The Southwest Companion Pass Explained
The Southwest Companion Pass is widely regarded as one of the best perks in all of travel rewards, because it does something no ordinary card benefit does: it lets a designated companion fly with you for essentially free, again and again, for up to two years. For anyone who flies Southwest with a partner, family member, or friend, the value can be enormous.
Understanding how the Companion Pass works, how it is earned, and why it is so prized helps you decide whether it is worth pursuing. This guide explains the pass and its appeal.
- The Companion Pass lets a chosen companion fly for just taxes and fees.
- It applies to both paid and award Southwest flights.
- It is valid for the rest of the year you earn it plus the entire next year.
- People earn it through a combination of card welcome bonuses and spending.
- For frequent Southwest flyers, it can effectively halve travel costs.
What the Companion Pass is
The Southwest Companion Pass lets you designate one companion who can fly with you on Southwest for only the taxes and fees, often a small fixed amount per flight, whenever you fly. Crucially, it applies to both paid tickets and award tickets booked with points, so your companion flies cheaply regardless of how you pay for your own seat.
In effect, the pass means that whenever you buy or book a Southwest flight for yourself, your companion can come along for a token cost. You can also change your designated companion a limited number of times, so the pass can adapt if your travel partner changes during the period it is valid.
How long it lasts
One of the most valuable aspects of the Companion Pass is its duration. Once you earn it, it is valid for the remainder of that calendar year plus the entire following calendar year. This means that, depending on when you earn it, the pass can be good for up to nearly two full years of companion flights.
Because of this timing, many people strategically aim to earn the pass early in a year, or at the very start, to maximize the period of validity. Earning it in January, for instance, gives you almost two full years of the benefit, while earning it late in a year shortens the first portion.
How people earn it
The Companion Pass is earned by accumulating a qualifying number of Southwest points within a calendar year, and the most common path combines credit card welcome bonuses with everyday spending. Earning the welcome bonuses on Southwest co-branded cards can account for a large share of the points needed, and points from card spending and flights count toward the threshold.
Because card welcome bonuses can contribute so heavily, people often time their card applications and spending to reach the qualifying total efficiently, ideally early in the year to maximize the pass validity. The exact requirements and which points count can change, so verify the current rules before building a plan around it. See welcome bonuses.
Why it is so valuable
The Companion Pass value comes from its repeatability and duration. Unlike a one-time perk, it discounts a companion travel on every trip for up to two years. For a couple or a frequent travel pair who fly Southwest regularly, this effectively halves the cost of their flights together over that period, which can add up to substantial savings.
Because it works on award tickets too, the pass stacks with points redemptions: you can book your own seat with points and bring your companion for just taxes and fees, multiplying the value of your points. This combination of frequency, duration, and stacking is why the Companion Pass is so highly regarded among travel rewards.
Is it worth pursuing?
The Companion Pass is most worth pursuing if you fly Southwest with a consistent travel companion, since the value scales directly with how often the two of you fly together. For frequent Southwest pairs, the savings over up to two years can far exceed the effort and any card fees involved in earning it.
For people who rarely fly Southwest or usually travel solo, the pass is worth much less, and the effort to earn it may not pay off. As with any travel perk, the value depends entirely on your actual travel patterns. If Southwest is your airline and you have a regular companion, it is one of the highest-value goals in rewards. See co-branded cards.