Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[EACarlson]

I'm a little confused about this. It says that the second seat "must be purchased in advance". But what if Joe traveler thinks "I'm not THAT big-I'm not going to encroach on my neighbor's seat" but the he gets on the airplane and the reality is that both he and his neighbor are impacted by his size. It's kind of hard/impossible to turn back time and have him buy a second seat. What's happening then?

What is supposed to happen is the COS is offloaded and they can purchase a second seat on another flight. Under the previous policy, the COS would get a second seat and the last person to board would be IDB'd.

Direct or nonstop? If a direct, I’d still consider SW if the price is roughly the same. Nonstop, I’d go for Delta.

I'm not aware of any airline except Southwest that has domestic directs that are not nonstops.

 

[FreeTime]

What is supposed to happen is the COS is offloaded and they can purchase a second seat on another flight. Under the previous policy, the COS would get a second seat and the last person to board would be IDB'd.

I'm not aware of any airline except Southwest that has domestic directs that are not nonstops.

I had several come up in recent Delta and AA searches. Southwest I see quite frequently. Just a warning to the poster that a direct flight does not mean nonstop.

 

[The Mayor]

We got our April flights this morning and OUCH. These prices are getting out of control. We ended up changing to go a day earlier (and will book that night with our DVC points), and we booked the way home with Jet Blue because it was slightly less expensive and at a better time. The only good thing about buying them now is I can hopefully forget how painful this process was by the time we go!

Keep an eye on your Jet Blue flights. Booking this far out they are likely to change the times multiple times. Has happened to us the last three times we booked more than a few months out.

 

[buzzrelly]

Keep an eye on your Jet Blue flights. Booking this far out they are likely to change the times multiple times. Has happened to us the last three times we booked more than a few months out.

Thanks. That's been happening to us quite a bit too but we'll wait and see and adjust if we have to.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

Do boarding passes reflect information to show if you purchased pre-May 28th?

We may be taking 3 bags for 2 people to check-in. How are they determining who owes luggage fees and who does not?

 

[eticketplease]

Do boarding passes reflect information to show if you purchased pre-May 28th?

We may be taking 3 bags for 2 people to check-in. How are they determining who owes luggage fees and who does not?

It’s tied to the ticket but I don’t think it shows on the boarding pass. They should be able to tell you at the counter who gets 2 free bags

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It’s tied to the ticket but I don’t think it shows on the boarding pass. They should be able to tell you at the counter who gets 2 free bags

I wonder if the do it yourself kiosk know or not. I'm trying to remember but I feel like someone used that and reported back on the thread that it didn't reflect a charge for them and they had purchased tickets prior to the May date.

If anyone tests the kiosks and should qualify for free baggage that would be great to report back how the machine saw their ticket. I know there are a variety of ways someone would get free luggage so we'd probably want to put if our status, credit card, or ticket purchased allowed for included luggage. I would test this ourselves but our trip next week won't be with checked luggage

 

[Lsdolphin]

Last April I paid $99 for my flight from BWI to MCO today that same flight is over $600 for Preferred and over $300 for Basic for same day 4/16/2026. One way flight!. I’m not paying that price.

 

[EACarlson]

I wonder if the do it yourself kiosk know or not. I'm trying to remember but I feel like someone used that and reported back on the thread that it didn't reflect a charge for them and they had purchased tickets prior to the May date.

If anyone tests the kiosks and should qualify for free baggage that would be great to report back how the machine saw their ticket. I know there are a variety of ways someone would get free luggage so we'd probably want to put if our status, credit card, or ticket purchased allowed for included luggage. I would test this ourselves but our trip next week won't be with checked luggage

I'm pretty sure it was me that piped in with that DP, or if it wasn't me, I had the same experience. I had a ticket purchased in February for travel in June and had no issues at the kiosk. It correctly updated to $0 when I entered my one bag on the trip down and two bags on the way home.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Last April I paid $99 for my flight from BWI to MCO today that same flight is over $600 for Preferred and over $300 for Basic for same day 4/16/2026. One way flight!. I’m not paying that price.

I definitely think that the days of opening day SW prices being competitive are behind us.

I book on points, so I always just grab the flight if the points are there and then monitor for reductions. I can't remember the last time I didn't get points back, often significant, relative to opening day.

My BWI-FLL flights for November I got down to half of opening day points (opened at 10k both directions, adjusted into 5k both directions), and they have since floated back up to hover near opening day levels. If I hadn't been watching every day as part of my morning coffee routine then the adjustments would have been easy to miss. They only dropped down that low for a couple of days here and there over the summer.

 

[EACarlson]

I definitely think that the days of opening day SW prices being competitive are behind us.

I book on points, so I always just grab the flight if the points are there and then monitor for reductions. I can't remember the last time I didn't get points back, often significant, relative to opening day.

My BWI-FLL flights for November I got down to half of opening day points (opened at 10k both directions, adjusted into 5k both directions), and they have since floated back up to hover near opening day levels. If I hadn't been watching every day as part of my morning coffee routine then the adjustments would have been easy to miss. They only dropped down that low for a couple of days here and there over the summer.

Pro tip, now that SW flights are on Google, set a Google Flights alert for your flights and they will notify you when the price fluctuates. Now that points prices are so closely aligned with cash prices, you'll be able to check anytime you see the cash price go down.

 

[eticketplease]

Pro tip, now that SW flights are on Google, set a Google Flights alert for your flights and they will notify you when the price fluctuates. Now that points prices are so closely aligned with cash prices, you'll be able to check anytime you see the cash price go down.

