Does Southwest Companion Pass board together?

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.



In 2026, the way Southwest Companion Pass holders board has changed significantly due to the airline's transition to assigned seating, which fully rolled out for all flights departing on or after January 27, 2026. Under the new system, Southwest has replaced its traditional "A, B, C" open-boarding positions with a numbered group system (Groups 1–8). The good news for Companion Pass holders is that the companion now receives the same boarding group and seating benefits as the primary traveler. If the primary traveler has A-List Preferred status or purchased a "Choice Extra" fare (formerly Business Select), the companion will be assigned to the same high-priority boarding group (typically Group 1 or 2). This ensures that the two travelers can board and walk to their assigned seats together. However, it is important to note that because seats are now assigned at the time of booking or check-in, "sequential boarding" is no longer the chaotic scramble it once was; you will simply go to your specific reserved seats once your group is called.

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Travel Companions Can Now Board With Southwest A-List and A-List Preferred Members. Anyone on the SAME RESERVATION (that means you'll have the same confirmation number) on Southwest Airlines as someone who holds elite status with Southwest (called A-List or A-List Preferred) can now board with the elite status member.

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Although the companion fare can only be used to book flights in the economy cabin, there are still ways to use it and save on first class travel. Complimentary elite upgrades are available close to departure, and some fares can be upgraded further in advance.

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The basics of the Southwest Companion Pass It's valid on both cash and Rapid Rewards points bookings. You can even add a companion to an existing Southwest reservation. You don't have to worry about any blackout dates or seat restrictions.

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

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While there are numerous benefits to maintaining the Southwest Rapid Reward® credit cards in your wallet, including the ongoing Rapid Rewards points earning on all purchases, bonus points earned on Southwest purchases, yearly bonus points and relatively low annual fees, you will not lose your Companion Pass if you ...

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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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  1. The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to fly with a companion for only the cost of taxes and fees.
  2. To earn the Companion Pass, you need to accumulate 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
  3. If you time it right, your companion can fly with you for (nearly) free for almost two years.


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The Mileage Plan™ member who owns the companion fare code must either be one of the travelers or the purchaser of the reservation. If the member is allowing two travelers to use his or her companion fare code, then the member's name must match the name on the credit card used to purchase the reservation.

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As of March 2023, only three airlines offer fee-free family seating -- Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Frontier Airlines. American and Frontier both announced their new guarantees shortly after President Joe Biden excoriated airlines for junk fees during his State of the Union Address in early February.

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If you're traveling with a group, the best way to avoid a seat selection fee is to book your seats at the same time. If the airline is assigning seats for you, it typically seats people under the same record locator number together.

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