US Carrier
Southwest Airlines
is bringing back one of its most popular promotions for three days only. The carrier confirmed this morning that its popular Companion Pass promotion has returned for a limited time.
How to earn the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass
The carrier’s Companion Pass program lets
Rapid Rewards
frequent flyer members designate a plus-one to fly with them for free. The passes can be used repeatedly, and a designated companion receives a free ticket each time the member buys a cash ticket or redeems points for a flight.
To enter the competition, one must register for the promotion on the official page and purchase a round-trip or one-way flight anytime between now and Thursday, September 5th. Travel must be undertaken by November 20th, and the designated companion award will be issued for all flights taken between January 6th and March 6th, 2025.
Although the companion pass covers all the airline charges, it does not cover the taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 in each direction. Jennifer Bridie, Vice President of Marketing at Southwest Airlines, highlighted how the companion pass can be earned even faster now that customers can use a mix of money and miles to book flights.
“We love offering this Companion Pass promotion because it allows our Members to experience one of the many benefits of our award-winning Rapid Rewards program,”
“Earlier this year, we launched Cash + Points, giving our Customers extra flexibility to make their points go further. And now, for the first time, Members can use their Rapid Rewards points, a combination of cash and points, or other eligible forms of payment to book qualifying flights that count toward this Companion Pass promotion.”
This marks a significant deal for those who fly infrequently on Southwest. The standard process for receiving the Companion Pass is to fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points. When undertaking the traditional route, members will earn a Companion Pass for the following full calendar year plus the remainder of the year in which they earned it. There are various ways to earn points, including holding the airline’s credit card.
A summer of changes
This year has been significant for Southwest Airlines news. The carrier announced it is ending its longstanding seating policy, ending its reign as one of the few airlines that still allowed passengers to choose their seats upon boarding.
The airline has also been rewarding its frequent flyers more frequently in recent months. A promotion currently provides additional ways for members to earn the loyalty program’s elite “A-List” status. Double-tier points will be awarded on flights through the end of November, alongside three more ways to earn status faster.
Photo: Southwest Airlines
This latest promotion follows another one in July when Southwest announced it was giving away one million Rapid Rewards points to a lucky person in honor of passing one million Instagram followers.