Companion Pass is a unique and lucrative benefit we offer. 
Companion passes have been available for decades and are a relic of a bygone era when Southwest differentiated itself through unique features like open seating and free checked bags. But today, Southwest has reinvented itself through changes that include ending certain practices, adding new fees to increase ancillary revenue, and revising fare classes. These changes were made to improve financial performance and appear to have been successful, but the companion pass remains the same.
All benefits of Companion Pass
The Companion Pass is positioned above A-List and A-List Preferred levels. prompt compensation floor. A-List status is an entry-level Rapid Rewards tier that offers benefits such as priority boarding, same-day standby, free checked baggage, and seat benefits.
A-List Preferred status is further extended with pre-boarding and two free checked bags, and passengers also receive two complimentary premium beverages. However, the Companion Pass is much different. The biggest advantage of the Companion Pass is that members can travel with one companion for free, excluding taxes and fees. This applies to all flights within the program year, and tier member seat/checked baggage benefits also apply to companions.
This is especially useful for Southwest members who frequently travel with their partner/spouse, essentially cutting the cost of their flight in half when they travel together. This is a unique benefit that cannot be compared to other airlines. The downside is that the Companion Pass is not elite-level and therefore does not offer any additional benefits compared to the A-List Preferred.
Other U.S. airlines offer top tiers that are more comprehensive than Southwest’s A-List Preferred status and offer benefits like free domestic upgrades. But Southwest doesn’t have true premium cabins and doesn’t operate airport lounges or long-haul flights. So loyalty programs inherently offer fewer benefits to elite members, and the Companion Pass is the ultimate trump card.
How to Get a Companion Pass
Elite status within Rapid Rewards can be earned by taking a certain number of flights per year or by earning tier-qualifying points. These points can be earned through eligible credit card spending as well as airfare purchases. Companion Pass benefits require 100 qualifying flights or 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each way, while A-List Preferred status requires 40 segments or 70,000 qualifying points.
Meanwhile, the basic A-List tier requires 20 segments or 35,000 tier qualifying points. The Companion Pass is expensive to qualify for, but the earning rates help speed up the process. All points earned through credit card use are counted as Companion Pass points, and some credit card points are calculated separately when achieving elite status.
Although the Companion Pass and the two Elite tiers are technically independent of each other, the more points required means you are more likely to qualify for A-List or A-List Preferred at the same time. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority and Performance Business cards each earn up to 4 points per dollar on Southwest flights, and the highest Choice Extra fare tier earns 14 points per dollar.
The Priority card also offers an annual 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying point boost. With these factors in mind, you can earn the Southwest Rapid Rewards Companion Pass by: Spending less than $10,000 per yearThis can be achieved by using the airline’s top credit card while purchasing the highest fare tier for each flight.
Southwest Airlines fare classes
One of the major changes that Southwest Airlines has implemented in recent years is the introduction of new fare categories. Previously, Southwest had four ticket types: Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, and Business Select, which have since been replaced by new fare classes. Tickets are now named Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra, which roughly correspond to the previous fare types but include new conditions and benefits that better match market demand.
Base fares do not include checked baggage or seat selection, can only be canceled with a non-refundable travel credit (valid for 6 months), and passengers earn 2 points per dollar spent. Choice includes free seat selection but does not include checked baggage, and Choice passengers board before passengers with Basic tickets.
You’ll receive 12 months of travel credit when you cancel select tickets, and this fare class earns 6 points per dollar. Choice Preferred fares are similar except that tickets are refundable, earn 10 points per dollar, and include priority boarding/security. The top-tier Choice Extra ticket includes two free checked bags and your choice of extra legroom, preferred or standard seating for free.
These tickets offer highest priority boarding, are fully refundable, and allow passengers to earn 14 points per dollar spent. This is the most expensive ticket sold by Southwest Airlines, but those looking to quickly gain status and qualify for a Companion Pass may want to consider choosing a Choice Extra ticket, which allows them to earn qualifying points much more quickly.
