Can companion pass be used for travel after its expiration?
 

Hi,

Need advice from my fellow companion pass holder.

My companion membership expires at the end of the year (2016).

I was looking to book the following:

Depart: LAX - CUN (12/28)

Return: CUN - LAX (1/3)

If I make the booking now, is my partner able to fly free under the program or is it based on the flight dates? If it was based on flight date, I assumed my partner can fly free on the Depart flight and have to pay on the return?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

flights need to be completed by end of year

If you have not reached Companion Pass in 2016 for 2017, you campaign will not be eligible to fly on your CP on 1/3/17 even though you can book it now. System does not know if you will maintain CP for next year...but your CP fight on 1/317 will probably get canned if you do not reach CP by 12/31/16

Asked over and over and over again. Why do you think you can use your CP after its expiration date?

If your CP expires at the end of 2016, hurry up and book tons of flights in 2017 and add your companion for free!!

There does seem to be a small grace peroid at least for A-List and A-List preferred. I have flown on January 1 and 2 and recieved A-List benefits which were more than I was technically entitled to. I'm not sure how it works. I think it may be when your boarding position is assigned before the end of the year. The same thing may apply to CP. I'm pretty sure January 3 is too late.

I'd be interested in other's experiances.

Essentially the same as yours.

As best as I can recall, it seems like there was historically a bit more "slack" in truing-up the A/A+ status from old year to new than what has been reported with CP EOW expiration.

Given that for the most part CP bookings occur in-advance of the travel date(s) and that EOW is typically busy, SWA's automation also seemed pretty much on-point when it comes to booking a Companion year-end/year-beginning overlap.... all SWA IT jokes temporarily aside for the moment :rolleyes:

There was a period a few years back (prior to the FL assimilation) where the EOW resetting of RR accounts took several days and was often quite messy. As best as my old memory can recall, the past couple of years have been pretty uneventful in that regard (relatively speaking).

I don't know if this is the right place for this question, but I didn't find anywhere better and it didn't seem worthy of a new thread.

If someone's companion pass expires on 12/31/19, and they book a flight for that day (say, to return from an Xmas vacation) with the companion, and the flight is delayed/canceled and has to be taken on 1/1/20 (or later), will the CP be honored on the rescheduled flight, or will the companion have to pay for their own ticket?

IME, GAs are very forgiving and creative re CP during IRROPS. No guarantees, of course, but I suspect you won't have an issue.

I would agree... you booked an eligible flight that did not happen, so they still owe you a way home. They will take care of you... assuming you do not ask to fly a few days later - LOL!

If the flight is cancelled due to IROPS and protected via waiver, Southwest's reaccommodation policy should apply, which allows travel within up to 14 days of the originally scheduled date.