Southwest to Tie Companion Pass to New Top Tier, Add Perks
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. While we don't cover every company or financial product on the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective editorial perspectives. However, these factors do not influence our editors' opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews. Here is a list of our partners. New tiers, one points currency and new perks arrive Jan. 1, 2027, as Southwest reshapes Rapid Rewards. Updated Oct 15, 2026Fact CheckedHow is this page expert verified?NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.More on our editorial rigorAddas a preferred source on Google NerdWallet is committed to editorial integrity.Travel Cards from our Partnersdiv:not(:last-child)]:border-neutral-lighter [&>div:not(:last-child)]:border-b [&>div]:py-2">Apply now on Chase's website 4.7NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.Rewards rate1x-5x5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes at top brands, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.PointsIntro offer75,000Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.PointsApply now on Chase's website 5.0NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.Rewards rate1.5%-5%Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.CashbackIntro offer$200Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.Apply now on Capital One's website 4.7NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.Rewards rate2x-5xEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.MilesIntro offer$300 + 75,000 MilesLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s more than $1,000 in travel value.See more Travel cardsSouthwest Airlines is rolling out its biggest changes to Rapid Rewards in years, many of which go into effect Jan. 1, 2027. The biggest change in the airline’s Oct. 15, 2026, announcement affects Companion Passes, the popular perk that lets a companion fly with you for free (aside from the cost of taxes and fees) on almost any Southwest flight you book with cash or points. Starting in 2027, the unlimited Companion Pass will become part of a new elite status tier, and the rules about how you earn it will change. The Rapid Rewards program is also renaming its elite status tiers, with more redemption options and program improvements coming later in 2027. All of this news comes as part of a multiyear brand overhaul for Southwest, which has dropped much of what made it distinct from other airlines. In April 2025, the carrier overhauled its fare classes and loyalty benefits. Roughly a month later, it ended its free checked bag policy and introduced variable redemption rates for award flights, flight credit expiration and a new basic economy fare class. Still, some upcoming Rapid Rewards changes could be helpful for Southwest cardholders who are heavy spenders. New tiers and new names: The current two Southwest elite status tiers expand to three, with new names: Two point currencies consolidate to one: Currently, you receive a Companion Pass by either taking 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points. Starting in 2027, you'll earn the unlimited Companion Pass by hitting Platinum elite status, which requires earning 140,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQP) or taking 100 qualifying flights. Credit card welcome offers and other types of bonus points earned on Southwest-branded cards will no longer count toward a Companion Pass. A brand-new Platinum tier is at the top, and comes with an unlimited Companion Pass. A new Milestone Rewards system gives you something (e.g., points, seat certificates or a limited version of the Companion Pass) before you even reach Silver, and again between Gold and Platinum. More redemption options: Redeem points on international partner airlines starting spring 2027, on rental cars starting November 2026, and on seat selection starting late 2027. Southwest's entire fleet will have Starlink Wi-Fi by fall 2027, free for Rapid Rewards members. The first Southwest Icon airport lounges are expected to open by the end of 2027, accessible through a new premium Chase-issued credit card. Current A-List and A-List Preferred members will be automatically moved into the corresponding new tier on Jan. 1. If you already hold a Companion Pass, your current benefits will continue until your pass expires. A-List and A-List Preferred will soon be gone, replaced with Silver, Gold and Platinum, levels commonly used in other airline elite status programs. Southwest says it renamed the tiers for clarity, not simply to mimic competitors. “Everybody understands Silver, Gold and Platinum,” says Nandika Suri, vice president of Rapid Rewards. “[They’re] precious metals that you know move in a certain progression.” She adds that the old A-List naming made sense when it mapped to boarding group A, but didn't clearly signal to members how to progress from one tier to the next. Right now, Southwest tracks two separate currencies: Tier Qualifying Points for elite status and Companion Pass Qualifying Points for Companion Pass. The two have completely separate goals — earning elite status (A-List or A-List Preferred) versus earning the Companion Pass. That changes in 2027, when the Companion Pass becomes a Platinum status perk that can be earned through TQP. Southwest is also expanding which cards can earn TQP. Currently, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, which has an annual fee of $99, does not earn TQP at all, while the other two Southwest consumer credit cards with higher annual fees earn either 1,500 or 2,500 TQP per $5,000 spent. Starting Jan. 1, every Rapid Rewards credit card — the $99-annual-fee Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card included — will earn 1 TQP per $1 spent on purchases, making the math more straightforward. That means all cardholders get a higher TQP earning rate on everyday spending and can potentially spend their way to elite status. Especially for Southwest flyers who are big spenders, it's another good reason to get a Southwest credit card. Following the lead of other major airlines, Southwest is launching Milestone Rewards, which are extra goodies between status tiers, or before you’ve even reached elite status at all. Starting in 2027, there will be two Milestone Rewards: 20,000 TQP or 15 qualifying flights: Once you’ve earned 20,000 TQP or taken 15 qualifying flights (which is before you’ve accrued the 35,000 TQP/25 qualifying flights needed to hold Silver status), you’ll get your choice of either 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or two Preferred Seat Certificates (these let you sit in a standard legroom seat near the front of the cabin). NerdWallet values Southwest points at 1.4 cents apiece, making the points reward worth about $28. Prices for the Preferred Seats vary by flight, but tend to run between $20 and $40. 95,000 TQP or 75 qualifying flights: At this threshold, which sits between Gold and Platinum, you’ll receive three Companion Pass trips, which you can use on a qualifying one-way or round-trip flight. The value of this really depends on the cost of your companion's flight. The Companion Pass is still around, but the way you earn it is changing. On paper, the qualifying bar doesn’t look too different. Platinum's 140,000 TQP or 100 qualifying flights is close to what it already takes to earn Companion Pass currently (100 qualifying flights or 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points). But with the new changes, Southwest-branded credit card welcome offers, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus category points and points from partner spending will no longer count toward earning the perk. Currently, a single Southwest credit card welcome offer could get you about halfway to a Companion Pass. With the new rules, that won’t be the case.
Source: NerdWallet
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