Southwest Airlines (WN) recently announced a series of major changes, with the main changes taking effect on January 1, 2027.
Contents
- Credit Card Welcome Bonuses Will No Longer Count Toward Companion Pass
- A-List Status Becomes Silver, Gold, and Platinum
- New Milestone Rewards
- Earning TQPs Through Credit Card Spending
- Partner Airline Redemptions Coming in 2027
- Southwest Icon Lounges Coming in Late 2027
- A New Premium Credit Card Coming in 2027
- Starlink Wi-Fi Is Coming
- Other Smaller Changes
Credit Card Welcome Bonuses Will No Longer Count Toward Companion Pass
This is probably the change that will affect our readers the most: credit card welcome bonuses will no longer count toward Companion Pass qualification. After Southwest’s massive changes in 2025, the Companion Pass remained one of its few standout advantages over other airlines. Once you earn a Companion Pass, you can designate a companion to fly with you for free—well, almost free, since you still have to pay a few dollars in taxes and fees—as many times as you want during its validity period. This makes it especially valuable for people playing the points-and-miles game in two-player mode who live somewhere with plenty of Southwest flights. But the qualification requirement is steep: the points-based route requires earning 135,000 Southwest qualifying points in a calendar year. Who the hell earns that many points just by flying? That’s where Southwest credit cards come in. A single welcome bonus can offer close to 100,000 points. Opening one personal card and one business card—or even just one business card when an especially generous offer is available—can get you all the way to a Companion Pass.
Unfortunately, one of the newly announced changes eliminates this shortcut. More specifically, Companion Pass (CP) currently uses Companion Pass qualifying points, rather than the more restrictive Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). Companion Pass qualifying points include credit card welcome bonuses. Starting January 1, 2027, the points-based qualification requirement will instead use TQPs; we’ll discuss the exact thresholds below. Welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, bonus points from spending categories (such as the extra points earned on a 2x gas purchase), and points from most partner activity do not count as TQPs. That largely leaves the slow routes: flying Southwest and earning TQPs at a base rate of one per dollar spent on its credit cards.
With that change, who the hell is going to earn enough points? Southwest’s Companion Pass may soon become a relic of the good old days. Starting in 2027, we may be able to count on one hand the number of our readers who manage to earn one through credit card spending. R.I.P. Of course, short-term promotional Companion Pass offers could still pop up.
As for the transition rules: if you are approved for a new card on or before December 2, 2026, its welcome bonus may still count toward Companion Pass qualification under the transition policy, even if you do not complete the spending requirement until early 2027. However, delaying your spending until 2027 will not get you a Companion Pass valid for nearly two years across 2027 and 2028. According to FM, a qualifying welcome bonus earned in early 2027 will be credited toward your 2026 Companion Pass qualification instead.
A-List Status Becomes Silver, Gold, and Platinum
Southwest has historically used its distinctive 「A-List」 branding for elite status, as shown below:
| Status / Benefit | Points Required (per Calendar Year) | Or: Qualifying One-Way Flights (per Calendar Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Member | Free enrollment; no qualification requirements | None |
| A-List | 35,000 TQPs | 20 |
| A-List Preferred | 70,000 TQPs | 40 |
| Companion Pass (CP) | 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points | 100 |
Starting January 1, 2027, the program will switch to the more conventional Silver, Gold, and Platinum tier names:
| New Tier | Corresponding Previous Status / Benefit | Points Required (per Calendar Year) | Or: Qualifying One-Way Flights (per Calendar Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Member | Free enrollment; no qualification requirements | None |
| Silver | A-List | 35,000 TQPs | 25 |
| Gold | A-List Preferred | 65,000 TQPs | 50 |
| Platinum | Comparable to the former Companion Pass (CP) | 140,000 TQPs | 100 |
One distinction is worth clarifying. Under the current system, Companion Pass is technically not an elite status tier. It is a separate benefit that you can qualify for regardless of your elite status. Under the new system, Platinum will be an actual status tier, with unlimited Companion Pass trips as one of its benefits. The points-based qualification requirements will also use TQPs across the board. Structurally, at least, the new system is more consistent.
There is also a transition benefit for 2027 only: Southwest credit cardholders who earn 130,000 TQPs will receive a one-time bonus of 10,000 TQPs, taking them straight to Platinum status.
New Milestone Rewards
Southwest is also introducing Milestone Rewards along the path to Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
First Milestone:
- Earn 20,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or complete 15 qualifying one-way flights.
- Get your choice of: 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or two Preferred Seat Certificates for upcoming travel.
