Use Your Southwest Companion Pass To Get Top Status With Other Airlines

The Southwest Companion Pass is almost certainly one of the greatest airline perks around – the benefit that allows the pass holder to designate another person to fly free (excluding the taxes) with them on all flights. But, you can also leverage this Pass for actual elite status with other airlines as well! Here is what you need to know.

Use Your Southwest Companion Pass to Get Top Status With Other Airlines

Matching Elite Status to Other Airlines

Most airlines that extend an offer to match elite status actually offer challenges with the status. That means that you demonstrate to a particular airline that you hold comparable status with another airline and they will give you the status for 3 months and allow you to hold it for a longer period if you meet a reduced amount of miles flying before that period ends.

With many airlines, the Southwest Companion Pass does not count for this matching. That is because it is actually not an elite status. But, there are a couple of airlines that will match it and you may be able to use those statuses to match to other airlines for more airline status. Think of it as airline status dominoes!

Match Southwest Companion Pass For Other Elite Status

Match Southwest Companion Pass to JetBlue Mosaic

First of all, you can match it to JetBlue’s Mosaic status. This status match/challenge ends today so definitely get this done if this is of interest to you! You can find out more about that status and the match in this post here.

Match Southwest Companion Pass to Alaska Air MVP Gold 75K

Link: Match to Alaska Air MVP Gold 75K

This is a great one as Alaska is an airline that actually gives you status outright when matched! In fact, if you wait until October, you will be able to have the Alaska Air status for the rest of 2017 and 2018 (if they do it as they have done it the last few years).

Now, this is one that is advertised by Alaska Air as a direct match from the Southwest Companion Pass to Alaska Air MVP Gold 75K, their highest status! Here is what you need for this match (e-mail it all to elite.flyer@alaskaair.com):

• A copy of the front and back of your physical elite membership card, showing your current tier and the expiration date, or a screenshot of your digital elite membership card
• A screenshot of your online elite account showing your name, current status, and your year-to-date miles flown
• Your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number

There are many data points on this one, both positive and negative, for people who try to match from a Companion Pass earned with credit card bonuses. The requirement says “year-to-date miles flown” and may not approve if they do not believe you have flown that much.

However, I have many people I know who were matched to Alaska Air MVP Gold 75K from a Southwest Companion Pass earned with credit card bonuses. This is a once-per-lifetime match so choose carefully but there is nothing else to lose by not trying to match! There are some great things about this status (read more in this post).

Now, if you earned the Southwest Companion Pass by actually flying, you will have no problem at all!

Plating Elite Status Dominoes

This next part is kind of hit or miss and can depend on various things (miles flown, trips booked, etc). I know people who have done this kind of daisy chain matching so it is worth looking at but keep in mind that it may or may not work as airlines can look for proof of earning the status.

Match to Delta

If you receive a successful match now and meet the challenge requirements, you will have Delta Platinum status through 2018! Check out this page to get started, submit your Alaska Air MVP Gold 75K proof and you will have Platinum status for 3 months, if you are approved.

To keep Delta Platinum status, you need to fly 18,750 miles in 90 days. You can only status match once every 3 years.

Match to United

You can also try to match to United Airlines. If approved, you will have 90 days to hit 18,000 miles on United flights to retain Premier Platinum status through 2018. You can only apply for a status match once every 5 years.

To see what is required, check out this page to get started.

Takeaway

Elite status matches can be a great way to get a glimpse of what that status may offer you with that airline and with that particular alliance. But, to get high status in a match requires similarly high status with another airline. If you can roll your Southwest Companion Pass through in the above order, it will give you a shot at experiencing what these airlines offer their elites if you want to become more focused on a particular airline.

Also, you will be able to receive some valuable perks with status that high like upgrades, lounge access (when traveling internationally or on international itineraries) and more.

It all depends on what Alaska does with your Southwest Companion Pass. Like I said, I have known many people who were approved so it could be worth a try. Pretty awesome that you could get top elite status just by having received 2 credit card bonuses (with the Southwest Companion Pass). At the very least, you can pick up JetBlue Mosaic today with Southwest Companion Pass!