Always wanted to try out the Southwest Companion Pass, the airline's famous buy-one, get-one pass? Well, this is your chance to earn one easier than ever: Take just one round-trip Southwest flight (or two one-ways) this spring and earn free buy-one, get-one flights in late August and September with Southwest.
But this promotion ends today! You need to register and book those flights by the end of today, Wednesday, April 5, to earn that Companion Pass. You don't need to take that flight today, but you do need to register and book it before the deadline.
Here's how it works:
- Register for this promotion and purchase a roundtrip flight (or two one-way trips) with Southwest by Wednesday, April 5 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
- Make sure you book flights that depart and land by May 24 to earn this promotional Companion Pass.
- After you do, you'll earn a Companion Pass and bring a friend for free (plus taxes and fees, which start at just $5.60 for a one-way domestic flight) with you on any and all Southwest flights you take from Aug. 15, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2023
That's right: Buy and take just one roundtrip Southwest flight, and you'll get a free Companion Pass for the second half of August and all of September this year.
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in the world of travel, period. Depending on when and how you earn it, you can get nearly two years of BOGO flights. But earning the full Companion Pass requires either a ton of flying or earning a ton of points by opening Southwest credit cards.
That's what makes this promotion so great. Depending on how often you're able to put this pass to use in that month and a half, you could squeeze a ton of value out of it. Consider:
- It's good on every Southwest flight you book for yourself and a companion from Aug. 15 to Sept. 30, 2023.
- You could book BOGO flights to almost anywhere in the U.S. for later this year, including Hawaii!
- Southwest also flies to Mexico, Central America, and throughout the Caribbean.
- Southwest will allow you to change your companion up to three times during the promotional period, which means you could get BOGO flights for yourself and up to three buddies from mid-August through September.
- While you need to book a paid cash flight to earn this Companion Pass, Southwest confirmed you can get BOGO flights even when using your Southwest Rapid Rewards points to fly two for (nearly) free during the promotional period!
- Check the full terms and conditions.
Remember:
- Southwest does not charge for checked bags or carry-on.
- You can cancel any Southwest flight and be given a voucher for later use (no fee). If you book with points you can also cancel with no fee and the points are re-deposited.
We've seen limited-time promos like this before to earn a few months of using the Companion Pass. Southwest ran a nearly identical offer last year.
Read our full guide to earning and using the Southwest Companion Pass!
How to Search & Book
- Search and book a cash flight (cannot be booked with points or a voucher) by May 24 directly through Southwest – but you have to book by today, Wednesday, April 5.
- Use the Southwest low-fare calendar to find the cheapest flights to earn your pass.
- Travel by May 24, 2023, to earn the limited-time Companion Pass.
Bottom Line
This promotion is a steal! The Companion Pass is one of the best deals out there. Earning a month-and-a-half of BOGO flights by taking just one Southwest flight is an amazing opportunity.
If you've got travel plans for later in 2023, don't pass this up. But be sure to register and book a flight for this spring later today before this promotion ends!
Quick trip will seal the deal….
Can you just buy the flight but not show up?
No, you have to actually take the flight.
Yes! I am about to find a really quick RT trip!
I bought flights yesterday for Nov travel before this came out. Can I cancel and then rebook with the voucher funds for this to count? Or should my spouse rebook it?
We believe that canceling and rebooking with travel funds would still trigger the promotion.
When I called SW, you could not use Points or Voucher/Travel Funds. It had to be new “Revenue”.
Kylie, yep that’s correct! It needs to be a cash flight.
I signed up for the rapid rewards & purchased my southwest flight yesterday 9/23 for 10/16. What do I do next to get confirmation about the companion pass?!
Hey Taylor! Once you are qualified for a Promotional Companion Pass, meaning you registered, booked, and traveled on a qualifying flight during the applicable dates specified in the promotions terms and conditions, you will receive an email from Southwest that includes information on next steps and how to designate and utilize the Promotional Companion Pass. Southwest intends to send this email to all qualifying Members within 10 days after the Promotional travel period ends on November 15, 2020. All details in Southwest’s promo terms here: https://www.southwest.com/companionpasspromo/?irgwc=1&clickid=XMvT7ESiVxyOWjLwUx0Mo3bxUkiSTp1Ckwtt240
You need to register for the promo, then book the flight per the terms and conditions.
Terms and conditions
Register for this promotion, then book one round trip or two one-way qualifying Southwest® flights between 8:00 a.m. on September 6, 2022 and 11:59 p.m. CST on September 8, 2022 for travel from September 6 to November 17, 2022 (the “Promotion Period”), and fly during the Promotion Period to earn a Promotional Companion Pass® valid for use between January 4 and March 4, 2023.
This is great! I currently have the Companion Pass after YEARS of plotting to get it and make it stretch for almost two years. I finally got it in March of 2020…just as the pandemic was heating up. Needless to say, I haven’t gotten much use out of it last year or this year. I’m hoping I can figure out how to extend it into 2022. If anyone has any thoughts on how this promotion may help (or other thoughts on extending), I’d be grateful to hear them!
It looks like you can only use the pass for travel that happens in January and Feb, not “You could book BOGO flights to almost anywhere in the U.S. for next year, including Hawaii!”
On the Southwest website:
“The Promotional Companion Pass is valid from January 6 to February 28, 2022 and allows you to designate one person to fly with you, free of airline charges* (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) on flights purchased by you from January 6 to February 28, 2022, booked through Southwest, and completed between January 6 to February 28, 2022.”
Am I reading something wrong?
Apologies Jason – we meant to write “*early* next year.” I’ve corrected it.
I just booked a RT turnaround trip to PHX for $98 so I can get this promotion. Within the 2 months I’m more than sure I will have a trip or two used on this promo. But even 1 trip will be more than worth it.
I currently have a companion pass, expiring Dec 31. Can I get this promo if I currently have a CP?
Does travel have to be completed by 11/17 or commence by?
When will I actually receive the companion pass? I have travel booked for January already and am wondering when I’ll be able to add my companion to the reservation?
You should receive it as soon as you complete your qualifying flight.
If i book 2 rt flights would still just receive 1 bogo companion pass?
Correct. You would only receive one.
Does anyone know if we would still qualify for the promotion if we book but “miss” the flight? I’ve read all the terms and conditions and can’t find anything that mentions this. Wouldn’t it still qualify being that it’s a booked revenue flight?