Last updated: October 15, 2026
Southwest is retiring Companion Pass qualifying points after December 31, 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) are the only qualifying-points currency for Rapid Rewards tiers, Milestone Rewards, and Companion Pass. Qualifying flights still count beside them. The numbers in this piece come from Southwest’s Companion Pass changes, what’s changing, credit cards, and Rapid Rewards 2027 pages, checked October 15, 2026.
The trip question is which year you are qualifying in.
Finish a Companion Pass in 2026 under the current rules and Southwest says you keep unlimited Companion Pass trips through December 31, 2027. This year’s line is 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights. Welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus points from spend categories, and hotel or car partner activity still help that 2026 total. Southwest says those same activities keep earning redeemable Rapid Rewards points in 2027 and do not earn TQPs.
Miss 2026 and the companion benefit splits in two. Three Companion Pass trips unlock at 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights, a milestone between Gold and Platinum. Unlimited trips are Platinum: 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying one-way flights. Every Rapid Rewards credit card, including Plus, earns 1 TQP per $1 of eligible purchases, with no cap. That base dollar is the new non-flight path. The extra point from a 2x category is not.
Before you add a Southwest card or move Chase points: Run the flights and the spending you already have through the credit card rewards calculator. In 2027, eligible spend on a Rapid Rewards credit card earns Tier Qualifying Points. A Chase or Bilt transfer earns redeemable Rapid Rewards points for a ticket you can already price. It does not earn TQPs.
Two thresholds, and a last year of the old pass
Southwest’s Companion Pass page puts the rules in one table. “Qualifying flights” on that table are the same counters the page’s body calls qualifying one-way flights. A round trip is two of them.
| Through December 31, 2026 | From January 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying points | Companion Pass qualifying points | Tier Qualifying Points |
| Three companion trips | Not offered | 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights |
| Unlimited companion trips | 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights | 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying one-way flights (Platinum) |
| Companions at one time | 1 | 1 |
| Companion changes per year | 3 | 3 |
Each of the three 2027 trips covers one one-way or one round trip, your choice on that trip. Hit Platinum and Southwest says those three trips increase to unlimited.
The flight path to unlimited stays at 100. The points path is what changes. In 2026, 135,000 qualifying points can include a new-card bonus, a referral, an anniversary deposit, the bonus half of category spend, and hotel or car partner points. In 2027 those activities still earn Rapid Rewards points you can spend on a fare, and they stop moving the counter that unlocks a companion.
Southwest has not said a leftover Companion Pass qualifying-point balance converts into TQPs. The currency is retired. A pass you have already earned keeps the end date in My Account. The 2027 FAQ says benefits already qualified for in 2026 last until that original completion date. The Companion Pass page is specific about a pass you earn in 2026 under the current rules: unlimited trips through December 31, 2027. A pass whose end date is already in 2026 keeps that date. Southwest has not said the currency change extends it. Read the date on the account.
What stops counting on January 1
Southwest’s list of activities that helped Companion Pass qualifying points, and that will not earn TQPs, is short and exact:
- New Cardmember welcome bonuses
- Referral bonuses
- Anniversary points
- Bonus points from spend, with Southwest’s own example of 2x on gas
- Partner spend, with Southwest’s own examples of hotel and car
Redeemable Rapid Rewards points from those activities continue. The companion counter does not move with them.
Read the gas example the way it is written. A Rapid Rewards card that pays 2 redeemable points per dollar at gas still earns those 2 points. The TQP from card spend is 1 per $1 of the purchase. The second point is the bonus Southwest says does not qualify. The same split applies to every category bonus, not only gas.
That is the end of the old shortcut: opening a card for the welcome bonus, stacking category bonuses, and crediting hotel or car partners toward the pass. Those moves can still fill a 2026 Companion Pass qualifying-point balance. They do not fill a 2027 TQP balance. If your 2026 balance is close enough that flights you will actually take, plus qualifying points you will actually earn before December 31, finish 135,000 or 100 flights, this is the year to finish. If the gap is a welcome bonus you do not already have a plan to earn, 2027 is a different program.
Buying Rapid Rewards points is a separate decision, covered in the October buy-points article. Purchased points are redeemable points. They are not on Southwest’s TQP list.
