Southwest Just Rewrote the Companion Pass: Everything Changing in 2027

For years, the Southwest Companion Pass was the closest thing US airlines had to a two-for-one coupon. Earn 135,000 qualifying points, usually with the help of a credit card signup bonus or two, and one person flies with you for the price of taxes on every Southwest flight you take, for up to two years.

That path ends December 31. Southwest announced on October 15, 2026 the biggest Rapid Rewards overhaul in 15 years, effective January 1, 2027. The Companion Pass is not going away. But the way you earn it is being rebuilt from scratch, and the rebuild makes the old credit card shortcut impossible.

Here is what actually changed, what the new tiers cost, the two ways to still get Companion Pass trips in 2027, and the one move worth making before the December 31 deadline. Including the part of this announcement that looks generous and quietly is not.

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Southwest is replacing Companion Pass qualifying points with Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) on January 1, 2027. From that date, credit card welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus points from category spending, and partner earnings no longer count toward Companion Pass at all. You earn Companion Pass trips by hitting 95,000 TQPs (three trips) or 140,000 TQPs (unlimited, via the new Platinum tier). If you can earn the pass the old way by December 31, 2026, it stays valid through December 31, 2027.

Five moves, all effective January 1, 2027, all from Southwest’s own announcement:

1. Three tiers instead of two. A-List becomes Silver, A-List Preferred becomes Gold, and a brand-new top tier, Platinum, sits above both.
2. The Companion Pass becomes a tier benefit. Instead of a separate 135,000-point track, you earn Companion Pass trips through TQPs or qualifying flights: three trips at a 95,000-TQP milestone, unlimited trips at Platinum.
3. Credit card bonuses stop counting. Welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus points from category spending, and partner earnings (hotels, rental cars) still earn redeemable Rapid Rewards points. They earn zero TQPs, which means zero progress toward the pass.
4. Every card earns 1 TQP per dollar. All Rapid Rewards credit cards, including the Plus, now earn one Tier Qualifying Point per dollar spent. Simpler, and the only card-based path left.
5. The 2026 bridge. The old rules work through December 31, 2026. A pass earned this year stays valid through December 31, 2027.

Here is the full lineup, per Southwest’s 2027 program pages:

A few things worth noting in that table. Silver keeps the first checked bag free, Group 1 boarding, and 40% earning bonus on qualifying flights. Gold adds a second free bag, boarding ahead of Group 1, and two premium drinks per flight. Platinum piles on a third free bag, a 120% earning bonus, and the unlimited Companion Pass trips.

Current A-List and A-List Preferred members transition automatically on January 1, and anyone holding a Companion Pass keeps their benefits through the end of their current term.

There are exactly two paths, and the gap between them is the whole story.

Path one: the 95,000-TQP milestone. Between Gold and Platinum, Southwest added a Milestone Reward at 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights. Hit it and you pick three Companion Pass trips. Each trip is one itinerary with your designated companion, one-way or round-trip. (An earlier milestone at 20,000 TQPs or 15 flights offers 2,000 points or two Preferred Seat certificates, which is fine, but it is not Companion Pass.)

Path two: Platinum at 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights. Your three trips become unlimited. For 2027 only, cardmembers who reach 130,000 TQPs get a one-time 10,000-TQP boost that carries them to Platinum, and that Platinum status is valid through December 31, 2028.

Now the math, because the numbers are the point. At 1 TQP per dollar of card spend, three Companion Pass trips cost $95,000 in annual card spending. Unlimited costs $140,000, or $130,000 with the one-time boost. Through flying, TQPs post at 2X the fare on Basic, 6X on Choice, 8X on Choice Preferred, and 10X on Choice Extra. A $350 Choice fare earns 2,100 TQPs, so 46 such one-way flights gets you past the milestone.

That is the shape of the change: the Companion Pass is becoming a frequent-flyer perk, not a credit-card perk.

The old playbook was simple. Open one or two Southwest credit cards, let the signup bonuses count toward the 135,000-point threshold, top up with spend and flying, and collect a pass worth up to two years of two-for-one travel. The bonuses did most of the heavy lifting.

From January 1, 2027, the heavy lifting is gone. Southwest spelled out exactly what no longer earns TQPs: new cardmember welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus points from category spending (like 2X on gas), and partner earnings from hotels and rental cars. All of those still earn redeemable Rapid Rewards points, so the points themselves are not disappearing. They just will not move you a single step closer to the pass.

What still earns TQPs in 2027:

• Qualifying flights, at the fare multipliers above
• 1 TQP per $1 on every Rapid Rewards credit card, the Plus included
• Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings and qualifying group bookings
• TQP bonus promotions and buy-TQP promotions

A point worth being honest about, because it trips people up: the old system had two currencies (Tier Qualifying Points for status, Companion Pass qualifying points for the pass), and bonuses counted toward the pass but not status. The new system has one currency. One currency sounds simpler. It also means the bonus exclusion hits everything at once.

The old rules, including signup bonuses counting toward the pass, work through December 31, 2026. A Companion Pass earned in 2026 stays valid through December 31, 2027. A pass earned in October or November 2026 stays valid through December 31, 2027, and the earlier you earn it, the longer it lasts.

