Southwest simplifies the process of changing your Companion Pass online

The Companion Pass from Southwest Airlines is among the most valuable travel benefits available. This pass allows a friend or family member to accompany you for free (excluding taxes and fees) on any Southwest flight as many times as you want until the pass expires. It sounds too good to be true, but it's completely valid and just as amazing as it seems. Personally, I’ve been a Companion Pass holder for nearly 15 years.

Once you earn the pass, it remains active until December 31 of the next calendar year (provided it's obtained through the standard method rather than a special offer). This gives you almost two years to make the most of it, allowing your chosen companion plenty of chances to travel with you.

Did you know that you aren’t locked into flying with the same companion every time? Southwest allows you to change your companion up to three times each calendar year—on top of your initial choice. Since the pass usually lasts for two calendar years, this means up to seven different people can fly with you for free.

Changing your designated companion has always been a bit of a hassle, but Southwest has just made it much simpler. Previously, you had to call Southwest to request a change. Now, you can easily modify your companion directly through your Southwest account.

Modifying your Southwest Companion Pass

As of September, Southwest has significantly streamlined the process of changing your companion. When you first earn the pass, you still need to choose a companion. This step remains unchanged and can be completed online via your Southwest account or over the phone with customer service.

Now, you can also make changes to your pass online. In the past, calling Southwest was your only option. Although the actual change would take just a few minutes with an agent, you often faced long wait times, especially during peak hours.

To modify your Southwest Companion Pass online, start by logging into your Southwest account via the app or website. Once signed in, you’ll find your Companion Pass details along with the option to change your companion. Your account will also indicate how many changes you can make this year, which is very convenient.

After selecting the option to change your companion, you’ll need to provide your companion’s information. You will be reminded of the number of changes you have remaining for the year as well.

One significant detail you might notice is that there’s no place to input your companion’s Southwest Rapid Rewards number. Reports suggest that Southwest will automatically generate a new Rapid Rewards number for the traveler. For most, this isn’t a major issue, even if they already have an account, since companions don’t earn points for their flights anyway. However, your companion may miss having access to flight details in their own account, which could be frustrating for some.

The primary concern is that if your companion holds Southwest A-List or A-List Preferred status, they won’t enjoy any benefits during your travels.

While you can always call Southwest to link the correct Rapid Rewards number to the account, this process reportedly requires the agent to change your designated companion again, which will count toward one of your three allowed changes for the year.

To ensure the right Rapid Rewards account is associated with your new companion, it's advisable to call Southwest directly at 800-435-9792 and bypass the online method. Hopefully, soon you’ll be able to add your companion's Rapid Rewards number online.

Key points to consider when changing your Southwest companion

Even though it’s a truly flexible pass, there are some important details to keep in mind for a smooth experience. For example, your designated companion can be reused. So, if Joe is your initial companion and you plan to fly with him in January and September, but wish to bring your friend Sarah along in March, you can switch to Sarah and then back to Joe. Just remember, each switch counts as a change.

Additionally, the person designated as your companion must remain the same at both the time of booking and during travel. Using the earlier example, you won't be able to switch your companion to Sarah until your trip with Joe concludes. If you've already included Joe as your companion for a future flight, you'll need to cancel his booking before you can make the switch to Sarah. After completing your flight with Sarah, you can reinstate Joe as your companion.

Keep in mind that there must be at least one seat available for purchase when booking a companion ticket. If you're flying during busy travel periods, it's advisable to secure your companion's seat as early as possible. To guarantee a seat for your companion later while you have another designated traveler, you can book a ticket for that passenger using points to hold their place and then convert it to a companion ticket once they are named as such. If the flight is fully booked before you can add a companion, continue to check back, as seats are likely to become available.

In summary

I’m pleased that Southwest now allows passengers to change their companions online, saving them from potentially long phone wait times. The ability to view how many changes remain is also a great help in planning for the year. Nevertheless, there are still some issues, particularly with the inability to enter your companion's Rapid Rewards number. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon, but until then, calling is still an option if you need to connect the correct account to your ticket.