Second Milestone:
- Earn 95,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) or complete 75 qualifying one-way flights.
- Three Companion Pass trips, each of which can be used for either a one-way or round trip itinerary.
Adding these two milestones to the table gives us the following:
| TQP Threshold | Status or Reward Earned |
|---|---|
| 20,000 | Choose 2,000 Rapid Rewards points or two Preferred Seat Certificates |
| 35,000 | Silver, replacing A-List |
| 65,000 | Gold, replacing A-List Preferred |
| 95,000 | Three Companion Pass trips, each valid for a one-way or round-trip itinerary |
| 140,000 | Platinum, including unlimited Companion Pass trips |
Even this watered-down version of Companion Pass, limited to three trips, comes with a very high qualification threshold. It probably won’t be practical for most of our readers.
Earning TQPs Through Credit Card Spending
Previously, the Southwest Plus card did not earn TQPs through spending. Other Southwest cards did, but at relatively slow rates, such as 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent. Starting January 1, 2027, all Southwest credit cards will earn one TQP per dollar spent on eligible purchases, regardless of any bonus categories. For example, a purchase in a 2x category will earn two redeemable Southwest points per dollar, but only one TQP per dollar. This makes earning TQPs through spending faster, but putting $140,000 on a Southwest card is still an outrageous amount of spending. It’s hard to imagine many people doing that.
Partner Airline Redemptions Coming in 2027
Southwest points have traditionally been used to book Southwest-operated flights. Under the new program, members will also be able to redeem points for flights on several partner airlines:
- China Airlines (Note: Despite the similar names, China Airlines and Air China are different airlines.)
- Icelandair
- Etihad Airways
These redemptions are expected to launch in spring 2027. Further details have not yet been announced.
Southwest Icon Lounges Coming in Late 2027
The first Southwest Icon lounges are expected to begin opening in late 2027, with initial locations at Austin (AUS), Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Honolulu (HNL), and Nashville (BNA).
Southwest is actually building its own airport lounges. Is this still the low-cost airline we used to know? With all these changes, it’s hard to tell how Southwest thinks it will distinguish itself from the other major airlines.
A New Premium Credit Card Coming in 2027
The announcement also included this line:
Access to the Southwest Icon Lounge network will be available through a new, premium, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, issued by Chase, launching in 2027.
So a new premium Southwest credit card is definitely on the way. Stay tuned for details.
Starlink Wi-Fi Is Coming
Starlink is becoming an increasingly popular choice among U.S. airlines, so it’s hardly surprising that Southwest is joining in. At this rate, reliable in-flight internet should eventually become something we can take for granted when flying U.S. carriers.
Other Smaller Changes
There are also a few other details worth highlighting:
- Lower earning rates on higher-priced fares. Starting January 1, 2027, Choice Preferred fares will earn 8 points per dollar instead of 10, while Choice Extra fares will earn 10 points per dollar instead of 14. Basic will remain at 2x and Choice at 6x. These are the points earned from taking paid flights, calculated on the base fare excluding taxes and fees. They are separate from the rewards earned by paying with a credit card.
- Changes to elite status earning bonuses. When A-List becomes Silver, its bonus on points earned from qualifying flights will increase from 25% to 40%. However, when A-List Preferred becomes Gold, its bonus will drop from 100% to 60%—a significant cut. The new Platinum tier will offer a 120% bonus. There is one transition exception: members who qualify for 2027 A-List Preferred status through their 2026 activity will retain their 100% bonus through December 31, 2027, after transitioning to Gold.
- Higher flight-count requirements for status. Although Gold’s TQP requirement will be slightly lower than the current A-List Preferred requirement, qualifying through flight activity will become harder. Silver will require 25 qualifying one-way flights, up from 20 for A-List, while Gold will require 50, up from 40 for A-List Preferred. Both represent a 25% increase.
- Silver loses the discounted second checked bag. A-List members currently pay $35 for a second checked bag. Under the new program, Silver members will pay the standard fee. However, members who qualify for 2027 A-List status through their 2026 activity will retain the $35 second-checked-bag benefit through the end of 2027.
- New options to redeem points for rental cars and seat selection. Beginning in November 2026, members will be able to redeem points directly through cars.southwest.com for rentals with participating car rental partners. Later in 2027, members will also be able to use points to pay for Preferred or Extra Legroom seat selection. Seat redemptions must be completed after booking and ticketing but before check-in; points cannot be used to purchase seat selections at the airport. Whether these options offer good value will depend on the redemption rates.