17/10/2026
💔 Southwest loyalists, how are YOU feeling about yesterday’s Companion Pass and Rapid Rewards / A-List news? Am I the only one considering a breakup?
This is Griffin. He’s 3 (almost 4!) and has been on 50+ Southwest Airlines flights already. Every single one of those flights cost our family just $5.60 for him, thanks to the Companion Pass we’ve earned and held for MULTIPLE years. ❤️✈️
Let that sink in for a minute. Over 50 flights. Countless memories. Family adventures we might not have taken otherwise. That’s what this benefit has meant to us.
Yesterday, Southwest announced major changes to its Rapid Rewards program, taking effect in 2027. While Companion Pass isn’t disappearing entirely, the path to earning unlimited companion travel is changing dramatically.
Under the new rules, travelers will need 140,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights to earn unlimited Companion Pass benefits. A lower milestone will offer three companion trips, but earning unlimited travel will be much harder for many families. Some credit card bonuses and other rewards that previously helped people qualify will no longer count toward the new requirements.
Honestly? I’m mad. I’m sad. I’m disappointed.
We’ve been a loyal Southwest family for DECADES. Travel fuels our family, and Companion Pass has played a huge role in making that possible. This wasn’t a handout. It was a benefit we earned through spending, flying, and staying loyal to an airline we genuinely loved.
I understand that businesses evolve. Still, between the changes to free checked bags, credit card benefits, status requirements, and now Companion Pass qualification, it feels like another piece of what made Southwest special is slipping away.
I literally posted a poll in my travel group, Affordable Family Vacations by Whitney - Parks, Cruises, Beaches and Travel, yesterday morning asking everyone to name their favorite airline. Southwest won by a landslide. The timing of this announcement? Oof. 😩
We fly out of Denver International Airport and I’m not going to lie: United Airlines - Denver International Airport is looking a whole lot more appealing right now. I never thought I’d say that, but here we are.
The new requirements make unlimited Companion Pass feel virtually unattainable for the average family. Earning 140,000 qualifying points or flying 100 qualifying one-way flights is a HUGE commitment. For families like mine, the value of this benefit was never about luxury. It was about making more family travel possible.
I’m not saying we’ll never fly Southwest again. I am saying these changes have me seriously reconsidering where our loyalty belongs.
Loyalty should mean something. So should the families who helped build your business. ❤️
💬 Tell me where you stand! Are you sticking with Southwest, or are these changes making you consider other airlines, too?