The thing to keep in mind is that not all RR points are equal. There are just regular RR points that you may acquire but don't count toward tier or companion pass, then there are companion pass qualifying points (CPQPs) which count towrad the companion pass, and finally tier-qualifying points (TQPs), which generally count toward both tier and companion pass. If you are closer to CP than to ALP, you are earning CPQPs faster than TQPs. That's easy to do if you signed up for a Rapid Rewards credit card this year and received a large bonus, or already have the card and have been spending money on it. Points from the creedit card are CPQPs but not TQPs, so they'll propel you towrd CP but not tier status.
... View more
This is definitely possible as others have said. Companion Pass bookings are not capacity controlled, so as long as there is a seat available, you can book it. The only risk is if the flight is 100% full and someone else happens to book your wife's seat between the time you cancel her award ticket and finalize the companion booking. To mitigate this risk, open 2 browser tabs and have the CP booking all ready to go in one. Cancel the award ticket in the other tab, hen immediately switch back over and click to finalize the CP booking and it is unlikely anything would go wrong. And if the flight isn't full, this is moot and there's nothing to worry about. That said, SWA can always help you do this over the phone as well, which is probably the safest way to get it done.
... View more