Southwest Just Changed the Companion Pass: Here's What to Do Before December 2 ✈️

Southwest Just Changed the Companion Pass: Here's What to Do Before December 2 ✈️

Southwest announced big changes to the Companion Pass today. It's been one of the best perks in travel: a buy-one-get-one airline pass that can last up to two years. 😮

The old strategy is ending. You could open two Southwest credit cards and use their welcome bonuses to qualify for the Companion Pass. Starting January 1, 2027, those bonuses won't count. If you were thinking about going for the pass using this hack, get approved by December 2, 2026. Southwest says welcome bonuses from cards approved by then can still count, even if you hit the spending requirement in early 2027.

❌ What stops counting toward the Companion Pass in 2027

• Credit card welcome bonuses
• Referral bonuses
• Anniversary points
• Bonus points from spending categories
• Hotel and rental car partner points

Already have a Companion Pass valid through December 2027? It's still valid, and you can use it just like before. ✅

🆕 How you'll earn it in 2027

The Companion Pass is now tied to a new Platinum status. Southwest is still releasing details, and we're still sorting through them, but here's what we know now:

• Platinum: 140,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year
• Cardholder boost: Southwest credit cardholders get a 10,000-TQP boost when they reach 130,000 TQPs
• New milestone reward: Three Companion Pass trips after earning 95,000 TQPs or flying 75 qualifying one-way flights. Details are still coming on this one.
• Platinum perk: An unlimited Companion Pass

New status tiers: A-List becomes Silver, A-List Preferred becomes Gold, and Platinum sits at the top.

Credit card spending now counts. Every Southwest Rapid Rewards card, including the $99 card, will earn 1 TQP per $1 spent, so you can spend your way to status. That works out to roughly $130,000 in spending with the boost. We'll keep researching faster ways to get there.

🎉 The good news

• November 2026: Redeem points on rental cars
• Spring 2027: Redeem points on Icelandair, China Airlines, and Etihad
• Late 2027: Use points to buy extra legroom seats
• By the end of 2027: The first Southwest Icon Airport lounges open
• Fall 2027: The entire fleet has Starlink WiFi 📶

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