The steps, if you want a pass:

1. Earn it the old way before December 31. That means 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights, with bonuses counting.
2. Leave buffer time. Bonuses have to post to your Rapid Rewards account by December 31, which means completing spend well before the holidays. Starting this in mid-December is asking for a January posting date.
3. Earlier is better. Starting fresh in January under the new rules means earning 95,000 TQPs the hard way, so the calendar math favors acting this year.
4. Promotions are honored. If you are registered for a Companion Pass promotion, Southwest says your participation stands and you will receive the benefits in the offer once you meet its terms.

One more practical note: the companion can be changed up to three times per calendar year, and the companion flies for taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way. For a family that flies Southwest regularly, that is the part that made this the best perk in US airlines.

Take a family that takes eight Southwest round trips a year at an average fare of $300. Without the pass, the companion’s seat costs $300 per trip. With it, the companion pays taxes and fees only.

That is about $2,310 in companion airfare erased in a year, which is why this perk had a cult following. It is also why the new earning requirements sting: the same family would need 95,000 TQPs to get three trips in 2027, not unlimited trips for up to two years.

Every announcement has a press-release version and a real version. Here is the real one.

$140,000 in card spend is not a strategy. At 1 TQP per dollar, reaching Platinum purely through spending means putting $140,000 a year on Southwest cards. For almost everyone, that is not how credit cards should be used. The 95,000-TQP milestone is the realistic target, and even that demands serious flying or serious spend.

The milestone sits past Gold. The three trips unlock between Gold (65,000) and Platinum (140,000), which means 30,000 TQPs of travel beyond Gold before the first Companion Pass trip appears. It is a long grind with nothing in between.

The 10,000-TQP boost is 2027 only. It applies to cardmembers who reach 130,000 TQPs in 2027, and the resulting Platinum is valid through December 31, 2028. Southwest has said nothing about a repeat in 2028.

Three trips means three itineraries. Each Companion Pass trip covers one one-way or round-trip booking with your designated companion. It is not three years, and it is not unlimited. Know which one you are earning.

The international partnerships are not Companion Pass news. Starting in spring 2027, Rapid Rewards points work with Icelandair, China Airlines, and Etihad, which is genuinely useful. But Companion Pass trips are only valid on Southwest-operated flights, so the new partners do not expand the pass.

The lounge and the premium card are later in 2027. Southwest’s Icon Lounge network opens late 2027 in select airports, with access through a new premium Chase card launching the same year. Details are thin. Do not factor either into a 2026 decision.

My take

Southwest is being unusually honest about what it wants: it wants people who fly. The old Companion Pass rewarded opening the right credit cards at the right time, which was great for points people and only loosely related to flying Southwest. The new one rewards TQPs, which come mostly from flying.

That is a coherent strategy. It is also a worse deal for almost every family that used the old one.

My verdict: if you fly Southwest enough to want a Companion Pass, the 2026 bridge is the only sane play. Earn it under the old rules, hold it through December 31, 2027, and let 2027 be someone else’s problem. In 2027, aim for the 95,000-TQP milestone only if your normal flying and spending get you close anyway. Do not contort your spending to reach it.

The honest caveat on my own verdict: this advice assumes you actually fly Southwest. If your flying is spread across airlines, a Companion Pass you have to grind 75 flights to use three times is a loyalty trap, not a perk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still earn a Southwest Companion Pass with credit card signup bonuses?

Through December 31, 2026, yes. Signup bonuses count toward the current 135,000-point requirement, and a pass earned this year is valid through December 31, 2027. From January 1, 2027, welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, category bonus points, and partner earnings no longer earn Tier Qualifying Points, so they cannot help you earn the pass.

What is the 95,000 TQP milestone?

Starting in 2027, members who earn 95,000 Tier Qualifying Points or complete 75 qualifying one-way flights unlock a Milestone Reward with three Companion Pass trips. Each trip lets your designated companion fly with you on one one-way or round-trip itinerary. It sits between Gold status (65,000 TQPs) and Platinum (140,000 TQPs).

Does my current Companion Pass still work in 2027?

Yes. Southwest says current Companion Pass holders keep their benefits for the full term. A pass earned under the 2026 rules stays valid through December 31, 2027. Only new earning follows the 2027 rules.

How do you earn Tier Qualifying Points in 2027?

TQPs come from qualifying flights (2X the fare on Basic, 6X on Choice, 8X on Choice Preferred, 10X on Choice Extra), 1 TQP per $1 spent on any Rapid Rewards credit card, Getaways by Southwest bookings, qualifying group bookings, and TQP promotions. Welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, category bonus points, and hotel or rental car partner earnings do not earn TQPs.

Is the Companion Pass worth chasing at Platinum in 2027?

For most people, no. Platinum requires 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying one-way flights, which is roughly double the old 135,000-point requirement in practical terms once bonuses are excluded. The 95,000-TQP milestone for three trips is the realistic target, and only if your regular flying and card spending get you close. Rapid Rewards points themselves never expire, so there is no pressure to earn status you will not use.

The Bottom Line

Southwest’s 2027 overhaul turns the Companion Pass from a credit card trick into a frequent-flyer reward. The old path, bonuses and all, dies December 31, 2026. The new path costs 95,000 TQPs for three trips or 140,000 for unlimited, with card spending earning a flat 1 TQP per dollar. If you want the pass the easy way, this year is your last chance. If you are starting fresh in 2027, rank the milestone against your actual flying before you chase it.

Related Reading: Airline Status Match Explained: How to Skip the Line to Elite Status, United Just Rewrote Elite Status: the Complete Guide to the 2027 Premier Changes

Earn it the old way while you still can. The new math does not favor you.