Southwest’s Companion Pass Is Now Harder, More Expensive To Earn

In 2027, Southwest will be taking on almost a completely new identity.

Over the last couple of years, the airline has changed everything from its fare structure to its boarding process, and now it’s overhauling its Rapid Rewards loyalty program.

Among the many changes revealed at an event in Dallas today, we learned about the following major changes to how members will earn their companion vouchers.

How To Earn the Southwest Companion Pass in 2026

One of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to earn Southwest’s coveted Companion Pass has been to open 2 Southwest Airlines co-branded credit cards. By hitting the minimum spend requirement on both cards, you could earn over the required 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points (CPQPs) to earn the Companion Pass. For example, combining a 60,000-point welcome offer on the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card and an 80,000-point welcome offer on the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card would be 140,000 qualifying points.

You could also earn the Companion Pass by taking 100 qualifying flights in a calendar year.

All is not lost: until December 31, 2026, it will still be possible to earn the Companion Pass either of these ways. The pass would be valid until December 31, 2027.

How To Earn the Southwest Companion Pass From 2027

As of January 1, 2027, Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) will be the main way to earn the Companion Pass. The scrapping of CPQPs is just part of the huge revamp of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards loyalty program.

In addition to the original unlimited Companion Pass, Rapid Rewards members will be eligible to earn a new Companion Pass that can be used 3 times per year.

To earn the regular unlimited Companion Pass, you’ll need to hit 140,000 TQPs — that’s the equivalent of spending $140,000! At least now all of Southwest’s credit cards will earn TQPs, and the rate has increased to 1 TQP per $1 spent on eligible purchases.

The 3x annual Companion Pass will be awarded when unlocking the second of 2 brand-new Milestone Rewards that Southwest is introducing in January: You’ll need to earn 95,000 TQPs or fly 75 one-way flights.

Whichever way you look at it, you’ll have to spend a lot more money to earn a Companion Pass now that CPQPs are being scrapped.

When more details on TQPs are revealed, we hope to learn about additional ways to earn TQPs beyond just spending.

Final Thoughts

When 2027 rolls around, Southwest will be unrecognizable from the airline it was a couple of years ago.

Making it more difficult, and ulimately more expensive, to earn a Companion Pass will likely be the least favorite change of many Rapid Rewards members.