Southwest Airlines launches 2026 Companion Pass promotion

Southwest Airlines’ Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a friend for nearly free (you have to pay the taxes and fees) on unlimited flights, is one of the most valuable assets in the world of points and miles. It typically takes a lot of Southwest flights and/or credit card spending to nab one of these coveted passes, but sometimes, the airline runs a flash promotion that lets you earn a Companion Pass much faster.

From now until Thursday, Feb. 5, you can earn a two-month promotional Companion Pass by booking a single round-trip flight. Here’s how.

NICK EWEN/THE POINTS GUY

First, register for the promotion with your Rapid Rewards number, then book one qualifying round-trip flight or two one-ways by 11:59 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 5. Flights must be completed by March 31.

You’ll then earn a promotional Companion Pass valid for use between Aug. 10 and Oct. 7.

All fare classes, including the carrier’s new Basic option, are eligible for this promotion. And it doesn’t matter how you pay for your flight: Rapid Rewards point redemptions and Cash + Points bookings qualify as well, as long as you book through Southwest channels, such as the carrier’s website or mobile app.

Southwest makes it easy to rebook tickets with no cancellation fee, even on Basic fares. So, if you already have travel booked before March 31, consider canceling your flight for a travel credit and then using the credit to rebook the same flight. Several TPG staffers have done this in the past to earn a promotional Companion Pass.

However, if you make any changes to your itinerary after Thursday, you may no longer qualify for the promotional Companion Pass.

Friends traveling together — FRAZO STUDIO LATINO/GETTY IMAGES

Southwest’s Companion Pass is almost legendary in the world of points and miles. It lets you bring a companion along on unlimited flights, whether you book with cash or points, for almost free. As long as there’s an open seat on the plane, your companion can fly with you for just the cost of taxes and fees (starting at $5.60).

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The one catch of the Companion Pass is that you can’t bring just anyone along each time you fly; you must designate a companion in your Rapid Rewards account. However, you’re allowed to change your designated companion up to three times per year, and this rule applies to promotional passes as well.

If you’d like to earn a Companion Pass for longer, you’ll need to accrue 135,000 qualifying points or take 100 qualifying one-way flights within a calendar year. This will give you companion privileges for the remainder of the qualification year and the next calendar year.

You can get more than a third of the way there by adding a cobranded credit card to your wallet and earning the welcome offer. All three of these cards are offering 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening:

The information for the Southwest Premier card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

After a year of sweeping changes at Southwest, the coveted Companion Pass is one of the few things that haven’t changed.

Besides axing its signature open-seating and “Bags Fly Free” policies, Southwest also announced several new international partnerships. Although partner bookings are not yet available through Southwest’s channels, if this feature is up and running by August, it could open up new international routes to give you even more value from of your promotional Companion Pass.

If you haven’t finalized your spring travel yet, consider booking it with Southwest to snag a valuable Companion Pass to use this fall. But this offer won’t last long, so book your qualifying flight(s) by Thursday, Feb. 5.

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