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Southwest Airlines credit card
To quickly earn points to qualify for a Companion Pass, we recommend signing up for a Rapid Rewards co-branded credit card at the same time you primarily purchase Choice Extra tickets. These are issued by Chase, and the airline offers three personal credit cards along with two business cards. Each earns Rapid Rewards points on purchases in certain categories, while also earning additional points on Southwest flights. Each year, cardholders receive an additional 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points.
The Rapid Rewards Plus card has a $99 annual fee and includes an annual points boost, but does not earn qualifying points for A-List or A-List Preferred. To do this, you’ll need to upgrade to the Rapid Rewards Premier card, which has an annual fee of $149 and awards 1,500 qualifying points after you spend $5,000.
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Rapid Rewards Plus benefits ($99 annual fee) |
Rapid Rewards Premier Benefits ($149 annual fee) |
Rapid Rewards priority benefits ($229 annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
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10% discount code for anniversary |
15% discount code for anniversary |
Additional legroom upgrades: 48 hours |
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2x points on Southwest purchases |
3x points on Southwest purchases |
4x points on Southwest purchases |
|
Double gas/grocery store points When you spend the first $5,000 per year |
Double gas/grocery store points On first $8,000 spent per year |
Double points at gas stations/restaurants |
|
1x on all other purchases |
1x on all other purchases |
1x on all other purchases |
|
10,000 Companion Passes per year Improve your qualification points |
1,500 Tier Qualifying Points Bonus For every $5,000 spent |
2,500 Tier Qualifying Points Bonus For every $5,000 spent |
|
Group 5 boarding |
10,000 Companion Passes per year Improve your qualification points |
10,000 Companion Passes per year Improve your qualification points |
|
No foreign transaction fees |
Group 5 boarding |
Group 5 boarding |
|
25% refund on in-flight purchases |
No foreign transaction fees |
No foreign transaction fees |
|
25% refund on in-flight purchases |
25% refund on in-flight purchases |
Meanwhile, the top-tier Rapid Rewards Priority card has an annual fee of $229 and awards 2,500 tier-qualifying points after $5,000 in qualifying spending. Southwest business credit cards are largely identical to their personal counterparts, and the airline offers the Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card (same as the Premier Card) and the Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card (same as the Priority Card).
It features the same annual fee as a private partner and offers virtually the same benefits. When it comes to Tier Qualifying Points, the Premier Business Card awards 2,000 points after $5,000 in qualifying spend, while the Performance Business Card awards 2,500 qualifying points.
The future of rapid rewards
Although Southwest is increasingly partnering with established airlines in terms of model and market positioning, its Rapid Rewards loyalty program is quite different. There are only two elite tiers with the Companion Pass. 
This is because Southwest is primarily a domestic airline that operates only 7.37 economy aircraft. The Companion Pass exists as a unique point of differentiation because Southwest cannot compete on a premium product, long-haul network, or lounges. While these are some of the top reasons people choose to participate in loyalty programs, Southwest currently doesn’t have any of these three, making Companion Pass a lucrative way to save money.
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US airlines with domestic first class seats |
|---|
|
Alaska Airlines |
|
american airlines |
|
Breeze Airlines |
|
delta airlines |
|
Frontier (in development) |
|
hawaiian airlines |
|
JetBlue (in development) |
|
united airlines |
The airline hasn’t announced plans to discontinue or significantly change the Companion Pass, but it is making other changes. For one thing, Southwest is currently building a network of airport lounges that can rival the clubs offered by traditional U.S. airlines. At the same time, the airline is working with Chase to develop a new top-tier co-branded credit card. This credit card has an annual fee of about $650 and benefits include lounge access.
Additionally, Southwest recently introduced extra legroom seats and is reportedly considering introducing domestic first class cabins. The airline has also discussed launching new services to Europe (i.e. Iceland) while launching new partnerships with foreign airlines. Airlines are changing in an effort to increase loyalty program participation while increasing revenue, and whether Companion Passes are part of the future or not, Southwest continues to evolve into a very different airline than it has been for decades.
