Southwest Extends Companion Pass Expiration (again)

Southwest had extended their Companion Pass benefits due to expire on December 31, 2020 to June 30, 2021. This due to the lack of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve now extended those benefits again, to December 31, 2021.

This only applies to members who received the prior extension. It also doesn’t apply to members who earned a promotional Companion Pass.

Head Start For All Members

In addition to the extension, all Southwest Rapid Rewards Members with accounts opened by December 31, 2020 are receiving a head start towards qualifying for A-List, A-List Preferred, and Companion Pass in 2021.

• 15,000 tier qualifying points
• 25,000 Companion Pass qualifying points
• 10 qualifying flight credits toward A-List and A-List Preferred
• 25 qualifying flights toward Companion Pass

More details about the extension and head start, including a FAQ, can be found on Southwest’s coronavirus update page.

Southwest Companion Pass

Companion Pass is the benefit that allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight. To qualify, simply fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 125,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, and you’ll earn Companion Pass for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it. 

A-List Status

A-List and A-List Preferred are Southwest’s elite status tiers. They include benefits such as priority boarding and check-in, dedicated phone agents, same day standby and Rapid Rewards earning bonuses.