What is companion pass with Southwest Airlines?

Companion Pass is the benefit that allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight.



The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is widely considered the most valuable perk in the domestic airline industry. It allows a designated companion to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees from $5.60) every time you purchase a flight or book one using points. To earn it, a traveler must either fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a single calendar year. Once earned, the pass is valid for the remainder of the year in which you qualified, plus the entire following calendar year. You can change your designated companion up to three times per year, providing significant flexibility. There are no "blackout dates" or seat restrictions for the companion; if there is a seat available for sale on the flight, the companion can take it. This effectively doubles the value of your travel budget, making it an ideal goal for couples, business travelers with families, or frequent adventurers. It is a unique loyalty benefit that has helped Southwest maintain an incredibly dedicated customer base over several decades.

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Just head over to Southwest's website and log in to your Southwest Airlines account. Navigate to the “My Account” button at the top right. Once to the page, scroll to the area labeled “My Rapid Rewards,” and your Companion Pass progress will be listed right there — along with a few other pieces of information.

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The Companion Pass is valid for travel only when the Companion is accompanied on his/her flight(s) by the Rapid Rewards Member. When you add a companion to a Southwest reservation, your itineraries will be linked.

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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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Your Companion Pass works for flights to Hawaii You'll only need to buy one ticket with dollars or points, as your pass makes it possible to book a second ticket for your designated companion for free. (You'll only be responsible for $5.60 in taxes and fees for the companion ticket.)

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Southwest operates flights both from the mainland U.S. and between islands, so you might end up using your Companion Pass a few times during a Hawaiian holiday if you're planning to hop between the state's diverse islands. Happily, Southwest flies to Hawaii year-round.

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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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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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Referrals. Referral bonuses are another great way to rapidly accumulate points toward the Companion Pass. Chase offers 10,000 points per each friend who is approved for a Southwest card, up to 50,000 points per year.

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If the primary ticket or the Companion ticket is cancelled, both tickets will be cancelled and the Companion ticket will not be reissued.

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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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A companion pass or ticket can help cover airfare for a family member, spouse or buddy. These cards can grant you such a pass.

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Bottom Line: The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to add a companion for just the cost of the taxes and fees ($5.60 one-way on a domestic ticket) to any and every flight you take while you have the pass. It can be used an unlimited number of times and works on tickets purchased both in points or cash.

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3,000 Southwest points are worth around $39.9 when redeemed for airfare. While Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points are most valuable when redeemed for Travel, they're also redeemable for gift cards, hotel stays, merchandise, and more.

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