Do Southwest companions fly standby?

Here's Southwest's Policy: On the day of travel, Companion Pass holders who have a Companion already booked and would like to use the same-day standby benefit can get added to the same-day standby list only in person at the airport with a Southwest Customer Service Agent located at the ticket counter or departure gate.



Generally, no—a Southwest Companion does not fly standby; they fly on a confirmed reservation. When a Rapid Rewards member earns a Companion Pass, they can book a seat for their designated companion on any flight that has at least one seat available for sale. This is a confirmed ticket, not a "space available" standby ticket. However, if the primary traveler wants to switch to a different flight on the same day using Southwest's "Same-Day Standby" benefit, the companion can also be added to that standby list for free. In this specific scenario, the companion is flying standby, but their original booking was a confirmed seat. It is important to remember that the companion's flight must always be booked after the primary traveler has secured their own ticket, even if that ticket was purchased with points.

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A: Promotional Companion Pass earned through this offer allows you to designate one person to fly with, free of airline charges (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) on flights purchased and flown between January 8, 2024 and March 8, 2024.

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Southwest Companion Pass holders can change their designated companion up to three times per calendar year. That means you can have a total of four companions: the original companion and up to three new companions. However, you can only have one designated companion at a time.

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This pass grants you the privilege of bringing a companion along for free (excluding applicable taxes and fees) on an unlimited number of Southwest Airlines flights throughout the pass. For frequent Southwest flyers, this benefit alone can easily amount to thousands of dollars saved annually.

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Once you earn it and pick your Companion, you can begin enjoying the benefits immediately after designating a Companion. 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.

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Earn towards Companion Pass ® ASAP between 9/1 – 11/30/2023. Earn 2X on flights. Earn double Companion Pass qualifying points on all qualifying flights 1 when you register, book, and fly, so you can earn on the double.

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One major reason consumers love this pass is because you can use it an unlimited number of times during the year you earn it, plus the entire following year. With that in mind, Southwest Companion Pass rules don't set any limits on how much value you can get in return.

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Employees have free, unlimited travel privileges for themselves and eligible dependents on Southwest Airlines.

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Once ticketed, travel can be completed after the expiration date — within 12 months of the date of issue. You can view your companion fare code's expiration date by logging into your Account profile and viewing the Discount and companion fare codes section.

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Every airline has its own priority system, but in general, the order for boarding standby passengers is as follows:
  • Full-fare passengers.
  • Commuting flight crews.
  • Standby passengers from the airline (in order of seniority or time of check-in)
  • Buddy pass travelers.
  • Standby passengers from other airlines.


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The exact percentage of airline standby customers who get off the list and into seats on average varies depending on the airline, flight, and other factors. Generally speaking, however, it is estimated that around 50-60% of those listed as standbys are able to board their flights.

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Standby fees typically cost $25 to $100, with most airlines charging a $75 same-day change fee. Because flying standby is more expensive and not guaranteed, new travelers may want to avoid standby travel until they have more experience interacting with airlines and navigating airports.

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