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Southwest Companion Pass Guide (2027): New Rules & Strategies

ByMari
A Southwest plane wing flying over a blue sky with clouds

The Southwest Companion Pass has long been one of my favorite ways to save money on family travel. With this popular benefit, you can bring a designated companion on your Southwest flights for just the taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 each way on domestic flights. For families, that can add up to some serious savings!

BIG UPDATE FOR 2027: Southwest just announced major changes to how travelers earn the Companion Pass, including eliminating credit card welcome offers as a way to qualify under the new rules. But there’s still a limited opportunity to use the current strategy before the changes take effect!

Fun fact: we used our Southwest Companion passes to get us to and from Hawaii, along with plenty of other destinations. In this updated guide, I’ll walk you through what’s changing, how to earn the pass under the current and new rules, and whether it’s still worth pursuing for your family.

What is the Southwest Companion Pass?

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of my favorite travel perks for families because it lets you bring a designated companion on your Southwest flights for just the taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 each way on domestic flights!

Here’s what makes it even better: You can use your Companion Pass whether you book your own flight with cash OR points! That means you can use Rapid Rewards points for your ticket and bring your companion along without using additional points for their airfare.

You can also change your designated companion up to three times per calendar year, giving you some flexibility in who gets to travel with you.

For years, the Companion Pass has offered unlimited companion trips during its validity period. Starting in 2027, Southwest is introducing a new option for three companion trips alongside the unlimited benefit. I’ll break down how to qualify for both below.

Keep in mind that I only recommend trying to earn the Southwest Companion Pass if your home airport has multiple Southwest flight options to places you want to travel to. Make sure to check the Southwest route map to confirm the Companion Pass will support your upcoming travel plans before trying to earn it.

Two young children, wearing headphones, are comfortably seated on a Southwest plane.

How to Earn the Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest is making some BIG changes to how travelers earn the Companion Pass beginning January 1, 2027. Here’s what you need to know about qualifying under the current rules and what’s coming next.

How to Earn the Companion Pass in 2026

Under the current 2026 rules, you need to earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points OR fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. In 2026, you can still earn qualifying points through eligible Southwest credit card welcome offers, everyday spending, and other qualifying activities.

One of my favorite strategies has been combining welcome offers from a Southwest business credit card and a personal credit card to earn enough points for the pass without flying 100 times. Here’s where credit cards come into play: applying for two Southwest cards can help you hit that 135,000-point threshold. For example, by opening the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you can earn points through the welcome bonuses, everyday spending, and even referrals.

It’s crucial to understand Chase’s unofficial 5/24 rule, which limits approvals for most Chase cards if you have opened five or more new credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. You also can’t have received a bonus on a Southwest personal card within the last 24 months. Luckily, Chase business cards typically don’t count toward your 5/24 total, making a personal + business card approach a good option for those managing their card applications.

IMPORTANT: December 2, 2026 Deadline

Southwest has confirmed that travelers approved for an eligible co-branded Southwest credit card by December 2, 2026, can still have their welcome offer points count toward Companion Pass qualification, even if they complete the minimum spending requirement in early 2027.

Under this transition opportunity, the Companion Pass will be valid through December 31, 2027.

How to Earn the Companion Pass Starting in 2027

Beginning January 1, 2027, Southwest is introducing two ways to earn Companion Pass benefits through its new qualification system:

  • 95,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or 75 qualifying one-way flights: Earn three Companion Pass trips.
  • 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying one-way flights: Earn unlimited Companion Pass trips through Platinum status.

You earn TQPs through eligible Southwest flights, Southwest credit card spending, qualifying vacation packages, and certain other activities.

Here’s the biggest change: Credit card welcome offers, referral bonuses, anniversary points, and bonus category points will no longer count toward Companion Pass qualification. Instead, Southwest credit cards will earn 1 TQP for every $1 in eligible purchases. That means if you’re relying entirely on credit card spending, you’d need to spend $95,000 to earn just three companion trips (yikes)! 

