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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 316347 times)

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #60 on: July 02, 2013, 09:36:27 PM »
I ran on update on the Wyndham deal.
Did the transfer ratio change? What happened?

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #61 on: July 03, 2013, 10:23:22 AM »
I'm currently 52k points shy of earning CP status for this year. I can't do another app at the moment and I plan on flying WN enough over the summer to make it worth paying for the points to get the CP.
Dan posted about the Daily Getaway today being up to 70k Wyndham points which transfer into 30k WN points. I can buy the 70k for $405 and another 60k for $324 to get 54k WN points that count towards CP.
$729/54,000 is 1.35cpp which is still a good deal if redeemed for Wanna Get Away fares which provide a minimum of 1.67cpp in value.
Anyone have any input or better suggestions?
Got to figure this out by 1pm :)
Went in for 200k+ :)
Hoping they don't devalue them before I can transfer. Looking at you Club Carlson. Mamzerim.

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #62 on: July 08, 2013, 09:40:56 AM »
I'm currently 52k points shy of earning CP status for this year. I can't do another app at the moment and I plan on flying WN enough over the summer to make it worth paying for the points to get the CP.
Dan posted about the Daily Getaway today being up to 70k Wyndham points which transfer into 30k WN points. I can buy the 70k for $405 and another 60k for $324 to get 54k WN points that count towards CP.
$729/54,000 is 1.35cpp which is still a good deal if redeemed for Wanna Get Away fares which provide a minimum of 1.67cpp in value.
Anyone have any input or better suggestions?
Got to figure this out by 1pm :)
:)

Offline marko

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #63 on: July 10, 2013, 01:34:14 PM »
Just curious I never use Southwest. How advantageous is the free companion ticket? Do you pay the regular rate of a ticket and just get a companion to fly free? Does it work even when Southwest has their sales and discounted fairs?
Thanks.

Offline george

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #64 on: July 10, 2013, 01:39:22 PM »
Just curious I never use Southwest. How advantageous is the free companion ticket? Do you pay the regular rate of a ticket and just get a companion to fly free? Does it work even when Southwest has their sales and discounted fairs?
Thanks.
Very advantageous. It works whenever you fly, whether you paid full price, whether you booked with points, whether the tickets were on sale or not, whether you used vouchers/giftcards/travel funds. In any scenario in which you fly, your companion comes along free. And the companion gets on the flight even if it was overbooked already.
For those who fly southwest with a spouse or child often, this is extremely valuable!

Offline chofetzchaim

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #65 on: July 25, 2013, 12:06:30 PM »
How does the companion work?
Do you need to book the companion on each flight or do they just show up at the airport with you?
I already have a flight scheduled for September,. If I earn a companion pass now can the companion just show up with me to that flight or do I have to somehow register them?

Also, do they have to check in at the same time as you or can you come to the airport separately?

Offline zek

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #66 on: July 25, 2013, 12:09:27 PM »
How does the companion work?
Do you need to book the companion on each flight or do they just show up at the airport with you?
I already have a flight scheduled for September,. If I earn a companion pass now can the companion just show up with me to that flight or do I have to somehow register them?

Also, do they have to check in at the same time as you or can you come to the airport separately?
Is this a real post? :o

Offline Danny29

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #67 on: July 25, 2013, 12:19:52 PM »
I have had it now for a few months, and it is awesome! One thing though, makes it not so simple. You have to book you companion separately, after you book your first ticket.
I was planning on going somewher with my wife (my companion), but when I went to go add my companion to my flight, there were no more seats!! Truth is, its not such a big deal. Worst case, you cancel and get your points back. But in the end, I waited two days, and then, apparently there were cancellations, because some seats opened up.

Just something to keep in mind

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #68 on: July 25, 2013, 12:21:04 PM »
I have had it now for a few months, and it is awesome! One thing though, makes it not so simple. You have to book you companion separately, after you book your first ticket.
I was planning on going somewher with my wife (my companion), but when I went to go add my companion to my flight, there were no more seats!! Truth is, its not such a big deal. Worst case, you cancel and get your points back. But in the end, I waited two days, and then, apparently there were cancellations, because some seats opened up.

Just something to keep in mind
IIRC, the companion gets on the flight with you no matter what.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Danny29

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #69 on: July 25, 2013, 12:23:42 PM »
No, they need a boarding pass, which can only be issued if there is at least one available seat. Which makes sense, how could they get on if there is no room!

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #70 on: July 25, 2013, 12:26:18 PM »
No, they need a boarding pass, which can only be issued if there is at least one available seat. Which makes sense, how could they get on if there is no room!
From what i understand, if the member books a ticket and is eligible for the companion pass, they will get a boarding pass for that person no matter what.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Danny29

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #71 on: July 25, 2013, 12:32:50 PM »
I tried it, so trust me. When the plane is sold out, its sold out. Doesnt matter if you platinum...whatever other status you can think of, unless someone gives up their seat, its sold out.


Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #72 on: July 25, 2013, 12:37:16 PM »
I tried it, so trust me. When the plane is sold out, its sold out. Doesnt matter if you platinum...whatever other status you can think of, unless someone gives up their seat, its sold out.
Ok. I will file this information away .
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline askmoses

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #73 on: July 25, 2013, 07:22:25 PM »
IIRC, the companion gets on the flight with you no matter what.
-1. Good news is, she'll get a seat even if its only on business select.

Offline Aaaron

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #74 on: July 25, 2013, 08:36:19 PM »
I've also read that your companion gets a seat even if it's sold out.  Some gets bumped or upgraded.  Danny29, did you try and call when it appeared booked?

Offline askmoses

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #75 on: July 26, 2013, 02:23:39 PM »
I've also read that your companion gets a seat even if it's sold out.  Some gets bumped or upgraded.  Danny29, did you try and call when it appeared booked?
Where did you read this?

Offline A European

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #76 on: July 28, 2013, 11:27:58 PM »
Could i sell the companion or am i the only one that will be able to use it?

Offline askmoses

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #77 on: July 29, 2013, 05:28:56 AM »
Could i sell the companion
With friends like these... :))

Offline A European

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #78 on: July 29, 2013, 07:30:33 AM »
With friends like these... :))
Sorry for the misunderstanding,

 I meant to ask  could I give it away to someone else or does the primary card.holder  has to be one of the travelers?


Offline jaywhy

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Re: Southwest year long companion pass
« Reply #79 on: July 29, 2013, 07:43:32 AM »
Sorry for the misunderstanding,

 I meant to ask  could I give it away to someone else or does the primary card.holder  has to be one of the travelers?
You can change it up to 3 times, but you need to be traveling in order for the companion to fly.