Card spend is the non-flight path
Starting January 1, 2027, every Rapid Rewards credit card, including the Plus cards, earns 1 TQP per $1 spent on purchases. Southwest’s credit-card page says there is no earning cap. TQPs post to the primary cardmember’s Rapid Rewards account after the billing cycle closes. Only TQPs that have posted count.
Southwest’s exclusion list is on that same page. Purchases are products and services, minus returns and refunds, by you or an authorized user. The list that does not count includes balance transfers, cash advances, cash-like transactions, person-to-person transfers, interest, unauthorized charges, and fees of any kind, including an annual fee. The annual fee is not 1 TQP per dollar.
Card TQPs accrue on the card’s year, not on a swipe dated December 31. Southwest says the first year runs from the account open date through that year’s December statement cycle, and later years run from one December statement cycle to the next. A purchase counts when the TQP posts.
Southwest also lists three other TQP paths and does not print a rate for them on these pages: qualifying purchases on the Rapid Rewards Debit Card, qualifying Getaways by Southwest bookings, and qualifying Southwest Groups travel. The rate that posts is the one in the account. A Companion Pass still cannot be added to a Getaways booking, a group booking, a charter, an interline itinerary, or nonrevenue travel. Getaways can be a way to earn TQPs. It is not a way to use the companion ticket.
Flights earn both currencies. Southwest’s 2027 FAQ says qualifying flights earn Rapid Rewards points and TQPs at 2x the fare on Basic, 6x on Choice, 8x on Choice Preferred, and 10x on Choice Extra. Read as points per dollar of fare, a $250 Choice Preferred ticket is 2,000 TQPs and 2,000 Rapid Rewards points. The same $250 on Basic is 500 of each. If a posting on your account differs, the account wins.
A qualifying flight is a Southwest-operated flight paid entirely with dollars, LUV vouchers, gift cards, or flight credits, plus Cash + Points on the dollar portion of the base fare only. Reward flights, charter flights, nonrevenue travel, and Companion Pass travel do not qualify. The companion’s ticket does not earn you TQPs.
| Goal in 2027 | Card purchases at 1 TQP per $1 | Choice Preferred fares at 8 per $1 | Qualifying one-way flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three companion trips | $95,000 | $11,875 of fare | 75 |
| Unlimited (Platinum) | $140,000 | $17,500 of fare | 100 |
| Unlimited with the 2027 card boost | $130,000 of purchases, then +10,000 TQPs | Flights count toward the 130,000 | 100, with or without a card |
The flight column is the whole fare at one brand. A real year is a mix. Twenty Choice Preferred fares at $250 are $5,000 of fare and 40,000 TQPs. The three-trip milestone then needs 55,000 more TQPs, which is $55,000 of eligible card purchases if the card is the rest of the balance. Flying is the efficient dollar. Card spend is the path when you are not flying that much.
Clearing 75 one-ways takes 38 round trips, which is 76 one-ways. One hundred one-ways is 50 round trips. Someone who already flies Southwest that often does not need a new card to manufacture the pass. The 100-flight line for unlimited is the same flight count as 2026.
The 10,000 TQP boost is one shot, in 2027, at 130,000
Primary Rapid Rewards cardmembers get one boost of 10,000 TQPs when the TQP balance in the Rapid Rewards account is 130,000 by December 31, 2027. Southwest says the boost posts within 30 days after the 130,000 TQPs post, counts toward 2027 tier qualification for the rest of 2027 and through 2028, and can help qualify for Platinum status valid through December 31, 2028.
The fine print on the credit-card page narrows it:
- You have to be the primary cardmember. The card account has to be open and not in default when Southwest fulfills the boost.
- One credit card account per member, and one boost in 2027. A second Southwest card does not add a second 10,000.
- 130,000 plus 10,000 is 140,000, which is the Platinum line. The boost does not lower the 95,000 milestone, and it does not exist for someone without an eligible card. Without the boost, unlimited on points is the full 140,000.
- Chase is not responsible for providing the boost. It is a Southwest benefit.
Spend and flights both fill the 130,000. Forty thousand TQPs from flights means the card has to post 90,000 more before the boost can fire. The trigger is the posted balance, not a receipt that has not closed yet.
