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Companion Pass holder missing flight

MusicCityTiger
Explorer A

What happens if I am flying as a companion, and the Companion Pass holder misses the flight (traffic, long security, etc..)?  Do I have to "miss" the flight too and not get on?  We use CP a lot for business trips, and would hate for both of us to miss a flight (and subsequent meeting) if only one of us can't make the gate in time for any reason.

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Companion Pass holder missing flight

DancingDavidE
Aviator A
Solution

@MusicCityTiger wrote:

What happens if I am flying as a companion, and the Companion Pass holder misses the flight (traffic, long security, etc..)?  Do I have to "miss" the flight too and not get on?  We use CP a lot for business trips, and would hate for both of us to miss a flight (and subsequent meeting) if only one of us can't make the gate in time for any reason.


It is against the terms for the companion ticket to fly using the pass without the CP holder, although the terms may have been updated slightly - it says that you'd have to pay for the ticket, which in many cases would be at the current pricing as a Business Select fare:

 

https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/faqs.html?topic=rapid_rewards_program_terms_and_cond...

 

The Member must first book and purchase his/her flight in cash or points through Southwest Airlines and then book the Companion's flight through Southwest Airlines by choosing the Rapid Rewards Companion Pass booking option on Southwest.com, or if calling our toll-free reservations number at 1-800-248-4377, notifying the Customer Representative that a Rapid Rewards Companion Pass will be used. Both the Member and the Companion must be booked on the same flights and dates. If the Member’s ticket is cancelled, the Companion’s ticket will also be cancelled. If the Member changes his/her ticket, the Member must also change the Companion’s ticket to match the Member’s ticket changes or the Companion’s ticket will be cancelled. If the Companion is not traveling with the Member, the Companion will be required to pay for his/her ticket. The Member and the Companion must check in together and, if asked, present the Companion Pass card at the Southwest Airlines' Ticket Counter, Skycap podium, or Departure Gate in order for the Companion to travel. Valid photo identification for both Member and the Companion is required. The Member and the Companion must board with their assigned group(s). For A-List and A-List Preferred Members who have also qualified for a Companion Pass, reserved boarding privileges will not be provided to the Companion unless the Companion is also an A-List or A-List Preferred Member.

 

When the pass holder failed to show at the gate, then the intention of the program would be that the companion would also have to re-book.

 

Tricky part: if the CP holder then ends up on a standby list, you can't add a companion until the ticket is confirmed, and if there are seats available, and has to be ten minutes prior to departure.

 

My advice if this were to be a very likely scenario would be to book separately if you really wanted half of the duo to go on with the other.

 

We did have this once where my wife and I were meeting from separate origins at PHL and my flight was delayed into PHL, she was upfront with the crew that the CP holder was on the way and it ended up working but I'm not sure if they would have made her get off thet plane or not had I not made it. (That whole adventure might be the subject of a blog/story on here someday, quite the action packed few hours. With a happy ending, I made it!)

 

 

 

 

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

Re: Companion Pass holder missing flight

MusicCityTiger
Explorer A

Yeah, I can see that, and have no problem paying for the ticket.  I find this part of the "rules" funny though:

 

The Member and the Companion must check in together and, if asked, present the Companion Pass card at the Southwest Airlines' Ticket Counter, Skycap podium, or Departure Gate in order for the Companion to travel.

 

I have seen that enforced, oh like.... NEVER.  We check in seperate, on-line, never show up together or go through bag check or security together. We use mobile boarding passes on our phones and have never once been questioned by anyone about who was a companion or not. As long as we had boarding passes it was as if we had both purchased our own tickets.

Re: Companion Pass holder missing flight

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@MusicCityTiger wrote:

I have seen that enforced, oh like.... NEVER.  We check in seperate, on-line, never show up together or go through bag check or security together.


Very true, there's no appearance that the two reservations are linked together so no issue doing all these things separately. There only problem would be when they finalize boarding and see the companion boarded while the companion pass holder did not. I've seen people asked to get off the plane in that situation. As it's a lasted minute thing it was unclear if they were offered the opportunity to purchase their own ticket or just took another flight.

 

--TheMiddleSeat