Southwest Airlines just announced they are making a huge change to what it takes to earn the Companion Pass (and a few other changes as well).
Southwest Is Making A Huge Change To The Companion Pass (And More)
First, The Good News:
The good news is, starting today, Rapid Rewards points will no longer expire.
Now, The Bad News:
The next change is reasonable, although still a negative.
Anyone who changes their ticket using same-day standby will now incur any taxes and fees that result from the change.
And Finally, The Worst News:
The worst news from this announcement is the hefty increase in points required to qualify for the Companion Pass.
Beginning January 1, 2020, earning the Companion Pass will require earning 125,000 points in a calendar year (up 15,000 points from the current 110,000-point requirement).
The Bottom-Line: Southwest Is Making A Huge Change To The Companion Pass (And More)
The Companion Pass from Southwest is considered by many to be the “holy grail of travel-hacking”. While always being hard to obtain (even at 110,000 points), it was doable through strategically-planned Chase Southwest credit card welcome bonuses.
The new 125,000-point threshold may put credit card welcome bonus qualifications out of reach, or require a heavy additional spend of, say, $15,000. That could be a deal breaker for most.
The taxes and fees imposition is reasonable for a same-day standby ticket-changes, and this will help Southwest keep this benefit largely “free” for most fliers (minus the taxes and fees of course).
With the “points never expire” change, Southwest joins other airlines such as Delta and United, and it’s about time.
