Southwest Airways just lately introduced it would finish its bags-fly-free coverage, ditch its Wanna Get Away fare and make a number of different customer-unfriendly adjustments. However, at the very least to date, one of the crucial advantageous choices within the journey business — the Southwest Companion Move — stays intact.
This beneficial profit allows you to convey a companion alongside without cost (excluding relevant taxes and charges) on limitless Southwest Airways flights till the go expires. For frequent Southwest flyers, this profit alone can simply quantity to hundreds of {dollars} saved yearly. So, here is what you must learn about incomes and utilizing the Southwest Companion Move.
The way to earn the Southwest Companion Move
You possibly can earn qualifying factors via numerous means, together with flying with Southwest and interesting with its companions. The latter consists of making purchases by way of the Speedy Rewards buying portal, finishing resort stays and automotive leases with companions, and utilizing a Southwest bank card for purchases.
Cobranded Southwest bank cards are sometimes the best technique to earn the Companion Move since you may earn qualifying factors on purchases, and the welcome bonus factors are qualifying. Moreover, vacationers with a cobranded Southwest bank card get 10,000 qualifying factors every calendar 12 months, successfully lowering the Companion Move requirement to 125,000 qualifying factors yearly.
Talking of welcome bonuses on Southwest bank cards, here is a take a look at a number of the present provides:
- Southwest Speedy Rewards® Plus Credit score Card: Earn a Companion Move via Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening (this provide ends March 31).
- Southwest Speedy Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card: Earn a Companion Move via Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening (this provide ends March 31).
- Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Premier Enterprise Credit score Card: Earn 60,000 factors after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card: Earn 80,000 factors after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
The 2 shopper Southwest playing cards provide a Companion Move legitimate via Feb. 28, 2026, as a part of their welcome provide. Nonetheless, the bonus factors from every provide may allow you to earn a Companion Move legitimate via the tip of 2026.
Lastly, it is also price noting that Southwest sometimes provides promotions for limited-time Companion Passes. For instance, for a short while in February, Southwest let vacationers earn a two-month Companion Move for later this 12 months after only one spherical journey or two one-way flights.
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Associated: Companion Move and bonus factors: Evaluating the Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence, Premier and Plus bank cards
The way to use the Southwest Companion Move
As soon as you’ve got earned a Companion Move, Southwest makes it extremely straightforward to make use of.
Arrange your Companion Move
After you earn the Companion Move, Southwest will ship you a congratulatory e mail inside a number of days. Log in to your Southwest Speedy Rewards account to trace your progress towards incomes the Companion Move.
Upon receiving the e-mail, click on the hyperlink to arrange your preliminary companion alternative. The method is fast, however you may want to offer details about your companion, together with their authorized title (matching their ID) and beginning date.
If you wish to hold the identical companion during your Companion Move, you may solely must set it up as soon as. Nonetheless, keep in mind you possibly can change your companion as much as 3 times every calendar 12 months.
Associated: 2 for 1: How airline companion tickets can prevent severe cash in your subsequent journey
E book your flight
Earlier than utilizing your Companion Move, you should guide your individual Southwest flight. And if you happen to’re touring with somebody who is not your designated companion, guide their flight, too. For instance, suppose you’re a household of 4 with one grownup holding the Companion Move and the opposite grownup being the companion. In that case, you must initially guide tickets for the Companion Move holder and the 2 youngsters.
You possibly can pay in your flights with money or redeem Southwest factors when utilizing a Companion Move. Nonetheless, if you are going to buy the tickets with money, keep in mind to incorporate every traveler’s Speedy Rewards quantity when reserving to allow them to earn Southwest factors on their flights.
Associated: Southwest A-Listing standing: What it’s and the way to earn it
Add your companion to your reservation
After you have booked your flight, you possibly can add your companion to your reservation. Doing so instantly after reserving your flight is the easiest way to make sure you add your companion earlier than the flight sells out.
Nonetheless, you possibly can’t change a flight with a companion hooked up. And you may typically save severe factors or money by sometimes checking whether or not you possibly can rebook at a decrease fee. As such, TPG lead author Katie Genter suggests organising a Y9 alert in ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s mother or father firm, Pink Ventures) so you may get an e mail when solely 9 seats stay in your flight. Then, as soon as your flight is lower than two weeks out — the purpose at which Southwest flights often change into costlier — or if you get the Y9 alert e mail, add your companion.
So as to add your companion to a flight, log in to your Southwest account and discover the flight in your upcoming journeys. If you have not added your companion but, you must see an “Add companion” button for the flight.
Click on the button and double-check the prefilled data. Proceed via the method till you attain the purpose the place you may must pay the taxes and charges in your companion’s flight. Pay the taxes and charges, and your companion will likely be confirmed on the flight. Your companion will get a distinct affirmation quantity than you, although.
Associated: ‘The Day Southwest Died’: Reactions pour in in regards to the service’s large adjustments
Backside line
The Companion Move may present important worth if you happen to often fly Southwest with a favourite companion. Likewise, if you happen to would fly Southwest often with one other traveler if you happen to may achieve this for about half the price, the Companion Move is price contemplating.
Southwest bank cards can put incomes the Companion Move inside attain even if you happen to do not meet the usual necessities via flights. Better of all, the Southwest Speedy Rewards Plus Credit score Card and Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card have welcome provides via March 31 for a Companion Move legitimate via Feb. 28, 2026, plus 30,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
