How to book a flight with Southwest Companion Pass

The booking checklist

1. Check the validity dates. Your trip must be completed during the pass’s valid period. Booking before expiration isn’t enough if travel occurs afterward.
2. Designate the traveler. Use the companion’s legal travel details. Only one person can be designated at a time.
3. Book the primary reservation. Use an eligible cash or points booking with your correct Rapid Rewards number.
4. Add the companion. Open the trip and select the Companion Pass booking option. A seat must still be available.
5. Pay the required taxes and fees. Review the actual itinerary total, especially for international travel.
6. Verify both confirmations. Check names, dates, flight numbers, seats, baggage benefits and required travel documents.

Booking your own ticket with points

You can use points for your own eligible Southwest ticket and still add your companion. You’ll pay their taxes and fees when you add them.

That’s one reason it helps that earning the pass doesn’t use up your redeemable points. Just remember that flying on either a reward ticket or a companion ticket won’t earn qualifying flight credit.

Booking a trip before you’ve earned the pass

You can book your own ticket now and add your companion after the pass arrives. Your travel dates must fall within the pass’s valid dates, and there still needs to be a seat available. Booking your ticket doesn’t hold a second seat.

You could buy a separate ticket for your companion while you wait, but check its refund or travel-credit rules first. You’ll need to cancel that ticket to replace it with a companion booking, and the seat could become unavailable in between.

Changing a trip after you’ve added a companion

Your companion has to stay on the same flights as you. If you cancel your ticket, theirs is canceled too. If you change flights, their reservation needs to change with yours.

You may need to remove and re-add the companion when changing or repricing a trip. Check availability first, and contact Southwest if the website can’t complete the change. Removing a companion doesn’t reserve their seat for you to add back later.

Basic fares need to be upgraded to an eligible higher fare before you can change them. Check the upgrade cost and any fare difference before starting.

Flights and bookings that need extra attention

Companion Pass isn’t valid for every product sold through a Southwest-related channel. The program terms exclude uses such as Getaways by Southwest packages, group travel, charter flights, interline itineraries and nonrevenue travel. A Southwest partnership with another airline doesn’t automatically make that airline’s flights eligible.

If your trip contains a partner airline, a package or an unusual booking channel, check the program terms before paying. For an eligible Southwest flight, you’ll need an open seat and matching flights for both travelers.