Southwest Rapid Rewards - Can a companion pass member board mid-way

I have seen an old thread about it which is 2 years old and am not sure of the current policy and hence asking the experts here:

I am booking a ticket from MSY-LAX with a stop at HOU. I need my wife who is in Houston(companion pass holder) to board in HOU-LAX. In the return trip(LAX-HOU), she drops off at HOU airport while I continue my journey to MSY.

1) Is this possible?
2) If possible, is she permitted to enter the HOU airport with a boarding pass (originating in MSY)

This would be a paid trip (and not using my points). I would have asked her to travel to MSY from HOU by car to avoid trouble, but she cannot drive for 6 hours(due to health reasons)

If you miss any part of an itinerary the entire itinerary is cancelled. You can't book on the same itinerary unless the routing is identical

You could book yourself two itineraries (MSY-HOU and HOU-LAX, both round trips) and have her companion with you HOU-LAX-HOU. Your split trip would cost more than the original MSY-LAX, I'm sure, but depending on what you will pay for her HOU-LAX-HOU ticket, it could work out financially to get her ticket for free.

Due to logistics, I sometimes meet my wife where she is and fly home with her as her companion -- using companion status only one way.

I have seen an old thread about it which is 2 years old and am not sure of the current policy and hence asking the experts here:

I am booking a ticket from MSY-LAX with a stop at HOU. I need my wife who is in Houston(companion pass holder) to board in HOU-LAX. In the return trip(LAX-HOU), she drops off at HOU airport while I continue my journey to MSY.

1) Is this possible?
2) If possible, is she permitted to enter the HOU airport with a boarding pass (originating in MSY)

This would be a paid trip (and not using my points). I would have asked her to travel to MSY from HOU by car to avoid trouble, but she cannot drive for 6 hours(due to health reasons)

No. Easiest way to do this is book MSY-HOU as a one way and HOU-LAX as a one way. I had to do this with my wife once and the only solution was to split the flight into two one way flights.

No. Easiest way to do this is book MSY-HOU as a one way and HOU-LAX as a one way. I had to do this with my wife once and the only solution was to split the flight into two one way flights.


Thank you. I will do the split as you mentioned. However, on the return trip can she be on LAX-HOU-MSY and just drop off at HOU, while I continue until MSY.

(My company would pay the trip if starting or ending point is MSY...hence my greediness)

The return is no problem -- she just gets off the plane at HOU.

On the outbound, you can book the two separate legs (MSY-HOU, HOU-LAX). You could also pay to fly her HOU-MSY first if that was cheaper than the increase in cost of booking the two separate legs (and the time/hassle is not an issue).

However, on the return trip can she be on LAX-HOU-MSY and just drop off at HOU, while I continue until MSY.


Yep that'll work. Just talk to the gate folks and cancel her reservation so they don't go looking for her.

Another route that might work (I haven't tried this since the new system came on last year) is book MSY-HOU-LAX and call in to add her for the HOU-LAX leg. I think if you have a plane change, they can book it. Pre-RR 2.0, I did this several times, never had an issue picking someone up mid-itin.

If you miss any part of an itinerary the entire itinerary is cancelled.

I do not believe this is true on WN. Within the past 30 days I was a no show on the outbound of a R/T originally purchased with the 25% discount code offered in March. The return flight was not cancelled — I flew it. And within another 24 hours, I had travel funds available for the unused outbound portion of the itinerary.

Now, if you are ticketed A —> B —> C (a one way with a connection or stop at "B"), you cannot skip the first leg and pick up the second leg.

How would the best way be to book my husband on only my return trip as a companion. I am flying for business and had to book through my company's website. My husband can only join me later in the week so we got him a flight to meet me, but I want him to fly back with me as a companion. Can I just add him as a companion on my round trip, or will they cancel him when he is not there for my outbound flight? Would it be easier to call and break my round trip into two reservations (since it was not booked through WN, I have to call for any changes :( ) and add him only to the return segment?

No. Easiest way to do this is book MSY-HOU as a one way and HOU-LAX as a one way. I had to do this with my wife once and the only solution was to split the flight into two one way flights.

What happens though if the OP's MSY-HOU has an IROPs situation and he misses the connection and the HOU-LAX segment goes as planned? If it's a through flight it wouldn't be an issue, but if he is connecting wouldn't the OP have to be there with his wife for her to get on the plane.

If luggage is involved the OP would also have to claim his bag at HOU and recheck it.

How would the best way be to book my husband on only my return trip as a companion. I am flying for business and had to book through my company's website. My husband can only join me later in the week so we got him a flight to meet me, but I want him to fly back with me as a companion. Can I just add him as a companion on my round trip, or will they cancel him when he is not there for my outbound flight? Would it be easier to call and break my round trip into two reservations (since it was not booked through WN, I have to call for any changes :( ) and add him only to the return segment?

You have three options:

a) Call WN and have them book the inbound CP ticket (you can't book just an outbound or inbound leg over the website if the CP holder's ticket is a RT anyway...)

b) Break the RT into two OW's and then you'd have access to add him as a companion just on the outbound.

c) Wait until you've already flown the outbound, then you could add the inbound.

Either way, if you didn't make the reservation on-line with WN, you're probably going to have to call in for any CP stuff anyway. Not really sure if you can make an on-line CP reservation for a CP holder's ticket that was booked manually by WN staff or a third party.

What happens though if the OP's MSY-HOU has an IROPs situation and he misses the connection and the HOU-LAX segment goes as planned? If it's a through flight it wouldn't be an issue, but if he is connecting wouldn't the OP have to be there with his wife for her to get on the plane.

If luggage is involved the OP would also have to claim his bag at HOU and recheck it.
In my experience SW will check a bag through to final destination, even if you booked each leg separately.

By any chance do you have more RR 2.0 points than you know what to do with? Booking her on points is also an option if that's the case.

By any chance do you have more RR 2.0 points than you know what to do with? Booking her on points is also an option if that's the case.

Yes, I do have points but was hoping to not use them. Points are my last resort.

I have been successful adding my CP holder on only a portion of my flight. I call the SWA Rapid Rewards numbrr and have agent manually book only the portion of the flight needed. For example when i was flying LIT-HOU-PHX my CP boarded at HOU for the HOU -PHX portion with no problem. I always book one ways for ease of change if needing to rebook.

I booked A-B-C and picked up companion in B-C last month. I had to get the airport to book only the last piece (B-C) for companion. Phone rep did not want or did not know how to do it. Anytime I ask at airport, they will do it, but they may want to see he CP card.

I booked A-B-C and picked up companion in B-C last month. I had to get the airport to book only the last piece (B-C) for companion. Phone rep did not want or did not know how to do it. Anytime I ask at airport, they will do it, but they may want to see he CP card.

That's good to know. I have seen some A-B-C custom connections for which the CP booking software nothing but erroneous "sold out" error messages. Presumably this is because the CP booking software doesn't share a common foundation with the paid ticket or standard award reservation software. The reason doesn't really matter since even ftnoob can't fix this particular problem from the user side.

It's good to hear that the airport people can add the companion if the flights are not sold out.