What happened
From January 1, 2027, Rapid Rewards points from Southwest credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward Companion Pass. Extra points from spend multipliers are excluded, so a 2x category bonus will contribute only the base 1x.
Anniversary points are carved out. Referral bonuses will not count either. Hotel and car bookings through partners will not help, and shopping portal earnings would seemingly be excluded too. The same activity can still deposit Rapid Rewards points but will not produce Tier Qualifying Points for Companion Pass. Southwest announced a broader loyalty overhaul the same day.
Southwest said 135,000 points posted by December 31, 2026 would still produce a Companion Pass valid through December 2027. After 2026 the Companion Pass becomes much harder to earn without flying or base card spend. Get remaining Southwest credit card signup bonuses posted to Rapid Rewards by December 31, 2026 to keep them counting toward Companion Pass.
- Announced
- Oct 15, 2026
- Starts
- Jan 1, 2027
- Numbers
- 135,000 points: example Rapid Rewards balance posted by 12/31/26 that would still earn a Companion Pass valid through December 2027
- 2x multiplier: example credit-card category bonus that will no longer fully count toward Companion Pass
- 1x multiplier: only the base earn rate from card spend will count toward Companion Pass
- Who qualifies
- Rapid Rewards members seeking Companion Pass; credit card signup bonus points must post by December 31, 2026 to still count
- Links
- Offer page Companion Pass 2027 changes southwest.com
- Takeaway
- Get any Southwest credit card signup bonus points posted to Rapid Rewards by December 31, 2026 if you want them to count toward a Companion Pass.