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Family Account / Family Points Bank

rdurrell
Explorer C

Dear Southwest,

 

Two thoughts:

 

1.) Is there any way you can combine RR Accounts into one dashboard for review and management alowing families to review RR points, past trips, future trips, and all the data currently available in the individual user RR accounts; and

 

2.) Is there any way you can create a Family Bank RR Account ("FBRRA") program that would alow families to combine points for family travel?  For example I have 40,000 points, my wife has 30,000 points and my two sons (both RR members) have 10k and 12k respecfully.  If we were to plan a trip for all four of us, under the FBRRA program, we could use the combined points for future travel as a whole family.  Also, any rewards earned from cash tickets purchased via the FBRRA program would be kept in the FBRRA program and only used for family trips.  Personal trips would not be allowed through the FBRRA program.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

 

Robert, Nicole, Alden & Quinlan!

7 REPLIES 7

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

There's currently no way to view points from multiple accounts in one view or to pool them, but that doesn't mean you can't use them for different people. A Rapid Rewards account holder can redeem their points for flights for anyone. So in a family example Mom could redeem points for her ticket and the ticket for one child while Dad uses his points for his ticket and another child. Going into more detail, if dad only had enough points for his own roundtrip and half the points required for the child's roundtrip, he could book all flights as one way, buying route A-B for himself and child, and the return B-A for just himself. Then Mom can use her points to book the remaining B-A for the child. It's pooling without officially being called pooling. If you are a few points short you can always buy them, but that's never the cheapest option.

 

Hope that helps, 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

rdurrell
Explorer C

Thank you for your reply, and while all these options are avaiable, a single 'dashboard' to view all the family's member accounts in one place would be VERY CONVENIENT from this parents perspective.  Also, I family "bank" without the transfer fees, would aslo be VERY CONVENIENT and a significant factor in choosing an Air Carrier for my family.

 

Thank you,

 

Robert

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

dfwskier
Aviator A

Since this is a customer forum, it is isn 't the best place to make a suggestion. You should contact the airline directly to do so. You can do that here:

 

https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Submitting-a-Suggestion-and-or-Complaint/ta-...

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

jksobonya
Aviator A

The Family Bank or the nicely abbreviated "FBRRA" is an interesting idea, but I have some questions as to how it would work. RR points need to be obtained by at least 2 individuals first before being "pooled" into a "Family Bank." If the points can be transferred "to" a "Family Bank", it would make sense that they could also be withdrawn back to the original account that transferred them. Also, what would qualify as "family travel"? Do 2+ people have to use the "bank" for travel at any given time? What if just the Dad wanted to travel -- can he not because he put all of his points into the "Family Bank"? Could he then transfer his points out and use under his "own" account? And if he can transfer points back out, can he transfer more than he deposited (since it's a "family bank", after all, Mom won't miss an  extra 1,000 points)? 

 

While interesting, the potential process offers more questions than answers and I don't see it working very smoothly.

 

--Jessica

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

rdurrell
Explorer C

Dear Jess, 

I take it you do not have children.  The Family Bank would be an optional enrolment.  Also, enrollment would be contingent on suppling Brith Certificates, and ONLY for familes comprised of as least one (1) adult, WITH children UNDER THE AGE of 18.  I'm sure, like most "entitlements" there are those on the other side who would try to take advantage of this program.  Rather than share your negative thoughts, why not add positive constructive comments to help achieve this goal which would be a huge help to familes.

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

gsking
Aviator C

Negative comments?  Hardly.  Jess was just being realistic about the complications of such a system.  In short, it would allow points to be shared above and beyond the existing system, and the potential for confusion and abuse is significant. 


They already allow you to purchase tickets for others using points, and they currently allow you to transfer points (for a fee).  Creating a "joint checking account" would reduce the fees from the latter, and allow people to freely spend other's points.  I can see why SWA wouldn't appreciate either situation.

Re: Family Account / Family Points Bank

jksobonya
Aviator A

@rdurrell wrote:

Dear Jess, 

I take it you do not have children.  The Family Bank would be an optional enrolment.  Also, enrollment would be contingent on suppling Brith Certificates, and ONLY for familes comprised of as least one (1) adult, WITH children UNDER THE AGE of 18.  I'm sure, like most "entitlements" there are those on the other side who would try to take advantage of this program.  Rather than share your negative thoughts, why not add positive constructive comments to help achieve this goal which would be a huge help to familes.


Interesting - these details about needing birth certificates to apply and needing children under the age of 18 were left out of your original post. In your original post, you said that both of your sons have over 10K RR points each, so that must make them over 18. Unless you have other children, you would be disqualified from joining your own program!

 

My thoughts aren't meant to be negative, but realistic. As @gsking mentioned, if you have enough RR points yourself, you can purchase tickets on behalf of someone else, and you can transfer RR points from one account to another as well. So if you wanted, your sons could transfer their points to you and then you could have one giant pool of your families points and redeem all your tickets from your account. 

 

So, in a way, what you are looking to do already exists, there are just a few other steps needed to implement it and have all of your families points under one account. 

 

--Jessica