The end of Southwest is near.

Leaked Survey Reveals Southwest Airlines Companion Pass Could Soon Be Gutted

by Gary Leff on June 28, 2025

Southwest Airlines is surveying a new elite program and gutting the Companion Pass.
At this point Southwest really has only two things going for it – employees who don’t hate their jobs (although most of the Southwest employees I talk to are really frustrated and unhappy with the changes taking place at the ariline) and the Companion Pass.

A Rapid Rewards member earning a Companion Pass can bring another traveler with them free (for just the cost of taxes) whether they’re buying a paid ticket or redeeming points. And that’s available whenever there’s an open seat on the plane.

• There’s really not other reason to spend on a Southwest Airlines credit card – since the card’s initial bonus and points earned from spend count towards earning a Companion Pass, but otherwise you’re better off with a card whose points transfer to Southwest or other airlines and hotels. You’ll earn points faster and those points will be more valuable.

• Indeed, with the Sapphire Reserve card’s upgrade announced this month you can even earn Southwest status with spending on that card.

  • And it’s the only thing that sets Southwest apart. Their frequent flyer program was recently devalued, and doesn’t offer the reach of other programs – it can’t yet take you to Europe and doesn’t offer premium cabin redemptions or upgrades. Indeed, Southwest itself lacks first class, seat back entertainment screens, standard outlets for seat power, airport lounges and has the industry’s worst inflight wifi. Their plans lack ovens in the galley so they can’t even offer real meals if they start Europe flights.

So naturally, the airline that’s given up its core value proposition – its advantage over competitors – by adding checked bag fees, imposing expiration dates on travel credits, and basic economy restrictions on their cheapest fares would look to squeeze out the last outsized value that they offer

As they work to mimic the worst feature of financial laggards American Airlines and JetBlue, Southwest Airlines is surveying:

• A new four or five tier elite status program
• And Companion Pass that would only be available to that new top tier (with limited companion pass trips at the level below). Currently Companion Pass can be earned with credit card initial bonuses and spending, no status with the airline required.

Southwest needs to stop. Just stop. They desperately need an intervention. Unfortunately, Elliott Management succeeded in gaining effective control of the board of directors despite a minority stake in the carrier. They pointed out real problems at the airline – a slow moving culture, overhiring, and customers who moved away from their core domestic coach product – but lacked real solutions.
Essentially Elliott sought to have the airline mortgage their balance sheet to fund stock buybacks (which they’re doing), but in the process appointed directors with an industry status quo bias. And CEO Bob Jordan appears to just be going along in order to keep his job.