Well using your tip I am told what we already know lol

Flight Prices are High!!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Pro tip, now that SW flights are on Google, set a Google Flights alert for your flights and they will notify you when the price fluctuates. Now that points prices are so closely aligned with cash prices, you'll be able to check anytime you see the cash price go down.

I tried that with my last set of flights but Google wasn't alerting me even though when I looked online in the morning there was a significant reduction. Not sure what the disconnect there was, but I specifically had my preferred flights on alert, I double checked that I was signed up to receive the emails, etc but Google Flights wasn't flagging my reductions.

ETA: Just added my November and April flights to give Google another chance to impress me

 

[EACarlson]

I tried that with my last set of flights but Google wasn't alerting me even though when I looked online in the morning there was a significant reduction. Not sure what the disconnect there was, but I specifically had my preferred flights on alert, I double checked that I was signed up to receive the emails, etc but Google Flights wasn't flagging my reductions.

ETA: Just added my November and April flights to give Google another chance to impress me

It worked great for my flight next month to Orlando. I set the alert in February when I booked it and got a couple of good reductions before the May change, I need my bags for this trip.

 

[pooch]

I definitely think that the days of opening day SW prices being competitive are behind us.

I book on points, so I always just grab the flight if the points are there and then monitor for reductions. I can't remember the last time I didn't get points back, often significant, relative to opening day.

My BWI-FLL flights for November I got down to half of opening day points (opened at 10k both directions, adjusted into 5k both directions), and they have since floated back up to hover near opening day levels. If I hadn't been watching every day as part of my morning coffee routine then the adjustments would have been easy to miss. They only dropped down that low for a couple of days here and there over the summer.

This is me exactly!!

 

[Lsdolphin]

I definitely think that the days of opening day SW prices being competitive are behind us.

I book on points, so I always just grab the flight if the points are there and then monitor for reductions. I can't remember the last time I didn't get points back, often significant, relative to opening day.

My BWI-FLL flights for November I got down to half of opening day points (opened at 10k both directions, adjusted into 5k both directions), and they have since floated back up to hover near opening day levels. If I hadn't been watching every day as part of my morning coffee routine then the adjustments would have been easy to miss. They only dropped down that low for a couple of days here and there over the summer.

I check everyday! I had used my points to book for Jan and March flights so don’t have enough left to use for new flights. Now I wish I had taken advantage of the 50% off offer to buy points. I did try to use a SWA gift card to pay for the points but apparently it’s not allowed.

 

[eticketplease]

I wish I had taken advantage of the 50% off offer to buy points. I did try to use a SWA gift card to pay for the points but apparently it’s not allowed.

Unfortunately no and if you had used a SW CC you would have only received 1 mile per $ since the site is run by points.com

 

[gr8ful]

For the most part that is correct.

The 100,000 points will hit on the statement you finish the required spend so if you meet the spend for XMAS Gifts and your statement hits in December then the bonus points would hit for 2025 year but if the statement date is in January the points would be posted for your 2026 year.

If you open the card today 8/22/2025 that would give you until 1/22/2026 to meet the spend.
You want to try and delay as much spend as you can until January which would give you 22 days to spend the $4,000.
If you spend any amount before January it will not count for the 2026/2027 Companion Pass.

Between 1/1/26 - 1/31/26 you will receive 10,000 Points that are only good for the Companion Pass (CP).
On January 10th you place a $4,000 purchase at the base 1x earning rate brings your total CP Point balance to 14,000.
When your statement hits you will receive the bonus 100,000 points bringing your CP Point balance to 114,000.
Based on this example you would now need 21,000 more points.

You do not have to spend $21,000 on the card to get there although you certainly could.
Flights booked with cash (whether you used the card or not) would give you points.
If you booked the flights with the SW CC you would earn 2x-4x depending on which card you have
You can also earn mile instead of shopping through rakuten or other cashback portals by using the southwest portal at rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com
The other approved partners are listed at https://mobile.southwest.com/rapid-rewards/partners/
By going through those partners and using your SW CC you would be able to double dip and spend less.

Alternatively you could also open a business card as well and meet its spending requirements which would give you 60,000 or 80,000 points depending on the card.

In the below example $6,075 was spent with the Priority Card ($229 Fee) to earn the Companion pass by 4/7/2026 that would be good for the rest of 2026 and 2027.

You would also have 126,946 points to book your flight (Remember the 10K from the CC aren't useable for booking) and then you would just need to pay taxes for you and your companion.

View attachment 995977

Thank you for laying it out so clearly. Sounds like I need to make this a priority.

The one piece I’m not clear on is how the biz card plays into this strategy. If I open both a personal and a biz card do both count toward the same 135,000 CP point requirement?

Thanks!

 

[eticketplease]

Thank you for laying it out so clearly. Sounds like I need to make this a priority.

The one piece I’m not clear on is how the biz card plays into this strategy. If I open both a personal and a biz card do both count toward the same 135,000 CP point requirement?

Thanks!

Yes.

If you open the personal card and the 100k hits in January and then you open the business card and meet that spend the 60 or 80k would hit giving you more than 135k which is what is needed for companion pass.

That would be $5k spend on personal plus either $3k or $5k depending on which business card you select.

 

[gr8ful]

Yes.

If you open the personal card and the 100k hits in January and then you open the business card and meet that spend the 60 or 80k would hit giving you more than 135k which is what is needed for companion pass.

That would be $5k spend on personal plus either $3k or $5k depending on which business card you select.

Thanks, you’re the best!