On this page
- What changes on January 1, 2027
- What no longer counts
- The 2026 transition: two things to know now
- Who can still reach it (hypothetical)
- What three trips are worth (hypothetical)
- How the pass works in practice
- Where the pass sits in the new tiers
- A quick self-check
- Trade-offs
- If it's out of reach
- Companion Pass 2027: FAQs
From January 1, 2027, Southwest's Companion Pass is earned with Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or qualifying flights. At 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights you get three Companion Pass trips; at 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights you reach Platinum and the trips become unlimited. Rapid Rewards card spending earns 1 TQP per $1, but card welcome bonuses, anniversary points, bonus-category points and partner points no longer count. For most people, that makes the pass harder to reach through cards alone.
What we'd do first: add up how many Southwest flights you take a year and roughly what you spend on a Southwest card. If the total isn't close to 95,000 TQPs or 75 flights, the pass is probably out of reach under the new rules, and that's fine.
What changes on January 1, 2027
Southwest says: "Beginning January 1, 2027, Companion Pass benefits will be earned via Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or qualifying flights." There are "two opportunities to unlock Companion Pass benefits":
- Milestone Reward: "Earn 95,000 TQPs or complete 75 qualifying one-way flights to unlock three Companion Pass trips. Each Companion Pass trip allows your designated Companion to fly with you on either a one-way or round-trip itinerary."
- Platinum status: "Earn 140,000 TQPs or complete 100 qualifying one-way flights and your three Companion Pass trips increase to unlimited Companion Pass trips."
Under the 2026 rules, unlimited trips needed "135k Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights", and there was no three-trip version (Southwest: Companion Pass in 2027, updated October 2026, checked 13 Nov 2026, 22:12 Lima).
What no longer counts
This is the biggest change for points collectors. Southwest says that from 2027 these "will not assist you in earning Companion Pass benefits": "new Cardmember welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, and bonus points from spend (e.g., 2x on gas), as well as partner spend (e.g., hotel, car)". You still earn Rapid Rewards points for them; they just don't move you toward the pass.
What does count: TQPs "earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest Airlines", and "1 TQP for each $1 spent on purchases made with your Rapid Rewards Credit Card". Southwest's FAQ says all Rapid Rewards credit cards, including Plus and business cards, earn at that rate, with no cap, and that the Rapid Rewards debit card earns "1 Tier Qualifying Point for every $2 spent". Cardmembers also get a one-time "10,000 TQPs" boost when they reach 130,000 TQPs in 2027 (Southwest: Rapid Rewards 2027 FAQs, checked 13 Nov 2026, 22:13 Lima). That boost helps with Platinum, not with the three-trip milestone.
The 2026 transition: two things to know now
- A pass earned in 2026 lasts through 2027. "If you earn Companion Pass in 2026 under the current program rules, you'll enjoy unlimited Companion Pass trips through December 31, 2027."
- Card applications by December 2, 2026. Southwest's FAQ says cardmembers who "apply on or before December 2, 2026 and are approved" and meet the welcome-bonus requirements can have those points "count as 2026 Companion Pass qualifying points toward a Companion Pass valid through December 31, 2027, even if the spend threshold is met in early 2027".
We don't recommend applying for a card to chase this; read the card's own terms and our view that you shouldn't change your spending for a perk. After January 1, 2027, this section will be out of date.
Who can still reach it (hypothetical)
Three readers, all figures hypothetical:
| Reader (hypothetical) | Flights a year | Card spend | TQPs from card | Route to the pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent flier | 80 one-way | $20,000 | 20,000 | 75 flights: three trips |
| Big spender, few flights | 10 one-way | $90,000 | 90,000 | Needs about 5,000 more TQPs from flights |
| Typical family | 8 one-way | $25,000 | 25,000 | Out of reach |
Southwest doesn't publish how many TQPs a given fare earns on the pages we read, so we haven't estimated flight TQPs. If your total is close, track your progress in your Southwest account. For most families, spending $95,000 a year on one card to unlock three companion trips isn't realistic, and nobody should spend more than they would anyway to chase it.
What three trips are worth (hypothetical)
Each Companion Pass trip covers a companion's one-way or round-trip itinerary, plus taxes "from $5.60 one-way". If a round-trip fare for your companion would be $300 (hypothetical), three round trips are worth about $900, minus the government taxes you pay. Southwest says "One-way trips do not retain partial or remaining trip value. For maximum value, redeem your Companion Pass trip on a round-trip itinerary." Using one trip on a one-way flight wastes half its value.
How the pass works in practice
- One designated companion at a time; you can change them "up to three (3) times each calendar year", with 21 business days for processing.
- The member must "first book and purchase their own flight", then add the companion; both travel on the same flights.
- If the member cancels or changes, the companion's reservation is canceled.
- Companion travel has "no blackout dates but is subject to availability".
- It doesn't apply to Getaways by Southwest packages, group travel or charters.
Where the pass sits in the new tiers
Southwest's FAQ sets out the 2027 ladder, all counted in the same TQPs or qualifying one-way flights within a calendar year:
- First Milestone Reward: 20,000 TQPs or 15 flights, with a choice of 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or two Preferred Seat Certificates.
- Silver: 35,000 TQPs or 25 flights.
- Gold: 65,000 TQPs or 50 flights.
- Second Milestone Reward: 95,000 TQPs or 75 flights, with three Companion Pass trips.
- Platinum: 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights, with unlimited Companion Pass trips.
Progress "resets to zero on January 1 of each year", and Milestone benefits "remain valid through December 31 of the year after they were earned". So three trips earned in, say, October 2027 could be used through the end of 2028.
A quick self-check
- Count last year's Southwest one-way flights. If it's 75 or more, you're on track for three trips through flying alone.
- Add your expected Rapid Rewards card spending; each $1 is 1 TQP from 2027.
- Check your progress in your Southwest account after each statement closes, because card TQPs post after the billing cycle ends.
Trade-offs
- Flying versus spending. Frequent Southwest fliers reach it naturally. For everyone else, card spending alone needs $95,000 a year.
- Three trips versus unlimited. Three trips cover a few family visits. Unlimited needs Platinum-level activity.
- Points still earn. Bonus points and welcome offers still earn Rapid Rewards points for award flights, even if they don't count for the pass.
If it's out of reach
Use Rapid Rewards points for your companion's ticket instead, or compare with cash using our cents-per-point guide. Our guide to a family of four to Hawaii on points shows how points cover a family trip without a pass.
Companion Pass 2027: FAQs
Does my current pass end on January 1, 2027?
No. Southwest says current holders keep their pass "until the end date listed in My Account".
Do welcome bonuses count in 2027?
No, except the transition rule for cards applied for by December 2, 2026.
Can I change companions?
Up to three times a calendar year.
Are there blackout dates?
No, but a seat must be available.
Do Companion Pass flights earn points?
Southwest lists Companion Pass travel among the flights that don't count as qualifying flights for points.