Quick answer: Starting January 1, 2027, Rapid Rewards will use Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers, with unlimited Companion Pass reserved for Platinum. Families can still earn unlimited Companion Pass in 2026 with 135,000 qualifying points before December 31.
Announced October 15, 2026. Details below are as announced; terms may evolve before the January 1, 2027 effective date.
The Companion Pass — buy-one-get-one-free flights where your companion pays only taxes and fees, the single best family deal in US domestic travel — is getting harder to earn. But Southwest also just opened a new, more attainable door to it. Here’s the full picture.
The headline changes
Starting January 1, 2027, Rapid Rewards gets three renamed and restructured tiers:
| Silver (replaces A-List) | Gold (replaces A-List Preferred) | Platinum (new) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualify | 35,000 TQPs or 25 flights | 65,000 TQPs or 50 flights | 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights |
| Flight points bonus | 40% (was 25%) | 60% (was 100%) | 120% |
| Boarding | Group 1 | Before Group 1 | Ahead of everyone |
| Free checked bags | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Seat selection | Free Preferred / Standard at booking; Extra Legroom upgrade within 48 hours | Any seat incl. Extra Legroom at booking | Any seat incl. Extra Legroom at booking |
| Companion Pass | No | No | Unlimited trips |
TQPs = Tier Qualifying Points, the new single status currency. (Old thresholds for reference: A-List was 35,000 points or 20 flights; A-List Preferred was 70,000 points.)
Two things jump out. First, Gold members take a pay cut: the flight points bonus drops from 100% to 60%, even as the qualification bar drops from 70,000 to 65,000 TQPs. Second, Silver gets meaningfully better: the bonus rises from 25% to 40% and the flight threshold rises from 20 to 25 flights. Current A-List and A-List Preferred members roll into Silver and Gold automatically on January 1.
On the renaming, Southwest’s VP of Rapid Rewards Nandika Suri said: “Everybody understands Silver, Gold and Platinum.” The old A-List naming made sense when it mapped to boarding group A — with assigned seating and numbered groups replacing open seating, the letters lost their meaning. Chief Customer and Brand Officer Tony Roach put it more bluntly: with groups A, B, and C gone, it was time for a refresh.
The Companion Pass: harder at the top, easier in the middle
This is the part that matters most for families. The unlimited Companion Pass moves behind Platinum’s 140,000-TQP wall — but a new middle path opens up.
Through December 31, 2026 (current rules still apply): earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights and you get the unlimited pass, good through the end of 2027. Credit card welcome bonuses still count in 2026 — this is the last call on the classic two-card play.
From January 1, 2027, three ways to get Companion Pass benefits:
- Milestone reward: 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights → three Companion Pass trips (each trip = one one-way or round-trip with your companion).
- Platinum status: 140,000 TQPs or 100 flights → unlimited Companion Pass trips.
- Select promotions, when offered.
Companion Pass qualifying points (the old currency) retire after December 31, 2026. And in a big shift, Chase confirmed that Southwest credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward a Companion Pass starting in 2027. Current pass holders keep their benefits for the full term of their pass.
The family math
Put the milestone in perspective: three companion trips could cover three family round-trips where one traveler flies nearly free. For a family of four, that stacks fast. And 95,000 TQPs is roughly 30% less than the old 135,000-point bar — though note the old bar could be cleared largely with welcome bonuses, which no longer count.
Milestone rewards: prizes before you reach a tier
New for 2027 — you no longer wait until Silver to get anything:
| Milestone | Reward (pick one) |
|---|---|
| 20,000 TQPs or 15 flights | 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or 2 Preferred Seat Certificates |
| 95,000 TQPs or 75 flights | Three Companion Pass trips |
The 20,000-TQP stop lands well before Silver’s 35,000 — a nice early win for families who fly Southwest a few times a year but won’t reach status.
The credit card accelerator
Starting January 1, 2027, every Southwest co-branded Chase card earns 1 TQP per $1 of eligible spending, with no cap — including the Plus card, which was previously excluded. Authorized-user spending counts toward the primary cardmember’s total. (The debit card earns 1 TQP per $2.)
The pure-spend math for 2027, per the numbers Southwest released:
| Goal | Card spend needed |
|---|---|
| Silver (35,000 TQPs) | $35,000 |
| Gold (65,000 TQPs) | $65,000 |
| Three Companion Pass trips (95,000 TQPs) | $95,000 |
| Platinum (140,000 TQPs) | $130,000 + one-time 10,000 TQP boost |
That last row needs explaining: Southwest is offering a one-time 2027 boost of 10,000 TQPs once you hit 130,000, pushing you to Platinum — with status valid through December 31, 2028. The boost is one per member (not per card), posts within about 30 days, and was announced for 2027 only. Note it lands at the top of the track, so it doesn’t help with the earlier milestones.
The catch for pass chasers: with welcome bonuses out of the Companion Pass equation in 2027, it’s all about sustained spend and flying — $95,000 in card spend for three trips is real money, but for a family already running most household spend through a Southwest card, the milestone is genuinely in reach.
Everything else in the announcement
- Icon lounges: Southwest’s first-ever airport lounges, built with Chase — four cities to start, expected by end of 2027, accessed through a new premium Chase-issued card coming in 2027.
- International partners: earn and redeem through Icelandair, China Airlines, and Etihad starting spring 2027.
- New redemptions: points for rental cars (November 2026), points for seat selection (late 2027).
- Starlink Wi-Fi: fleetwide by fall 2027, free for Rapid Rewards members.
- Unchanged: points don’t expire, no blackout dates, redeem on any available flight.
Bottom line for families
If you want an unlimited Companion Pass, 2026 is your window. Earn 135,000 qualifying points — welcome bonuses included — before December 31, and you’re set through the end of 2027. After that, the unlimited version requires Platinum’s 140,000 TQPs, but the new 95,000-TQP milestone hands families three companion trips at a much more reachable bar. Run the household spend through a Southwest Chase card starting January, and watch the milestones — not just the tiers.
When do the Southwest Rapid Rewards changes take effect?
January 1, 2027. Current A-List and A-List Preferred members are automatically moved into Silver and Gold, respectively. The 2026 qualification rules apply through December 31, 2026.
What happened to A-List and A-List Preferred?
A-List becomes Silver and A-List Preferred becomes Gold, with adjusted thresholds and benefits. A new top tier, Platinum, sits above both and includes unlimited Companion Pass trips.
How do I earn a Companion Pass in 2027?
Three ways: (1) reach the 95,000-TQP / 75-flight milestone for three Companion Pass trips; (2) earn Platinum status (140,000 TQPs or 100 flights) for unlimited trips; or (3) through select promotions. The old 135,000-point path and Companion Pass qualifying points retire after December 31, 2026.
Do Southwest credit card welcome bonuses still count toward the Companion Pass?
Yes through 2026 — but no. Starting with the 2027 earning year, Chase confirmed welcome bonuses will no longer count. Regular card spending still earns 1 Tier Qualifying Point per $1 (uncapped) toward status and milestones.
What are Milestone Rewards?
New interim rewards earned before reaching a tier: at 20,000 TQPs or 15 flights, choose 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or 2 Preferred Seat Certificates; at 95,000 TQPs or 75 flights, earn three Companion Pass trips.
I already have a Companion Pass. Do I lose it?
No. Current pass holders keep their benefits for the full term of their pass. Passes earned under 2026 rules are valid through December 31, 2027.
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