Understanding the Southwest Companion Pass and How It Works
The Southwest Companion Pass is a benefit offered by Southwest Airlines that allows a cardholder to bring a designated travel companion on flights for just $5.60 plus taxes and fees (the current government-imposed segment fee). This pass remains valid through the end of the year in which it was earned, plus the following calendar year, giving cardholders a window of up to 20 months to use the benefit.
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To earn this pass, a person must spend a specific amount of money on a Southwest Airlines credit card within a set timeframe—typically the first year of card membership. Historically, this amount has been around $110,000 to $125,000 in purchases, though the exact requirement may vary by offer. Once this spending threshold is met, the pass appears in the cardholder's Rapid Rewards account and remains there until it expires at the end of the designated period.
The companion named on the pass must be at least 18 years old and cannot be changed frequently. Some cardholders name the same companion for multiple years, while others may update their choice when the pass resets annually. The companion flies on the same reservations as the cardholder, meaning they cannot book separately or fly on different flights unless the cardholder also changes their booking.
This benefit has become valuable to travelers who fly frequently with a spouse, partner, or family member. Since Southwest does not charge baggage fees for the first two checked bags, the combination of a cheap companion ticket plus free checked baggage can result in significant savings compared to purchasing two regular fares. A round-trip ticket for two people using this pass might cost under $150 total when factoring in taxes and fees, whereas two regular fares could easily exceed $300 to $500 depending on the route and timing.
Practical Takeaway: Understanding that the Companion Pass provides a deeply discounted travel option for a named companion on the same reservation is the foundation for learning how to use it effectively.
Step-by-Step Process for Booking with a Companion Pass
Booking a flight using the Southwest Companion Pass involves a straightforward process through Southwest's website or mobile app. The cardholder logs into their Rapid Rewards account and searches for flights using the standard flight search tool. They enter their departure city, destination, travel dates, and number of passengers—which includes both themselves and their designated companion.
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Once flights appear in the search results, the cardholder selects their preferred flight just as they would for any regular booking. After selecting the outbound flight, they then select a return flight if it's a round-trip journey. At this point, the pricing screen displays the cost for both passengers. The cardholder will see that one fare appears at the standard price while the companion's fare shows as $5.60 plus the applicable government-imposed taxes and fees (typically adding up to around $11.20 total per segment).
The cardholder then proceeds to the payment screen, where they enter their preferred payment method. Southwest accepts credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, and Rapid Rewards points. Some cardholders choose to pay with the Southwest credit card that earned the Companion Pass in the first place, while others use alternative payment methods. The total cost is charged before the reservation is confirmed.
After payment processes successfully, Southwest sends a confirmation email to both the cardholder and the companion (using the email address associated with the companion's Rapid Rewards account, or an alternate email if the companion doesn't have an account). This confirmation includes the itinerary, flight numbers, departure times, and locator code needed at the airport. Both the cardholder and companion can use this locator code to check in for the flight, select seats, and manage their reservation online.
It's worth noting that Southwest does not block seats for Companion Pass bookings—both passengers book regular economy seating through the standard system. This means they may not sit together unless they select specific seats during check-in. Some cardholders pay extra for Early Bird Check-In to secure better seat positions, while others simply check in online 24 hours before departure to grab available seats next to each other.
Practical Takeaway: The booking process mirrors a standard airline reservation, with the main difference being that the companion's portion of the fare displays at the reduced rate, making the total cost substantially lower than purchasing two separate tickets.
Naming and Changing Your Companion on the Pass
When a cardholder first earns the Companion Pass, they must designate a companion in their Rapid Rewards account. This involves providing the companion's name, date of birth, and relationship to the cardholder. Southwest allows the cardholder to name someone as their companion even if that person doesn't currently have a Rapid Rewards account; Southwest will create or link an account during the booking process.
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The person named as the companion must be at least 18 years old at the time of travel. They cannot be a pet, minor, or unnamed travel partner. Southwest requires a specific name—simply booking a "companion" without identifying them by name is not permitted. This requirement exists so that the person traveling on the discounted fare can be clearly identified for security and boarding purposes.
Changing the designated companion is possible, but Southwest has specific rules about how often this can occur. Generally, cardholders may change their companion one time during the calendar year. If a cardholder has earned a Companion Pass that spans two calendar years—for example, earning it late in 2024 and keeping it through 2025—they may be able to make one change per calendar year, potentially allowing two changes across the pass's lifetime. However, it's important to check the current terms of the specific pass, as policies may vary.
Some cardholders use their Companion Pass strategically by naming different companions for different travel periods within the year. For instance, a cardholder might travel with their spouse in the spring, then change the companion designation to a sibling for summer travel. This flexibility appeals to people who take several trips per year and travel with different people at different times.
To change a companion, the cardholder logs into their Rapid Rewards account, navigates to the Companion Pass section, and follows Southwest's process for updating the designation. The change typically takes effect immediately, though it's wise to contact Southwest directly if there's any confusion about whether a change will affect upcoming bookings.
Practical Takeaway: Selecting the right companion for your travel needs and understanding the rules around changing that designation ensures you can use your pass flexibly throughout its validity period.
Rules and Restrictions to Know Before Booking
The Companion Pass comes with several important restrictions that differ from standard Southwest fares. First, the companion cannot be removed from a reservation after booking without canceling the entire reservation. If circumstances change and the cardholder needs to travel alone, they must cancel both tickets and rebook just themselves. They cannot simply drop the companion from an existing booking and keep their own seat. This is different from some airline policies that allow removing passengers from multi-person reservations.
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Second, the companion must travel on every flight included in the reservation. If a cardholder books a round-trip flight, the companion must fly both the outbound and return legs. The pass cannot be split so that the companion flies one direction while the cardholder travels alone on the other. Similarly, if a cardholder books multiple flights as part of a multi-city itinerary, the companion travels on all segments.
Third, the Companion Pass does not cover flights booked with Rapid Rewards points. The pass only works when at least the cardholder's portion of the ticket is purchased with currency (dollars). If someone attempts to redeem a flight using only points, the Companion Pass discount does not apply to that booking. However, a cardholder can use points for their own ticket and still apply the Companion Pass discount to the companion's portion if the total booking includes a paid element.
Fourth, the pass cannot be transferred or given to someone else. Only the individual who earned the pass—the credit card account holder—can use it. A cardholder cannot gift their pass to a friend who is not the designated companion, nor can they sell or trade the pass to another person.
Fifth, the pass does not provide companion pricing on flights operated by other airlines. Southwest occasionally codeshares with airlines like American Airlines, but these flights do not qualify for Companion Pass pricing. The pass works only on flights where Southwest is the operating airline, which is typically flights booked on Southwest.com.
Additionally, special fares or