Free Flights for a Friend in 2027 via Southwest Companion Pass After One Trip for a Limited Time!
A popular airfare deal is back for a limited time! You can score buy one, get one free flights via the Southwest Companion Pass for a limited time in early 2027 after booking a single round trip flight this fall. This post covers details of this special offer: dates, pros & cons, alternatives, and how you can maximize BOGO airfare with trips to Walt Disney World and Disneyland during an efficient and excellent time of year.
With the Southwest Companion Pass, you designate a traveler who will use it to accompany you on flights, and then any fare bought or booked with miles on Southwest Airlines (SWA) comes with a free fare on the same flight for that companion. There’s still taxes and fees, but that only amounts to ~$6 on most flights.
Normally, you can obtain Southwest’s Companion Pass by flying 100 one-way qualifying flights or earning 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. The full, non-promotional version of the SWA Companion Pass is then valid through the end of the following calendar year. You can read our full Guide to Southwest Companion Pass for 2026 & 2027 for full details, or below for the nutshell version.
We’re big fans of the Southwest Companion Pass and have successfully scored it several times. It was part of a not-so-dangerous combo (Companion Pass + APs + DVC) that got us visiting Walt Disney World so often in the first place. We highly recommend it to anyone on the fence.
Anyway, here’s the SWA promotion that ends today and significantly lowers the barrier to entry on acquiring the Southwest Companion Pass…
Southwest Airlines is offering Rapid Rewards Members (free to join) the chance to get a promotional Companion Pass for free! Simply register, purchase a round trip or 2 one-way flights by Thursday, and travel by November 18, 2026. Here are full step-by-step instructions:
- Login and register for the promotion (you must include your Rapid Rewards number during booking);
- Purchase a Southwest revenue flight (one qualifying round trip or two qualifying one-ways) using Rapid Rewards points, a combination of cash and points, or any other eligible form of payment;
- Book flights by August 6, 2026;
- Travel by November 18, 2026;
- Designate a companion to fly free with you from January 5, 2027 through March 3, 2027!
The upside is very low barrier to entry (a single RT flight) versus jumping through hoops for the full Companion Pass. The downside is that the narrow parameters make this more difficult unless you have an upcoming trip and then want to travel in the winter. And you receive a limited-time Companion Pass for only ~2 months as opposed to a full year-plus.
Why This Might Make Sense
I personally have several flights on the books between now and November 18, 2026. One for the start of offseason and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Another for the opening of the Magic of Disney Animation. One for a family trip in October. Yet another for the kickoff of Christmas and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Possibly yet another somewhere in between.
All but one of these I could cancel and rebook to take advantage of the promotional Southwest Companion Pass. One of the flights already is on Southwest, and I could cancel and rebook by August 6th for the exact same price that I previously paid for it. All upside, no downside.
Then there are the travel dates. We want to take more family trips, especially to Walt Disney World at times when the weather is more pleasant. We’re definitely doing the 2027 EPCOT Festival of the Arts or Flower & Garden; depending on the dates of the latter, this Companion Pass could give us the excuse we need to do both. Sarah also wants to make more trips back to the Midwest; this would likewise assist with that.
At this point, it all comes down to whether we want to target the full Companion Pass, or if this is good enough. We haven’t made that decision yet, but I’m guessing we actually will take advantage of this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s Southwest promotional Companion Pass?
A: A promotional Companion Pass earned through this offer allows you to designate one person to fly with, free of airline charges (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way), on qualifying flights flown between January 5, 2027 through March 3, 2027.
Q: Does a flight I booked prior to registration count toward qualification for the Companion Pass promotion?
A: No. Qualifying flights must be booked after you register, between now and August 6, 2026.
Q: Can you cancel and rebook existing airfare for the Companion Pass promotion?
A: Yes. You’ll be subject to whatever cancellation terms and conditions apply to your existing airfare, and will pay the current price for your “new” flights, but canceling and rebooking does qualify. It’s the easy workaround for the above rule!
Q: What will happen after I meet the requirements to earn promotional Companion Pass through this offer?
A: Once you qualify for promotional Companion Pass, Southwest will send an email, usually within 10 days. This email lets you know you qualified and includes information on next steps and how to designate and utilize the promotional Companion Pass.
Q: When can I designate my Companion after earning promotional Companion Pass through this offer?
A: You’ll be able to designate a Companion after the promotional Companion Pass is awarded to your account on January 5, 2027.
Q: How can I designate my initial Companion and make changes to my Companion?
A: After the promotional Companion Pass is awarded to your account on January 5, 2027, you can designate your initial Companion within My Account on Southwest.com or by calling Southwest at 1-800-435-9792. To change your Companion, it’s easy. You can do it yourself at Southwest.com or in the app via the Rapid Rewards tab in My Account. Just click Change Companion and follow the instructions.
Q: How many times can I change my designated Companion?
A: You may change your designated Companion up to three (3) times during the promotional Companion Pass period. If you achieve Companion Pass in 2027 by earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or flying 100 qualifying flights, any changes to the designated Companion during the time you have a promotional Companion Pass will reduce the number of changes you can make to your designated Companion in the 2027 calendar year.
