The Southwest companion pass is a tier status that Southwest offers its customers that either earn 110,000 rapid reward flights or take 100 flights within a calendar year.
What it means if you earn the tier status
If you are able to be obtain the companion pass tier status you will be able to choose one companion to accompany you for free on every flight you take on Southwest. You are able to change your companion up to three times. Choose your companion wisely, because the status could be worthless if get stuck choosing a companion who you will never actually fly with.
How long is the companion pass good for
The companion pass must be earned in a calendar year. Progress made towards earning the companion pass is reset on January 1st. This means the you have from January 1st to December 31st to meet the requirements set for the companion pass. Once you reach companion pass status, the companion pass is good for the remainder of the year in which it was earned, and entire following year.
What are the stipulations for using the companion pass
There are very few stipulations related to using the companion pass. A companion can be added to any flight you have a reservation for, regardless of the payment method for the flight. That means, you can add your companion to a flight you purchased with rapid rewards miles, a credit card, or a travel credit voucher from a previously canceled flight. Furthermore, you can add your companion to a flight someone else purchased for you, regardless the means that person used to buy the flight. That means, your companion could purchase your flight, with rewards or cash, and then you could add them (your companion) to the flight for free. The two major stipulations are:
- The free flight for your companion still requires a payment of $5.60 per flight. This is a congressionally mandated security fee.
- There must be at least one available seat on the flight in addition to your seat to be able to add your companion.