cost of your flight. The lower the cash cost, the fewer points will be required and conversely, the higher the cash cost of the flight, the more Southwest points you'll need.

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Yes! According to Southwest's rules and regulations, this does apply to a Companion, who is flying with you on your Southwest Companion Pass, except if the Companion Pass holder: Purchased a Business Select® fare. Purchased Upgraded Boarding.

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