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Southwest Companion Pass.

What is it:

The SW CP is arguably the most valuable airline perk available today. It allows you to bring a companion with you for free on any Southwest flight, regardless of whether you are on a revenue or award ticket. All you pay are the government taxes on the ticket. The pass works for all Southwest flights, including international flights. The pass also works on Airtran flights that are sold on Southwest.com. Airtran flights that are not sold on Southwest.com are not eligible.
Like all other Southwest award bookings, the CP is not subject to any capacity controls, and as long as there is still a seat for sale on a particular flight, it is yours.
The pass is valid for the year it is earned in and the entire next calendar year. If you earned your CP in July 2014, your pass will be valid for the remainder of 2014 and the entirety of 2015.

How to get it:

The SW CP is obtained by earning 125,000 Southwest points in one calendar year. For example, if you earned 8k points by flying at the beginning of 2014, you need to earn another 117k points throughout the rest of 2014 in order to qualify for CP. Once 2015 rolls around, the points you've earned in 2014 no longer qualify for earning your CP, although they will still be redeemable points.

The primary method of accumulating Southwest points is CC signup bonuses. The Southwest CC frequently offers 50k point signup bonuses on all 4 flavors of Southwest cards and signup bonuses count towards earning the CP. Get approved for 2 of these cards, meet the 2k spending requirement on each and you are only 21k points away from the CP.

All points earned through the Rapid Rewards shopping mall also count towards SW CP eligibility.
Points transferred from Hyatt, Club Carlson, Marriott, and Wyndham all count towards CP status.
Points transferred from Ultimate Rewards do not count towards CP, although you can transfer can transfer 50K Ultimate Rewards points into 50K Hyatt and 50K Hyatt transfers into 30K Southwest.

Points earned by crediting hotel stays and car rentals to Southwest also count towards CP.

Using the CP:

Using your CP is very simple. Once you book a flight on Southwest, an "Add a companion" button will appear under your reservation. Just fill out the info and pay the taxes and you are done.
It is best to add your companion right when you book your own flight as there have been instances where people have forgotten to add their companion, the flight subsequently sold out and they were not able to add their companion. One thing to keep in mind is that online changes with a companion booked are not possible, you need to cancel the companion, wait 10-15 min, make the change and then add the companion again. You can make the necessary changes over the phone though.
You can change your companion up to 3 times during the life of your CP. (I believe you can change it 3 times per calendar year.)

« Last edited by pointer on January 23, 2020, 03:35:55 PM »

Author Topic: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread  (Read 316425 times)

Offline 12HRS

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #720 on: March 24, 2015, 09:48:42 AM »
Anyone ever try to checkin as a companion without the main flyer there at time of checkin?

I (the companion) may try to go to the airport earlier than my wife to check luggage. She will get a ride straight to the airport from work and it will save us time if I can check in before she gets there. I will have my kid also who I want to add as a lap child. thoughts on if this will work or if she will need to be there at the time we check the luggage?

Offline AJK

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #721 on: March 24, 2015, 11:02:08 AM »
Never tried it, but my hunch is that it will work.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #722 on: March 24, 2015, 11:47:58 AM »
Never tried it, but my hunch is that it will work.
Would be interesting to see. If it does, it would almost seem like it would allow one to fly without the CP holder.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline AJK

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #723 on: March 24, 2015, 11:48:21 AM »
That won't happen.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #724 on: March 24, 2015, 11:50:30 AM »
That won't happen.
But if they allow you to check in, what would stop you from flying without the CP. If you say you are checking in for them and get their BP, i don't see how they would stop it.

Unless they won't even allow you to check-in, which would then be a "no" to the question ^^.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline AJK

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #725 on: March 24, 2015, 11:51:43 AM »
Reconciliation at the gate.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #726 on: March 24, 2015, 11:56:06 AM »
Reconciliation at the gate.
Purely being the Devil's advocate:

If they don't scan the BP and come looking. What would happen if you say they couldn't make the flight...
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Offline AJK

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #727 on: March 24, 2015, 12:06:24 PM »
They'll remove you from the plane.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #728 on: March 24, 2015, 12:12:02 PM »
How would you convince them to let you check-in for your spouse and get her BP without her being there?

Offline 12HRS

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #729 on: March 24, 2015, 12:14:21 PM »
How would you convince them to let you check-in for your spouse and get her BP without her being there?

I don't need her BP. She can check in online anyways. I can check both suitcases and car seat under my name.

I guess I will be the test dummy.

Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #730 on: March 24, 2015, 12:16:00 PM »
I don't need her BP. She can check in online anyways. I can check both suitcases and car seat under my name.

I guess I will be the test dummy.
Can you use her boarding pass at the gate? Then the CP would be missing.
I just found a new supply of forks!

Offline 12HRS

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #731 on: March 24, 2015, 12:16:50 PM »
Can you use her boarding pass at the gate? Then the CP would be missing.

fair point. but she is gonna be flying with me, just trying to checking separately.

Offline alpicone

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #732 on: March 24, 2015, 12:18:15 PM »
Can you use her boarding pass at the gate? Then the CP would be missing.

Then the CP didnt fly free...

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #733 on: March 24, 2015, 12:18:57 PM »
Then the CP didnt fly free...
I think it is more to see if one can fly without the CP. Not about getting it free.
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Offline ShlockDoc

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #734 on: March 24, 2015, 12:55:47 PM »
I've been thinking about this in theory.  My wife and I both have CP and our kids are designated as our Cs.  But what if I wanted to take a flight with my wife?  Can she bring my son through security and then I take his boarding pass and get on the plane?  I can get through security with a refundable ticket as can someone to take my kid home.   

Disclaimer:  I wouldn't actually do this.  I'm just gaming it out in theory...

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #735 on: March 24, 2015, 12:57:03 PM »
I've been thinking about this in theory.  My wife and I both have CP and our kids are designated as our Cs.  But what if I wanted to take a flight with my wife?  Can she bring my son through security and then I take his boarding pass and get on the plane?  I can get through security with a refundable ticket as can someone to take my kid home.   

Disclaimer:  I wouldn't actually do this.  I'm just gaming it out in theory...
She can technically change the companion. I believe you can do it a few times.
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Offline ShlockDoc

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #736 on: March 24, 2015, 12:57:57 PM »
She can technically change the companion. I believe you can do it a few times.

Without that.   I'm just thinking in theory.

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #737 on: March 24, 2015, 12:58:39 PM »
Without that.   I'm just thinking in theory.
It seems like in theory it would work.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline ShlockDoc

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #738 on: March 24, 2015, 01:03:56 PM »
It seems like in theory it would work.

I guess it's no different than getting on a plane with someone else's BP which people do all the time...

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Re: Southwest Companion Pass Master Thread
« Reply #739 on: March 24, 2015, 01:12:17 PM »
There are 2 discussions going on here:
1) 12HRS, as the Companion, wants to just check bags/infant without his wife, the CP Holder, being at the airport yet. Don't see why that wouldn't work like AJK assumed.

2) Can a Companion board and fly without the CP Holder doing the same? AJK has a few times now warned that the agents do a reconciliation at the gate and will catch that the CP Holder never scanned their boarding pass and then will remove the Companion from the plane. I wonder how true that is versus trying to protect not even a trick of getting the Companion to fly alone, but just protect the program as a whole. Which I should add, I am completely fine with.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2015, 01:25:15 PM by @Yehuda »