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2023 Companion Pass Question

citisights
Explorer C

I have not yet reached Companion Pass status for 2023, but will by the end of the year.  I need to buy tickets for several events in 2023 and was trying to figure out if I can buy the tickets now, August 2022, and then, once I get the Companion Pass for 2023, go ahead and add my Companion.

8 REPLIES 8

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@citisights wrote:

I have not yet reached Companion Pass status for 2023, but will by the end of the year.  I need to buy tickets for several events in 2023 and was trying to figure out if I can buy the tickets now, August 2022, and then, once I get the Companion Pass for 2023, go ahead and add my Companion.


Hopefully you can maybe use points to book the companion now, then when you cancel the flight next year and substitute the companion booking you get the points back in your account.

 

If you buy the tickets now then you'll end up with travel funds in the name of the companion.

 

If you call to make the swap they can do it "simultaneously" so you should get the availability. 

 

The only way this wouldn't work is if a flight gets inadvertently overbooked by the system in some way so that when you give up the points booking there isn't a seat available right away for companion, but I think this would be very rare.

 

Good luck!

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@citisights wrote:

I have not yet reached Companion Pass status for 2023, but will by the end of the year.  I need to buy tickets for several events in 2023 and was trying to figure out if I can buy the tickets now, August 2022, and then, once I get the Companion Pass for 2023, go ahead and add my Companion.


I misread this - yes you can buy your tickets anytime, and add the companion even the same day in some cases.

 

But I also recommend if you want to buy the companion's ticket in points now to hold a spot it makes everyone more comfortable.

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

parpitt1
Frequent Flyer A

DancingDaveE is spot on with his advice. It's exactly how I book my trips in the new year prior to earning my CP.

(If flight is sold out when you can switch to the Companion Pass from a points reservation for your 2nd, I would recommend a call to Southwest directly to insure you don't "lose" the seat. Assuming you are an A-lister the phone wait is usually pretty short)

Safe Travels

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

citisights
Explorer C

Thanks, sound like that's the way I should do it.  I think it will work if I buy my wife's tickets with her points and then when I get the Companion Pass, get her ticket and then cancel her flight.  That seems like it would prevent getting shut out if there is a perfect storm and I cancel and then no tickets available for the Companion.

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

bec102896
Aviator A

@citisights wrote:

Thanks, sound like that's the way I should do it.  I think it will work if I buy my wife's tickets with her points and then when I get the Companion Pass, get her ticket and then cancel her flight.  That seems like it would prevent getting shut out if there is a perfect storm and I cancel and then no tickets available for the Companion.


Correct won’t matter who’s points you use to hold the seat until you get the companion pass. 

**if you don’t have enough points you could book the Wanna get away + fare that way the funds are transferable or book the anytime fare so you can get a refund when you cancel the seat 

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

Kazi
Explorer C

I am new to Companion but we did a similar thing earlier this year.  We booked both mine and my husbands before our CP status but after we achieved status, the flight was sold out.  I called SW to cancel and rebook as companion, but the agent said she couldn't guarantee that she could get the flight back once she cancelled it.  I wasn't totally clear why she couldn't just hold it for me after cancelling, but she said she couldn't.  So I chose not to cancel because I didn't want to lose my seat. 

 

I kept checking back and eventually seats opened up, so I did get it changed to companion by calling. 

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Kazi wrote:

I am new to Companion but we did a similar thing earlier this year.  We booked both mine and my husbands before our CP status but after we achieved status, the flight was sold out.  I called SW to cancel and rebook as companion, but the agent said she couldn't guarantee that she could get the flight back once she cancelled it.  I wasn't totally clear why she couldn't just hold it for me after cancelling, but she said she couldn't.  So I chose not to cancel because I didn't want to lose my seat. 

 

I kept checking back and eventually seats opened up, so I did get it changed to companion by calling. 


There is a split second between the cancel and the booking that it could be snatched up. Not guaranteed but highly unlikely. The the flight had somehow been overbooked and they knew you couldn't do it they would have just said "no" and stopped there.

 

It's scary to rely on this, but there is also usually a bunch of movement right at T-24 when people get their notifications and decide to start changing their plans, I've unfortunately booked companion pass the same day like that several times.

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: 2023 Companion Pass Question

MaxineWhitehurs
Explorer C

Thanks for the suggestions.

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