Southwest Companion Pass Deadline: What to Know Before Year-End
December 31 ends the 135,000-point path to unlimited companion trips; see how 2027 rules compare.
The deadline is December 31, 2026 to earn unlimited Companion Pass trips under the current rule. The Companion Pass is a Rapid Rewards benefit that lets one designated companion fly with the member while paying only taxes and fees. After that date the path changes.
Southwest Airlines will use a different points currency and trip limits starting January 1, 2027, so December is the last chance for the lower threshold.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 04, 2026.
What is the December deadline?
Through December 31, 2026, members can earn unlimited Companion Pass trips with 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in the calendar year. Southwest Airlines describes this threshold on its Companion Pass changes page. Points and flights must post by December 31 to count for 2026.
Pending credit-card spend or partner points should be completed early enough to post before year-end. The companion still pays taxes and fees starting at $5.60 one-way. The companion also needs an available seat on the member's flight.
How long does a 2026 pass last?
A Companion Pass earned under 2026 rules remains valid for unlimited trips through December 31, 2027. Southwest Airlines states that validity period on its earned status for 2026 page. That means even a December 2026 qualification yields nearly a full extra year of use.
A member who qualifies late in the year receives the same end date as someone who qualified in January. The pass covers base fare for one designated companion traveling with the member. Members can change the designated companion, but limits apply under program terms.
What changes on January 1?
Southwest Airlines will retire Companion Pass qualifying points after December 31, 2026. Tier Qualifying Points, called TQPs, become the single currency for tiers, Milestone Rewards and Companion Pass trips. Starting January 1, 2027, members earn three Companion Pass trips at 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights.
Unlimited trips require 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights through new Platinum status. That structure raises the bar for unlimited travel. Members who want unlimited trips for 2027 use should compare the 135,000-point 2026 path with the 140,000-TQP 2027 path.
How to avoid missing the cutoff?
Check posted totals now, not pending totals. Only points and flights that show as posted by December 31 count toward the 2026 threshold. For card users, timing matters in two ways: If a welcome bonus or transfer has not posted by December 30, contact the card issuer or partner program for posting dates.
Do not assume a December purchase will post in December.
- Members approved for a Rapid Rewards credit card on or before December 2, 2026 who later meet the welcome-bonus requirements can still have that bonus count as 2026 qualifying points, according to Southwest Airlines on its 2027 help page.
- Regular spend, bonus spend and partner activity need time to transfer and post, so complete them well before the final week.