Southwest Airlines is shaking up how travellers earn its famous Companion Pass, and the simplest path to getting one is about to close. If you've ever fancied flying with a companion who pays only taxes — from $5.60 each way — there's a short window to act before December 2, 2026.
First, why the pass matters. The Companion Pass lets a designated companion fly with you free (taxes only) whenever you buy a cash or points ticket. Earn it early in a year and it can effectively last almost two years, which is why frequent Southwest fans treat it as one of the best deals in travel.
The overhaul introduces a new top-tier elite level, Platinum, sitting above A-List Preferred (which becomes Gold). Platinum comes with an unlimited Companion Pass and requires 140,000 tier qualifying points or 100 flights in a year. From January 1, all Southwest cobrand credit cards will earn one tier qualifying point per dollar of eligible spend with no cap — a clearer deal than today's tiered bonuses. On top of that, cardmembers who hit 130,000 qualifying points in 2027 get a 10,000-point boost, landing them at Platinum with status and the pass valid through December 31, 2028. In theory, $130,000 of card spending alone gets you there — a serious outlay, but a transparent rule.
What's ending is the old trick many people used: sign up for a Southwest credit card, collect the initial bonus, and let it do most of the work toward the pass — then barely touch the card again. Southwest wants ongoing spending, not one-off signups, and this change reflects that.
The good news: there's an exception. Anyone approved for a Southwest Rapid Rewards card on or before December 2, 2026 still gets their initial bonus counted as Companion Pass qualifying points, even if the spending requirement is met in early 2027. A pass earned at the start of 2027 remains valid through the end of 2028 — nearly two full years of two-for-one flying. Current sign-up offers range from 50,000 bonus points (Plus card, $1,000 spend in three months) to 80,000 points on business cards, and up to 60,000 on the $229-a-year Priority card, which also throws in a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers on your reservation plus Group 5 boarding.
If you fly Southwest even a couple of times a year and usually travel with someone, this is worth a look: apply soon, hit the minimum spend around late December or early January, and you could lock in nearly two years of cheap companion travel before the rules change for good. Southwest will likely run promotional pass deals in future, but nothing is guaranteed — the genuinely easy version is on its way out.
Story via View from the Wing.
