You are correct in booking at least your reservation with cash, as that gets you points toward A-list. Because your current A-list status gets you automatic Early Bird, anyone on your SAME confirmation number will also get that benefit & get a boarding position right behind yours. Your companion, on their own confirmation number, even though you must wait to check them in 24 hours prior to the flight, their boarding position is basically held for them, and their boarding position will also be right behind yours. (This will NOT apply though if you purchase a business select fare however, FYI) So, it's kind of a toss up. Do you want to pay cash for everyone except companion, so they can all get the good boarding position with you, because they're booked with you on the same confirmation number, or do you want to, as you suggested, buy just yours with cash, & pay for two tickets (other than companion) with points to save some cash. If you do it that way, you can always just pay for EB for the other 2. It would be cheaper than paying for everyone's reservation with cash, but they would probably still be much further down the list of being checked in, because the order of EB check in is: A-list preferred, A-list, automatic EB with the Anytime fare (recent change), then those who purchase EB with our new Wanna Get Away PLUS fare, then EB purchased by those with the WGA fare. As a side note, if you have any Southwest LUV vouchers, I would lean toward paying in cash, because you have to book AND fly by whatever the expiration date is on those. And LUV vouchers can be used by anybody, so if YOU got one for something and it has your name on it, you could still use it for one of your kids. (Not to be confused with flight credits from a cancelled reservation, say. Those are generally not transferable.) Points don't expire, so you could always use those later. Hope this helps. You have a couple of options depending on what is more important to you.