For most families, that’s a LOT of spending to commit to one airline’s rewards program, especially when flexible points can give you more options.

Southwest will also continue offering limited-time Companion Pass promotions, which may provide another opportunity to earn companion travel benefits without meeting the standard qualification thresholds.

Examples of past promotional Companion Passes have included a 3-month promotional Companion Pass earned by flying two segments (either one round trip to two one-ways) within a certain time frame, and a 1- calendar-year promotional Companion pass, earned by meeting a minimum spend requirement on a specific co-branded Southwest credit card. Be sure to sign up for Southwest’s emails to be notified of these.  

A Southwest Airlines plane in flight, captured against a clear blue sky, with landing gear deployed. Southwest Companion Pass

Timing Your Points

Timing has always been one of the most important parts of earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Traditionally, earning it early in the calendar year meant enjoying nearly two full years of companion travel. I earned my first Companion Pass in February, giving me 11 months of benefits that year PLUS the entire following year!

But the strategy is changing for 2027.

Under Southwest’s transition rules, eligible credit card welcome offers from cards approved by December 2, 2026, can still count toward earning a Companion Pass, even if you complete the spending requirement in early 2027.

This opportunity only provides Companion Pass benefits through December 31, 2027. You can no longer use the old welcome offer strategy to earn a pass lasting through 2028.

If you’re planning to take advantage of this opportunity, pay close attention to your card approval date, minimum spending requirements, and when your points will post. Timing still matters, but the rules are different!

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Card Strategies for Earning the Companion Pass

Card Strategies for Earning the Companion PassOne of the easiest ways I’ve earned the Southwest Companion Pass has been by combining welcome offers from a Southwest business credit card and a personal credit card. Instead of flying 100 times or spending thousands of dollars on flights, you can earn a substantial number of qualifying points through credit card welcome offers and everyday purchases.

But if you’ve been thinking about using this strategy, time is running out!

Southwest has announced that credit card welcome offers will no longer count toward Companion Pass qualification under its new 2027 rules. However, there’s one final opportunity to take advantage of the current strategy.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Apply for eligible Southwest credit cards by December 2, 2026. You must be approved by this date to qualify for the transition exception.
  • Consider combining a business and personal card. Depending on the available welcome offers, you may be able to earn enough points to reach the 135,000-point requirement.
  • Meet the minimum spending requirements. Southwest has confirmed that eligible welcome offer points can still count even if you complete the spending requirement in early 2027.
  • Pay attention to eligibility rules. Chase has restrictions on earning welcome offers, so make sure you’re eligible before applying.

If you qualify through this transition opportunity, your Companion Pass will be valid through December 31, 2027.

My advice: Only pursue this strategy if the cards, spending requirements, and Southwest’s route network make sense for your family. Never spend more than you normally would just to earn a credit card welcome offer!

After this opportunity ends, I’ll be focusing even more on flexible points that can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners. Having options is one of the best ways to make your family’s travel rewards work harder!

Important note: Anyone with a US social security number can be eligible for business cards even if you don’t own an official business with an EIN. If you have a legitimate side hustle, freelance work, or other for-profit activity, you can apply as a sole proprietor.

View from a Southwest Airlines plane flying from Oahu to Maui, below a blue ocean, scattered clouds, and the Hawaiian coastline.

My Personal Southwest Companion Pass Strategy

The Southwest Companion Pass has been one of my favorite travel rewards for years. My Player 2 and I have each earned a Companion Pass by strategically combining Southwest business and personal credit card welcome offers, allowing us to bring both of our boys along on flights for just the taxes and fees.

One of our favorite redemptions was flying our family of four to Hawaii using Southwest points and our two Companion Passes. We’ve saved thousands of dollars on family flights over the years, and it’s a perfect example of how powerful points and miles can be when you have a plan.

But with Southwest’s new qualification rules taking effect in 2027, my strategy is changing, too.