Tiers rename, and two milestones sit on the way up
On January 1, 2027, A-List becomes Silver and A-List Preferred becomes Gold. Southwest says current A-List and A-List Preferred benefits continue through the end of 2026, and that members who hold those tiers on January 1 move to Silver and Gold automatically. Platinum is new.
| 2027 tier | Was | TQPs | Qualifying flights | The part that changes a trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | A-List | 35,000 | 25 | Preferred or Standard seat at booking when available; Extra Legroom within 48 hours when available; Group 1; first checked bag free; 40% flight earning bonus |
| Gold | A-List Preferred | 65,000 | 50 | Any seat, including Extra Legroom, at booking when available; boards before Group 1; up to two checked bags free; 60% flight earning bonus; two premium drinks |
| Platinum | New | 140,000 | 100 | Unlimited Companion Pass trips; boards before Gold and Group 1; up to three checked bags free; 120% flight earning bonus; two premium drinks |
Seat benefits are “when available.” The earning bonuses apply to qualifying flights paid without Rapid Rewards points. Southwest’s marketing line “same-day standby, even with Basic fares” is standby for an earlier flight. The footnote still limits free same-day change to Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra, unless you buy one of those fares.
Two Milestone Rewards sit on the same ladder. Selections are final.
| Milestone | How you hit it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| First, before Silver | 20,000 TQPs or 15 qualifying one-way flights | Choose 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or two Preferred Seat Certificates. The certificates work in the stand-alone seat purchase flow. They cannot be used while you are booking the flight |
| Second, between Gold and Platinum | 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights | Three Companion Pass trips |
What the companion ticket still is
The booking rules do not loosen in the new program.
- One companion at a time. The companion is a person. You can change the designated companion up to three times each calendar year. Cancel the current companion’s reservation first. Southwest says to allow 21 business days for the change.
- You book and buy your own flight first. The companion goes on the same flights and dates, on Southwest-operated flights, through the Companion Pass option on Southwest.com or by phone. If you cancel, change, or do not fly, the companion’s reservation cancels.
- There are no blackout dates. A seat still has to be available. The companion’s ticket does not include taxes and fees, from $5.60 one way.
- The pass cannot be added to Getaways, Group Travel, charter, interline, or nonrevenue travel.
A promotion you are already registered for is a separate promise. Southwest says that participation is honored. Meet the offer’s flight or spend requirements and you receive the Companion Pass benefits in that offer, for the benefit period the offer states. No extra step is required beyond the offer you already accepted.
Chase and Bilt transfers book the seat
Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt still transfer to Southwest at 1:1. Those points become redeemable Rapid Rewards points. Award prices follow the cash fare, which is why a transfer only makes sense for a flight you can already price.
Southwest’s published ways to earn TQPs are qualifying flights, Rapid Rewards credit-card purchases, the Rapid Rewards debit card, Getaways, and Groups. A bank transfer is not on that list. The Chase partner note on this site already says transferred points do not count toward A-List or the Companion Pass. In 2027 that is the same fact in the new currency: the points can buy the ticket, and they do not post as TQPs.
Move Chase or Bilt points when the fare on the screen beats paying cash and beats holding the points for another partner. Do not move them to “help” a 2027 Companion Pass. They will not.
What else Southwest has dated
These are the other dates on the same 2027 pages. They are not the companion decision.
- Mid-November 2026: redeem Rapid Rewards points for car rentals across Southwest’s partners on cars.southwest.com.
- Spring 2027: earn and redeem Rapid Rewards points with Icelandair, China Airlines, and Etihad, with Southwest’s examples running from Reykjavik and Paris to Taipei, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, and Johannesburg.
- Late 2027: Southwest Icon Lounges at select airports, and a new premium Southwest credit card with Chase that includes access to them. Southwest says the first lounges are anticipated by the end of 2027 and that the dates are not published yet. Also late 2027, members will be able to upgrade a seat after booking with Rapid Rewards points, when a seat is available.
None of that changes the January 1 qualifying rules.
Who should finish 2026, and who should plan 2027
Finish the 2026 pass when all of these are true:
- The balance can actually get there by December 31, 2026. The line is 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying flights. Welcome bonuses, referrals, anniversary points, category bonus points, and hotel or car partners still count this year. They stop counting toward the companion on January 1.
- You want unlimited companion travel through December 31, 2027, which is what Southwest says a pass earned in 2026 under the current rules includes. Three trips in 2027 are a smaller benefit at a lower line.
