Now you can take a companion with you on any southwest flight you book with cash and even with points. The southwest airlines companion pass can be one of the best deals in travel if you know how to earn it and the best ways to use it. This is a new version of the sw companion pass megathread. Heres what the southwest companion pass is, why it is so valuable, and how you can earn it.
And, even better, if you get the companion pass early in the new year, you can use it. Jul 30, 20 the owner of this companion pass can then have a companion fly with them for free on every flight they take it is unlimited. Tip for how to use the southwest companion pass once youve. Oct 30, 2019 unfortunately, transfers of points from chase ultimate rewards and hotel partners no longer count towards qualifying for the companion pass. You can book a backup reservation with points if you intend to switch back to the first companion at a later date. Also, heshe will be charged for the fare if you dont make the flight.
To requalify for a companion pass, you ll need to fly 100 qualifying oneway flights or earn 125,000 qualifying points in. When used to its limit, the benefit can be worth many thousands of dollars over the course of a year. You still have to pay the taxes on their ticket, but the companion pass is valid on both award and revenue tickets. Can i use southwest companion pass on existing reservations. While we recently saw the 75,000point southwest personal card offers go away, the good news is that its still easy to earn the southwest companion pass right now, you can still earn this pass, which lets one person fly free with you for up to two years, was already. You can transfer points earned from the csp to southwest. However, not all of the points you earn will qualify you for the companion pass.
Southwest is expanding rapidly and recently launched service to hawaii and cozumel, mexico. Dont worry, for those earning a companion pass through flights, you can still earn yours by flying 100 qualifying oneway flights. The southwest companion pass is considered to be the holy grail of award travel unlimited buy one get one free on southwest for a year. Once you qualify, you can begin booking flights with your companion pass. With a subtle but significant change to their terms and conditions illustrated below, southwest has closed the option of transferring points from car rental and hotel programs to earn the companion pass. Southwest raises companion pass requirements one mile at. Discover how to use a southwest companion pass and for qualification details.
And once you book your flight with those points, you can use the companion pass for your friends flight. Apr 29, 2019 i want to try to earn the companion pass. You can book these flights with cash or with rapid rewards points, as either method works in conjunction with the companion pass. If you can book it without a companion fareand all the segments are on alaska or horizonthen you can also book it with a companion fare.
Next, ill show you how taryn and i plan to utilize our recently earned companion pass in 2018. Mar 26, 2020 it may seem crazy to think you can earn 125,000 points within three months, but well show you how easy it could be. Southwest also offers one of the most lucrative airline perks the companion pass. While we recently saw the 75,000point southwest personal card offers go away, the good news is that its still easy to earn the southwest companion pass right now, you can still earn this pass, which lets one person fly free with you for up to two years, was already simple to earn, in just two steps. They also confirmed there have been no changes to the program rules, and this has always been the case.
If you qualify for the southwest companion pass, you may soon be able to go to hawaii for essentially halfprice. Heres how to get a southwest companion pass readers digest. Once you complete the designation process, a companion pass member kit and membership card will arrive in seven to ten business days. Once you earn 110,000 points in a calendar year, you can add a companion to your flight for the cost of the taxes and fees for the remainder of the first year plus, the entire following calendar year. How to get a southwest companion pass without spending. If you are interested in the southwest companion pass for 2020 and 2021 dont wait too long to apply for 1 or 2 southwest credit cards which is the easiest way to earn all or most of the 125,000 rapid rewards points needed to earn the southwest companion pass how to get the southwest companion pass for 2020 and 2021. There are also some great deals on domestic flights. In short, the companion pass allows you to book a free flight for your travel companion even if you pay for yours with points.
