You can name one companion at a time and change that person up to three times per calendar year. Your first choice doesn’t use a change. Switching back to a previous companion does, so it helps to work out the order of your trips before booking.
Switching back still counts
Choose Alex as your first companion. Switch to Jordan: that’s one change. Switch back to Alex: two. Switch to Sam: three. You’ve used all your changes, even though you’ve only traveled with three people.
You could choose four different people over the year if each switch is to someone new. What matters is how many times you change the name, not how many different people you’ve chosen.
What happens to trips you’ve already booked
You need to cancel your current companion’s reservations before switching to someone else. That makes the order of your trips important.
Suppose you’ll fly with your partner in March, a friend in April and your partner again in May. You can make those switches, but you can’t keep active companion bookings for both people at once. When you switch back, you’ll need an available seat to add your partner to the May trip.
Make the change and verify it
Southwest provides companion-management options through your account on the website or app, with customer support as another route. Confirm the old reservations are resolved, provide the new traveler’s accurate details, and check that the new designation is active before trying to book.
Southwest allows up to 21 business days to process a change. Online changes can be faster, but leave time before a trip rather than counting on an instant switch.
Using the pass for a child or family travel
You can choose a family member or someone else, as long as they travel with you. Review Southwest’s applicable age, identification and minor-travel policies for a child. A child’s companion ticket doesn’t eliminate other travel-document requirements.
Two adults can each earn their own pass and designate different children. Each adult must separately qualify; 70,000 points in one account plus 65,000 in the other don’t make either adult eligible. Each pass covers one designated companion, not the entire family.
Promotional passes and change allowances
A promotion may have a specific limit for its shorter validity period. Changing companions under a promotional pass can also affect the changes available after standard qualification in that year. Read the exact promotion terms and your account’s remaining allowance.
Write down who your companion is, how many changes you’ve used and who’s coming on each trip. Check that list before booking with someone new.
Sources for this chapter
Last checked October 4, 2026.
- Southwest: Rapid Rewards program terms
- Southwest: managing Companion Pass reservations
- Southwest: Companion Pass overview and qualifications