Rather than directing significant everyday spending toward earning Southwest status, I’ll be prioritizing flexible points that can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners. That gives our family more options when booking flights, especially when Southwest isn’t the best fit for our destination or schedule.

I still love the value we’ve gotten from our Companion Passes, and I’ll absolutely keep an eye out for future promotions. But for families starting from scratch under the new rules, I think flexibility is going to be more valuable than ever!

A young child sits in an airport lounge, looking out at a suthwest airplane parked at the gate on a sunny day. Southwest companion pass

The Southwest Credit Cards We Used to Earn Our Companion Passes

We used a combination of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card to earn our Companion Passes.

The strategy was simple: Combine the welcome offers from an eligible Southwest business card and personal card, then use qualifying everyday spending to reach the 135,000-point requirement.

Both cards also offer Southwest travel benefits, but the biggest value for our family came from the welcome offers and the Companion Passes they helped us earn.

Is this strategy still worth considering? If you can qualify under Southwest’s December 2, 2026 transition rules, potentially. But starting in 2027, welcome offers generally won’t count toward Companion Pass qualification, making these cards less compelling as a long-term strategy for earning the pass.

As always, compare the annual fees, current welcome offers, and benefits before applying. A card with an annual fee can absolutely be worthwhile when the benefits you actually use outweigh the cost!

Southwest Card Eligibility

Before applying for a Southwest credit card, make sure you’re eligible for the welcome offer! Chase has several rules that can affect your approval and bonus eligibility.

  • Chase 5/24 Rule: Generally, if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards across banks in the past 24 months, Chase won’t approve you for a new card.
  • Personal Card Restrictions: You generally can’t receive a new Southwest personal card welcome offer if you currently hold another Southwest personal card or received a Southwest personal card welcome bonus within the past 24 months.
  • Business Card Eligibility: Southwest business cards have separate welcome offer restrictions, so you may still qualify for a business card even if you’ve previously earned a personal card bonus.

Remember, you don’t need a large business to qualify for a business credit card! Freelancers, content creators, and people with side businesses may qualify, too.

Always review the current application terms before applying, especially with the December 2, 2026 deadline approaching.

Is the Southwest Companion Pass Still Worth It for Families?

Absolutely! The Southwest Companion Pass can still be an incredible way to save on family travel. But with the new rules taking effect in 2027, how you earn it matters more than ever.

Under the new qualification system, you’d need to put $95,000 in eligible spending on a Southwest credit card just to earn three companion trips. That’s a LOT of spending for a benefit tied to one airline.

My advice: Focus on flexibility.

Rather than putting all your everyday spending toward earning Southwest status, consider credit cards that earn flexible points, like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, or Capital One miles. These rewards give you access to multiple airline and hotel partners, allowing you to choose the flights and accommodations that work best for your family.

If Southwest happens to have the best flights for your trip, you can still transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards with eligible Chase cards.

Continue watching for limited-time Companion Pass promotions, which could offer families a way to enjoy this valuable benefit without meeting the standard qualification requirements.

The goal isn’t to collect the most points or earn every travel perk. It’s to make your points work harder so you can make more memories with the people you love!

Final Thoughts

The Southwest Companion Pass has helped our family make some incredible travel memories, and I’ll always appreciate the value we’ve gotten from it! While the new rules make it harder for many families to earn, there are still plenty of ways to make travel more rewarding.

Whether you’re taking advantage of the current Companion Pass opportunity, watching for future promotions, or building a stash of flexible points, the best strategy is the one that works for your family’s travel goals.

Remember, points and miles are simply tools to help you travel more while spending less. And with the right strategy, those once-in-a-lifetime family trips don’t have to happen just once!

If you have any questions or need further advice feel free to email me or send me a message on Instagram. I’m always happy to share more tips and insights to help you. And if you’re ready to finally learn points and miles yourself, get your family’s personalized plan in my Family Travel Rewards Coach app.

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