One way, round trip, open jaw, multicity, whatever. Instead, book only your flight either with points or cash. In order to earn the southwest companion pass, a rapid rewards member must earn 125,000 qualifying southwest rapid rewards points within a single calendar year. What happens to my existing companion s reservations when i change companions. Can you use your southwest companion pass when you dont book. You can check on your companion pass progress in your southwest rapid rewards account. Its already an extremely generous offer thats good for 2 years, so even if you can t use it this year, you likely were able to. You dont need to use your 125,000 points for the companion pass so those points are available to you to book free award flights. The most efficient way to reach the minimum amount of points to qualify for a companion pass is to use credit card bonuses of southwest airlines cobranded chase credit cards.
Jan 01, 2020 you must pay for your flight with cash or points before you book your companions pass. There are many ways to earn those points, including flying on southwest, booking hotels and renting vehicles via the southwest website and. If you want to book a flight on southwest using ultimate rewards points, you can do so by transferring your points online, and you ll get a 1. Fly 100 oneway flights in a calendar year and earn qualifying points for every dollar you spend on a flight. Oct 24, 2012 so you ve got a southwest companion pass now what.
How to add a free southwest companion pass traveler to. Mar 22, 2019 one way, round trip, open jaw, multicity, whatever. Many consider southwest airlines companion pass the ultimate elite flyer benefit. No if you use the companion pass on a reservation, the companion does not earn points. The ultimate guide to the southwest airlines companion pass. You can still use the 125,000 southwest points to book flights. For companion fares issued on or after october 1, 2019, both the primary fare and the companion fare must be purchased using your alaska airlines credit card.
Southwest companion pass faq and maximization strategies. The companion pass can be used for both flights booked with cash and flights booked with points. And you can use it every time you fly together, scoring free flights over and over again for more than a year while the pass is valid. Can i add companion if my flight is purchased with. Then you can add your companion online or by phone. Using the southwest companion pass on a free ticket. And you can earn it before even stepping foot inside one of southwests planes. If i cancel that flight after earning the cp, i will get southwest credit for both of us. We asked them how they qualified for their pass and how to max out it benefits. Jul 24, 2016 if you have the southwest companion pass, you can add a companion to your ticket even if you didnt spend your own points or money to buy it. Earning southwest rapid rewards points without flying.
Can you still get the southwest companion pass with. Once you earn the companion pass you will immediately designate your companion and you can then switch your companion up to three times for the lifetime of the companion pass. Your companion fare code can be applied to a new reservation made at for alaska airlines flights only. While you can still transfer the points to redeem for an award flight, they wont count towards the companion pass. If you are purchasing these tickets with cash, dont forget to add the rapid rewards numbers of everyone in your traveling party to the booking.
You just book any flight you want to go on, points or cash. You can then change things about the ticket dates, locations once you actually know where you want to go. When the flight is listed in up coming flights you will see where it says add companion. You can also purchase rapid rewards points directly from southwest, but purchased points do not count towards the 110,000 points you need for a southwest companion pass. As southwest prepares service to hawaii, the companion pass. It can be a useful strategy, however, to save your points to be redeemed after you earn companion pass. A pass holder can book their flight with either cash or points. Can i rebook myself using that credit, and put my daughter on as the companion. Once you get your companion pass, you ll be able to add a companion as long as southwest is selling a seat on the.
If you have the southwest companion pass, you can add a companion to your ticket even if you didnt spend your own points or money to buy it. If my wife and i want to go to cape town, we can fly to boston with the southwest companion pass and pay a total of 20,000 points. One of the most potent aspects of the companion pass is that you can use it on any flight so long as youre a ticketed passenger and theres a seat available. The southwest companion pass allows you to book a friend or family. With the companion pass, you would get an amazing value of just over 4 cents per point. When you look at your reservation online, you ll see. That way you can use all those points you earned to book a flight for yourself and then add on a companion for just the cost of taxes and fees. You can check out this guide for strategies on earning the companion pass outside of this fantastic credit card offer, but to keep your pass active past december 31 you ll need to either earn. There are always two phases to booking a companion pass ticket you book your flight. You get to keep all 125,000 southwest rapid rewards points when you earn the companion pass. Please note that you need to both book and complete your travel by the expiration date listed for your companion certificate. How to quickly earn the southwest companion pass the.