- The spending is spending you were going to do. A registered promotion you are already in is the cleanest version: meet its terms and Southwest says the offer is honored. Opening cards solely to manufacture the old currency, with about eleven weeks left in the year, is how people miss the line and keep the annual fees.
Plan on 2027 when any of these are true:
- The 2026 gap is too wide. Starting from a low Companion Pass qualifying-point balance in mid-October is not a 135,000-point project unless the flights are already on the calendar.
- You fly Southwest enough that 75 or 100 one-way flights is the real path. Unlimited on flights did not move. Three trips at 75 one-ways is new.
- A Rapid Rewards card will see ordinary spend in 2027, and you can see a posted path to 95,000 TQPs (three trips) or to 130,000 plus the one-time boost (unlimited). Price that spend against the card that would have earned a transferable point. $95,000 of purchases for three companion itineraries is a lot of spend if those three trips were the only reason to move the category.
A household that takes two or three Southwest trips with the same person can use the 95,000 milestone and stop. A household that flies with that person all year still wants the 2026 unlimited pass if the balance can finish, because 2027 unlimited is Platinum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Companion Pass going away in 2027? A: No. Southwest’s 2027 FAQ says Companion Pass stays, earned with Tier Qualifying Points or qualifying flights. Three trips unlock at 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights. Unlimited trips unlock at Platinum, 140,000 TQPs or 100 qualifying one-way flights. Companion Pass qualifying points retire after December 31, 2026.
Q: If I earn Companion Pass in 2026, what do I keep? A: Southwest’s Companion Pass changes page says a pass earned in 2026 under the current rules includes unlimited Companion Pass trips through December 31, 2027. The 2027 FAQ also says a pass you have already qualified for lasts until the original completion date in My Account. Read that date. A pass earned before 2026 keeps its existing end date.
Q: Do welcome bonuses, anniversary points, or 2x category bonuses earn TQPs? A: Southwest says no. New Cardmember welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, anniversary points, bonus points from spend such as 2x on gas, and hotel or car partner spend still earn redeemable Rapid Rewards points and do not earn Tier Qualifying Points. Eligible card purchases earn 1 TQP per $1. The bonus point on top of that dollar does not.
Q: Do Chase or Bilt transfers count toward Companion Pass in 2027? A: They become redeemable Rapid Rewards points at 1:1. Southwest’s TQP list is flights, Rapid Rewards credit-card purchases, the Rapid Rewards debit card, Getaways, and Groups. A bank transfer is not on it. The Chase partner page on this site already notes that transferred points do not count toward A-List or the Companion Pass.
Q: How does the 10,000 TQP boost work? A: A primary Rapid Rewards cardmember whose posted TQP balance reaches 130,000 by December 31, 2027 receives one boost of 10,000 TQPs, deposited within 30 days. It counts toward 2027 qualification for the rest of 2027 and through 2028, and Southwest describes the Platinum status it helps you reach as valid through December 31, 2028. One card account per member, one boost in 2027, and the account has to be open and not in default at fulfillment. Without a card, the points line for unlimited is 140,000.
Q: What does the companion still pay? A: Taxes and fees from $5.60 one way. You still buy your own ticket. One companion at a time, up to three companion changes per calendar year, on Southwest-operated flights, with a seat available. Each of the three milestone trips can be a one-way or a round trip.
The decision
Look at the Companion Pass qualifying-point balance and the end date already in My Account. If 135,000 points or 100 flights is reachable by December 31, 2026 with trips and qualifying activity you were going to do anyway, finish it. That is the last year those welcome bonuses, category bonuses, and partner points count, and Southwest says the unlimited trips then run through December 31, 2027.
If the balance is far short, stop treating a new-card bonus as a companion plan. From January 1 the companion is three trips at 95,000 TQPs or 75 one-way flights, and unlimited trips at Platinum, 140,000 TQPs or 100 one-way flights. The non-flight math is 1 TQP per eligible dollar on a Rapid Rewards credit card, plus one 10,000 TQP boost in 2027 after 130,000 TQPs post. Chase and Bilt still transfer 1:1 into points that book a fare. They do not post TQPs.
Before you put a Southwest card in the wallet, or move Ultimate Rewards toward a Southwest ticket, run the spending through the credit card rewards calculator.
See all active transfer bonuses →.
