How do buy-one, get-one flights this fall sound? If you're interested in that, there's a brand new chance to try out the Southwest Companion Pass – but it's not the exact same old promotion, because we're no longer dealing with the same old Southwest.

Still, the promotion is very similar ones Southwest has ran in the past, and can be quite valuable if your travel plans align: Book just one roundtrip Southwest flight (or two one-ways) and you'll unlock free buy-one, get-one flights for two full months this fall. 

To do so, you need to register and book those flights by Friday, June 27. You don't need to take those flights right away to earn the Companion Pass, but you do need to register and book before the deadline.

Here's how it works:

  1. Register for this promotion and purchase a roundtrip flight (or two one-way trips) with Southwest by the end of the day Friday, June 27 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
    • It needs to be a paid Southwest ticket to qualify for the promotional Companion Pass – not a Rapid Rewards award ticket using points.
  2. Make sure you book flights that depart and land by Aug. 31 to earn this promotional Companion Pass. 
  3. After you do, you'll earn a Companion Pass and bring a friend for free (plus taxes and fees, which start at just $5.60 for a one-way domestic flight) with you on any and all Southwest flights you take from Sep. 8 to Nov. 15, 2025. 

That's right: Buy and take just one roundtrip Southwest flight, and you'll get a free Companion Pass for two months.

 

Southwest Companion Pass promotion page

 

However, there's an important and annoying new caveat to these fares that you can see in the fine print below the “Register Now” button. This Southwest Companion Pass promotion is not valid when you book Southwest's stingy new Basic fares. That means, you'll have to secure a Southwest Wanna Get Away Plus fare or higher to be eligible for the promotion and to fly with a companion after you earn the pass. 

This is the latest negative change from Southwest in what has been an avalanche of bad news over the past year. Southwest made waves by killing off its marquee free luggage policy – and its entire brand identity along with it – and then announced it would introduce the basic economy fares, too. Earlier in the year, Southwest announced some new extra legroom seats that will be installed on planes in the future, as well as assigned seating on all flights starting this fall.

It's a new (largely worse) world for Southwest, so it came as no surprise this promotion also got slightly more expensive for travelers to use. 

That said, the Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in the world of travel, period. Depending on when and how you earn it, you can get nearly two years of BOGO flights. But earning the full Companion Pass typically requires either a ton of flying or earning a more than 130,000 points with Southwest credit cards.

With this promotion, though, you don't have to sign-up for any cards at all. Just book and take two one-way Southwest flights (or one roundtrip) and you get nearly two months of BOGO flights. Depending on how often you're able to put this pass to use in that two-month span, you could squeeze a ton of value out of it.

Here are the full details:

  • It's good on every Southwest flight you book for yourself and a companion (except for Basic fares) from Sep. 8 to Nov. 15. 
  • You could book BOGO flights to almost anywhere in the U.S., including Hawaii! Southwest also flies to Mexico, Central America, and throughout the Caribbean.
  • Southwest will allow you to change your companion up to three times during the promotional period, which means you could get BOGO flights for yourself and up to three buddies late this summer and early fall. 
  • While you need to book a paid cash flight to earn this Companion Pass, once you get your promotional Companion Pass, you can use it for BOGO flights even when redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points to fly two for (nearly) free during the promotional period!
  • Check the full terms and conditions.

Read our full guide to earning and using the Southwest Companion Pass!

 

Bottom Line

While you can't earn it (or use it) on Southwest's cheapest Basic fares, this promotion can still be a valuable tool for travelers who want to test drive the airline's famous Companion Pass this fall. 

If you've got travel plans for this fall or winter, don't pass this up. But be sure to register now and book a flight for this summer by the deadline: 11:59 p.m. CST Friday, June 27.