Finally, you can even earn companion pass eligible miles by renting a car through one of the southwest rapid rewards rental car partners. You must book your flight prior to booking your designated companion s flight. When you earn your companion pass is critical, and theres definitely a right and a wrong way of doing it. There is no limit to the number of flights you can use the companion pass on. Even if you dont fly southwest very much you can easily earn most of the 125,000 points needed for a companion pass by earning a sign up bonus for 2 southwest credit cards in the same calendar year. You can change your designated companion three times in a year, so you can potentially even use this for different people. You ll have to pay the difference in fare, but small price to pay. Jan 15, 2015 so, if you are a companion pass holder and are flying as the companion for another companion pass holder, you cannot book a third person to fly as your companion. How to earn the southwest companion pass in just 2 steps. As long as your name and southwest frequent flyer number are attached to the ticket, you can add your companion.
Points you can earn on your rapid rewards account that do not qualify. Designate companion reservations are required for all companion pass travel. If you use points or a standard award ticket, that means that both you and your companion are flying for free. How to use the southwest companion pass the points guy. Jan 07, 2020 in order to earn the southwest companion pass, a rapid rewards member must earn 125,000 qualifying southwest rapid rewards points within a single calendar year. Book flight remember, to requalify for your companion pass you ll need to fly 100 qualifying oneway flights or earn 125,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Mar 31, 2020 the problem is, i dont live anywhere near boston. Using the southwest companion pass on a free ticket deals.
Jan 19, 2020 you can book these flights with cash or with rapid rewards points, as either method works in conjunction with the companion pass. To qualify for the pass, you need to earn 125,000 companion pass qualifying points or fly 100 oneway flights per calendar year on southwest airlines, which must be earned and posted to your rapid. Even if someone else pays for your flight using cash or points, you can still add your companion when you have the southwest companion pass. So, if you are a companion pass holder and are flying as the companion for another companion pass holder, you cannot book a third person to fly as your companion. The southwest companion pass is one of the most valuable airline benefits available.
Dont transfer points to southwest for companion pass. As companion pass holder, you can book your flight to your desired destination using cash or points. Once the member has earned 125,000 points, the companion pass will be valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which it is earned and all of the following year. The companion pass enables frequent flyers to add another traveler to any and all southwest itineraries for just fees and taxes. Nov 10, 2017 the southwest companion pass is considered to be the holy grail of award travel unlimited buy one get one free on southwest for a year. Your companion can t fly without you they must be booked on the same flight and dates. How to use the southwest companion pass one mile at a time. It works for flights booked on points or paid for with cash. In my previous post, i showed you how its possible to earn the southwest companion pass with only two credit card sign ups. Everyhting says you can book with cash or points, but doesnt mention using sw credit. Hi louis, log into the persons rapid reward account who has earned the companion pass and puschase a ticket with cash or points. Aug 28, 2016 do i have to book with southwest to use the companion pass. Southwest then allows you to designate a companion who can fly with you for nearly free you just pay the taxes when you buy or use miles to get southwest tickets, you pay for only one ticket and your companion flies free.
You may not have gotten to use the early boarding as much, but the special phone line was a lifesaver. But you can still earn the companion pass with the rapid rewards credit cards. How did you get the 110,000 points to qualify your companion pass. As long as theres a seat for sale on the flight, you can book your companion with you for the price of free. Southwest airlines companion pass 2020 complete guide.
