Southwest is overhauling Rapid Rewards in 2027, with three new elite tiers, Companion Pass bundled into Platinum, credit card spending counting toward status, and new partner airline options.
“Beginning in late 2027, Southwest Icon Lounge is coming to select airports (Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville)…” Okay, so don’t expect that any sooner than 2028.
Oh well, end of an era! The companion pass was great while it lasted.
We got huge return on our credit card signups every other year. Without CP WN just isn't worth it, the route network, hard product, and comparable cost just don't match up with other carriers. I'm Delta hub constrained and WN was still worth it for us. Now I'll likely shift to either Alaska or United
Talk about an airline that lost its way, after giving in to Singer's bullying. I'm just waiting for the take-private transaction that will lead Southwest down the private equity toilet bowl.
Southwest has a market cap of $20 billion, no one is taking them private in the foreseeable future.
My take: Southwest is positioning themselves for maximum leverage on their premium card.
Without CP, they'll struggle to compete. Why pay equal prices as other airlines when SW's hard product is so inferior?
I think they'll continue to offer a backdoor to CP, but it will require customers to pay $600+ for a premium card. Also we will see more CP-oriented promos on the non-premium cards rather than elevated point offerings
It's all theoretical right now...e.g., the (yet to be released) premium card could offer platinum/companion pass (or an expedited route to achieving it).
There's no way a premium card has CP as a benefit, there AF would have to be astronomically high to replace a $140k spend that Platinum status requires.
Really CP needs to stop exist but for a tiered number of uses per year rather than unlimited
I think the big issue with this theory is that now that it is bundled in with the highest status level, rather than a corollary to status, it's a lot harder to offer in this way. Perhaps a new premium card offers something akin to what the status quo is, where bonus spending can count toward TQPs, but I can't imagine that they'd offer up top status as a sign-up bonus. Then again, the revamped status perks are essentially the same as those offered with a credit card, so why not pull the trick again with a new premium card?
Well there... it finally happened. No more CP.
Yeah you can get it if you spend a boatload of money but for most of us, I think, that's not going to happen.
I think we knew it was coming, but what a bummer. Good things just don't last.
Well now i don't have to save a slot or 2 from my Chase 5/24 in order to get my SWA credit cards to get my CP. Time to start CC shopping!
Not clear but looks like if you get a new card by December 2, you can still qualify under the old rules. But I think you would need the balance of the points this year and then use the new card to push it to 27/28. Right now with the bonus only 80k that means a lot of spend asap.
Quoting a SW page . "If I get a Rapid Rewards Credit Card now, can my points count towards Companion Pass if and when I meet the requirements through the new Cardmember welcome bonus I apply for?
Yes, any Cardmembers who are approved for a Rapid Rewards Credit Card on or before Dec. 2, 2026 and meet the requirements for the new Cardmember welcome bonus will have the opportunity to have those points count as Companion Pass qualifying points, even if the spend threshold is met in early 2027."
If this is the case I'd have one more go at CP, but not sure I care that much for only '27 if you'd need to qualify before 12/31 for the signup bonuses to count
So those who board in "Group 1" aren't actually boarding in the first group, as there is a "Group zero" and apparently a "group minus one." People who don't realize that are going to love when they think they should be the first on and 20 people board before them (excluding people who need extra time because of injury or something, and uniformed military if they let them board early).
We can expect lifetime language on the credit cards to halt perpetual Companion Pass. Without it, the economics of the program are very unattractive. Then, throw in reduced earning rate on paid flights. Lastly, as @som4hf notes below, it has the same prices as the legacy carriers but an inferior product. Unless and until Southwest offers a *real* domestic first class seat, no thanks. Time to put on big-boy pants.
There’s no need for lifetime language, credit card SUBs no longer count toward Companion Pass since those bonuses do not come with TQPs.
Southwest does plan to offer a "real" domestic first class seat. LUV has done everything but announce this. The only questions is when this will happen.
If they would join star alliance I would switch my flying and spending over to them as I live near one of their hubs.
Southwest feels like the airline where if you're plugged in and already a customer, the system makes a ton of sense. For everyone else, it sounds like a hassle with no payoff. At least with the other airlines I can understand their systems even if I don't participate in their loyalty programs
That is a great way to put it. My feelings exactly. My Partner is A List Prefered and absolutely gets it. I avoid WN. Not plugged in, as you well stated, and thankfully don't have to be.
Substantially more compelling to me, I'll switch from Alaska Plat to Southwest Plat via card spend for this.
I love the sarcasm in your post. WN must ignorantly expect most people to feel like this, else why would they want to be like everyone else? Most especially without a premium cabin...
The ability to earn Status still with only Qualifying Flights is huge in my opinion and a significant competitive advantage vs. the other Big 3 airlines. For those of us from small airports who connect to most destinations, 25, 50 or even 100 segments doesn't seem all that difficult. I was Chairman's Preferred on US Airways for many years and always made it on segments, not miles.
As I recall, though, Southwest measures segments differently than the other airlines do (did?). For them, a "flight" counts as a complete, one-way itinerary rather than each segment in that itinerary - so a direct flight would count the same as one with two stops. So here, at least if I understand it correctly, you'd need to fly 50 round trips to qualify for companion pa - err, Platinum.