For example, if you earned a promotional Companion Pass through this promotion, changed your designated Companion twice during the validity period for promotional Companion Pass, and then in April 2027 earned a Companion Pass, you would only be able to change your designated Companion one more time in 2027.
Q: If I book a reservation prior to January 5, 2027 for travel between then and March 3, 2027, when can I book my Companion’s reservation?
A: After the promotional Companion Pass has been awarded to your account (again, January 5th) and you’ve designated your Companion, you can book your Companion’s reservation–subject to flight capacity and availability at the time of booking the promotional Companion Pass.
Q: What changes to a reservation would disqualify a flight from qualifying for promotional Companion Pass through this offer?
A: Any change to a reservation that falls outside of the promotional requirements (enrollment date, booking date, travel date, etc.) will disqualify the flight from this promotion. In other words, flights must be purchased, and/or changed during the promotional period by August 6, 2026 and the new flight(s) must be flown by November 18, 2026 to meet the terms and conditions of this promotion.
Full Southwest Companion Pass
The non-promotional Southwest Companion Pass is good for the full calendar year after the year you earn it. This means that a Companion Pass earned in January 2027 expires on December 31, 2028 because you earned it this year. By contrast, one earned only a month earlier in December 2026 would expire on December 31, 2027.
That’s almost a full year of extra use simply by timing the spending requirements “correctly.” You want to earn it as close to the start of the calendar year as possible. We’ve had the full Southwest Companion Pass several times, and with savvy spending, hit our goal in January and kept it until December 31 of the following year.
This is why we’re on the fence about the promotional Southwest Companion Pass. With a bit more effort, credit card hacking, and timing of our initial spend, we could earn a Companion Pass at some point (realistically) in January or February 2027 and keep it until December 31, 2028. That’s 22-23 months of validity versus 2 months! Of course, it’s also a lot more work!
To earn the Companion Pass, the ‘hack’ that we’ve always used is opening two Southwest Chase credit cards, one personal card and one business card (anyone can apply for a business card).
Chase Bank offers the Southwest Performance Business credit card with a sign-up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. (You can earn these bonuses via our referral link–just toggle over to the black business cards at the top.)
Additionally, get any of the three personal SWA credit cards. The bottom tier is best. It has the lowest annual fee and this card is redundant to the Southwest Performance Business card from a benefits perspective, anyway. With this, you earn 50,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
In tandem, you’ll earn over 135,000 Rapid Rewards points once you meet the minimum spend. (Bonus points of 130,000 plus spending of at least $6,000.) It should be pretty easy to hit that $6k spending requirement…just take a trip to Walt Disney World!
Maximizing the Southwest Companion Pass Promo
There are several reasons why the promotional Southwest Companion Pass might be attractive. Our example above of having upcoming travel for Halloween or Christmas, and then wanting to take another trip or two to enjoy the winter weather, festivals, etc.
Maybe you’re unsure whether the Companion Pass is a good fit for you in the first place, and just want to dip your toes in those waters with a couple of months of access as opposed to nearly 2 years.
Perhaps you’re skeptical of the changes Southwest Airlines has made (aren’t we all?) and are unsure that you want to commit to flying them for the next two full years. There have been numerous reports of people who didn’t pay extra for seats being separated, stuck in middle seat purgatory, etc. (I’ve only flown SWA for six flights so far this year, but I’ve had no issues. Knock on wood.)
It’s not just the better weather, EPCOT Festival of the Arts or Flower & Garden that make the beginning of the year a great time to visit Walt Disney World. Even though winter crowds have increased (for those aforementioned reasons), there are still pockets of below-average attendance and wait times.
Refer to our Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Disneyland in 2026 & 2027 and Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Disney World in 2026 & 2027 for the optimal time to take a single trip to each coast.
You could then take multiple inexpensive trips to U.S. National Parks during winter and shoulder season, which is a gorgeous time to visit with lower crowds, better weather and natural beauty. The point is that this promo offers a lot of potential. The lower barrier to entry definitely makes it attractive if the credit card angle is a hard sell.
Ultimately, this Southwest Companion Pass promo won’t be for everyone. Our perspective is that going big on the fully-fledged Companion Pass for 20+ months is the way to go, but we’ve heard from many readers with an aversion to opening a single credit card, let alone 2 of them, so this presents an easier option with a low barrier to entry.
We’ll end by underscoring what an efficient time of year January through March can be to travel. Even though Walt Disney World crowds are increasing in winter, it’s still before Spring Break. Travel is generally cheaper–remember, you’re still paying for one flight. Disney is likely to release new ticket and hotel deals during winter, including stellar last-minute savings (this year, there was a deep Disney+ deal on select WDW resorts).
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on this promotional, limited-time Southwest Companion Pass vs. the year-plus regular version? How would you take advantage of the BOGO airfare between January and March 2027? Have you ever had the Southwest Companion Pass? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