If you would like to book through a customer representative, call 18002484377 and notify himher that a companion pass will be used. As long as theres a seat for sale on the flight, you can book your companion with you for the price of. Plus, we still have a year to use the card and book even more travel. Faqs about the companion pass signup bonus available on the. With the companion pass, you can bring a companion on any flight the holder chooses. Once you are an official companion pass holder, its time to start booking flights. Oct 03, 2019 you can check on your companion pass progress in your southwest rapid rewards account. How to earn the southwest companion pass 202010xtravel. It doesnt matter whether you book your flight with dollars or points. Mar 17, 2020 it can be a useful strategy, however, to save your points to be redeemed after you earn companion pass. For the past 7 years, each time i book a southwest flight using my points, i add my husband as my. The owner of this companion pass can then have a companion fly with them for free on every flight they take it is unlimited.
If you are only a few thousand points short of earning your southwest companion pass, these methods can be a great option to get you over the 125,000 point hump. How i earned my southwest companion pass 4 years in a row. To requalify for a companion pass, you ll need to fly 100 qualifying oneway flights or earn 125,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. You also could have booked a oneway flight from atlanta to cancun for 7,992 rapid rewards points. Jan 28, 2020 if you are interested in the southwest companion pass for 2020 and 2021 dont wait too long to apply for 1 or 2 southwest credit cards which is the easiest way to earn all or most of the 125,000 rapid rewards points needed to earn the southwest companion pass. You can also complete the entire process of booking a companion flight. You earn 110,000 southwest points in a calendar year. You must pay for your flight with cash or points before you book your companions pass. When booking a flight for your companion, you do not buy their flight when you book yours.
Heres what southwest said about extending the companion. Making the southwest companion pass work for two cards. Work toward the southwest companion pass by transferring hotel points. Making the southwest companion pass work for two cards for. If you want to earn southwest rapid rewards points but you do not think you can meet the requirements to earn the southwest companion pass, consider the chase sapphire preferred card instead of a southwest cobranded credit card. If you cancel your ticket, their ticket will also be canceled. You can book any seat that is for sale it doesnt just have to be the cheapest wanna get away fares. Jan 02, 2017 with a subtle but significant change to their terms and conditions illustrated below, southwest has closed the option of transferring points from car rental and hotel programs to earn the companion pass. However, those points can be used to redeem for flights. Guide to the southwest companion pass 2020 awardwallet blog. Can you use your southwest companion pass when you dont. As southwest prepares service to hawaii, the companion. If i cancel my southwest card, will i lose my companion pass.
Do i have to book with southwest to use the companion pass. Thankfully, southwest has an easy way to track all of this. Families can do even better with the companion pass. The full guide to getting the southwest companion pass. Companion pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked. You wont lose your southwest points when you earn the companion pass. Because a companions reservation is not a purchased flight, you wont be able to book another companion pass reservation within that booking. You can use the companion fare for any ticket so long as there are no codeshares or partner flights. If you are currently working toward a companion pass through points, you can still earn it with 110,000 qualifying points through december 31, 2019. Faqs about the companion pass signup bonus available on.
With the southwest companion pass, a friend or family member can travel with you for free on your paid and pointaward tickets for up to 2 years. After march 31, 2017, southwest no longer allows you to get a southwest companion pass with marriott points if they are transferred after this date. Learn how to take advantage of all the bonus points opportunities with southwest. It doesnt matter whether you book directly with southwest or through a third party. So you ve got a southwest companion pass now what now you can take a companion with you on any southwest flight you book with cash and even with points. No points or companion pass qualifying points will be awarded for flights taken by the companion using the companion pass. Study up, as we cover what does and does not help you qualify for the companion pass. We were in chiang mai, thailand during our aroundtheworld trip when we found out we. You dont have to wait until all 110,000 points are in before spending them, though you might want to wait so you can use them with the companion pass instead of flying by your lonesome. Oct 09, 2018 once you are an official companion pass holder, its time to start booking flights. How to get southwest companion pass quickly for 2020. You must book your flight prior to booking your designated companions flight. Points earned from rapid rewards credit cards count toward the southwest companion pass, and at the time of writing, this includes any signup bonuses you receive from the cards.
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