Southwest Airlines has brought back its free Mini Companion Pass promotion for the fifth consecutive year. It’s become a late-summer tradition for the airline, and while the terms have shifted over time, the 2025 version looks a lot like the original offers we saw in 2021 and 2022.
Past Companion Pass Offers
Here are the details of the 2021 offer:
And here’s the almost identical 2022 offer:
The 2023 promotion looked the same, but with one big catch — instead of having until November to complete your flights, you had to travel by the end of September:
In 2024, Southwest relaxed its policies again, extending the travel window until November and even allowing points bookings to qualify.
The 2025 offer builds upon these improvements and goes a step further, with redemption reservations and Cash + Points bookings now officially eligible. That makes this year’s version the most flexible mini Companion Pass promo we’ve seen so far.
2025 Companion Pass Offer
- Register for the promotion.
- Purchase a qualifying round trip or two qualifying one-way flights between 8/25–8/28/2025. Basic fares are not qualifying flights for this promotion.
- Travel by 11/15/2025.
- Your companion flies free with you from 1/6/2026 to 3/6/2026.
As in past years, the travel window for using the mini Companion Pass is short — just after New Year’s through early March — but it can cover popular winter getaways when fares aren’t always cheap.
What these promos usually have in common
- A very limited midweek booking window (just a few days).
- You must register first, then book one round trip or two one-way flights.
- Validity typically runs from the week after New Year’s to early March.
- Only new bookings made after registration count.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, the full-year Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks in domestic travel. A designated companion flies with you on any Southwest flight by just paying taxes and fees. Normally, it takes significant flying/spending to earn; these late-summer promos create a much easier, “mini” version.
Final Thought
A lot has changed at Southwest — from operations and partnerships to how some customers view the airline. But one thing that seems to be sticking around, at least for now, is these mini Companion Pass promos.
I’ve always felt they’re best for travelers who were already planning to fly Southwest twice before Thanksgiving and can line up a trip early the next year. If that’s you, this can be a terrific way to stretch your travel budget.
When Southwest tightened the rules in 2023, I wondered if the promo was on its way out. However, it returned in 2024 and again in 2025 with friendlier terms, suggesting it remains part of Southwest’s playbook — whether as a customer-friendly perk or a tool to spur bookings in a competitive market. Either way, if you can make the timing work, it’s worth taking advantage of.
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