Last updated on December 30th, 2022 at 05:33 am
One of the biggest names in the commercial air travel industry, Southwest Airlines is second to none when it comes to offering amazing benefits to its customers. One such perk offered by the airline is the Southwest Companion Pass. It works as a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Don’t know how to book Southwest Companion Pass? Read further for all the necessary details.
For assistance with booking your Southwest Companion Pass, talk to our reservations specialists. Call us at +1-888-906-1815 (available 24/7).
About Southwest Companion Pass
A Companion Pass is one of the benefits offered by Southwest Airlines to its customers. As the name suggests, having a Companion Pass allows the airline’s passengers to choose a companion for their flight journey who shall be eligible for travel without any charges. There are certain requirements you will be required to fulfill in order to be eligible for a Companion Pass. More details on Companion Pass guidelines are below.
Southwest Companion Pass Guidelines
- Passengers who have flown 100 qualifying one-way flights shall be eligible for a Southwest Companion Pass.
- You can also enjoy the benefit of a Companion Pass if you have earned 125,000 qualifying points in a span of a calendar year.
- Points that were earned during a billing cycle on a Rapid Rewards Credit Card from chase do not qualify for a Companion Pass redemption.
- The following shall not count as qualifying points:
- Points that were transferred from one Rapid Rewards member to another
- Rapid Rewards points that were purchased
- Converted points from car loyalty or hotel programs
- Valued Opinions
- e-Rewards
- Diners Club
- Points that were issued to the customer upon enrollment with the Rapid Rewards program
- Flight bonus and partner bonus points
- Tier bonus points
- Reward flights or if a portion of the ticket price is paid using Rapid Reward points
- Only the points earned by flying on qualifying flights, points earned on Credit Cards, and base points that were earned via Rapid Rewards partners shall count as qualifying points.
- Passengers won’t be eligible to earn qualifying points when taking a Southwest flight using the Companion Pass itself.
Note: There are no seat restrictions or blackout dates for Southwest Companion Pass travel.
How to book Southwest Companion Pass
If eligible, customers can book the Southwest Companion Pass either online or offline (by contacting Southwest via a phone call). If you choose the online route, you must visit Southwest Airlines’ website. The entire process for how to book a Southwest Companion Pass is given below:
- Step 1: Set up a Companion Pass
- Step 2: Add the Companion
- Step 3: Book your Companion Pass
Set up a Companion Pass
Once you have earned the Companion Pass, you will be required asked to set it up. Southwest Airlines will email you a link for the same (Set up Companion Pass now). If you are having trouble finding this link or the email was accidentally deleted, you can set up the Companion Pass by signing into your Rapid Rewards account.
Once you are logged in to your Rapid Rewards account, simply head over to the account dashboard and click on the ‘Add your Companion’ option. The website will show you a new internal window from where you can proceed to Step 2.
Add the Companion
Fill in the following information in the respective fields shown on the Add your Companion window:
- Companion passenger’s name
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Address
- Country
- Contact details (email and phone number)
It is important to note that once the Companion passenger’s information has been filled in, it cannot be changed. Hence, it is recommended that you double-check the information you are entering.
Once satisfied, click on the Save button and move on to the next step.
Book your Southwest Companion Pass
When the Companion passenger’s information has been successfully added, you shall see a pop-up stating that the Companion Pass has been added. Even though you will be eligible to book the Companion Pass straight-way after it is added, Southwest can take a maximum of 21 days to send you a physical Companion Pass card. Since you shall be required to show this Companion Pass card at the airport before you board the flight, it is recommended that you book the Companion Pass once you have received the card itself.
Once you have made a flight booking, you can book the Southwest Companion Pass by following the below-mentioned steps:
- Visit the Southwest website and log in to your Rapid Rewards account.
- Under the ‘My Upcoming Trips’ section, you shall see the Add Companion button, click on it.
- The website will automatically retrieve your booking and show you the taxes and fees required to book the Companion Pass for that flight.
- Since the companion passenger’s information shall be filled automatically, all you have to do is make the payment to complete the process.
If you have followed the above-stated process correctly, the airline should send you an email with your booking details. The email shall contain the confirmation number for your companion’s booking among other details.
Related: How to purchase Rapid Rewards points?
Book Southwest Companion Pass via Call
The second option to book your Southwest Companion Pass is by contacting Southwest Airlines via a phone call. Once your call is connected, you can state your booking requirements to the live person. They shall then verify your eligibility to book a Companion Pass. The verification process is short and your Companion Pass shall be booked in no time. You can also book the Companion Pass over the phone if you are facing technical issues with the Southwest website.
Calling during the early hours of the day (ideally between 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM) is recommended to avoid lengthy hold times.
