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How I lost all of my Southwest Frequent Flyer Miles

jamesdegan
Explorer C

I recently logged onto my Southwest Rapid Rewards account to book a flight for my middle son Alex and was very surprised to find all of my 140,000+ miles had been wiped out. When I called Southwest customer service, I was told that they had expired approximately 90 days prior to my call. I mentioned that I had never received a notice, email or otherwise regarding any upcoming expiration, and had I received such notice, I would have taken action to avoid the expiration. They indicated that I had opted out of Southwest email solicitations and as such would not have received notice. When I pointed out that I had not opted out of “critical communication” and as such fully expected to receive important reminders it was met with an unsympathetic response “there is nothing we can do”. We had accumulated the miles when my younger son Max was at Emory University in Atlanta and since his graduation had not flown Southwest on a regular basis. I have been a loyal Southwest customer since the 80’s and 90’s when hot-pants were in fashion and Herb & Coleen were the proud parents of a budding airline. To this day, I am a proud shareholder with 1,000+ shares in my possession. As a airline that prides itself on a loyal customer base, I find it inconceivable that there is not a reasonable solution to reinstating my Rapid Reward Points. Can someone help out hear as I would like my story to have a happy ending?

Jim E. Long Island, New York

3 REPLIES 3

Re: How I lost all of my Southwest Frequent Flyer Miles

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

I fully understand your perspective. With that said, the terms and conditions of SW RR points are clearly stated in SW’s website.

 

Since this is a passenger community, I would recommend you reaching out to Cusotmer Relations at 855-234-4654. 

 

Good luck. 

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: How I lost all of my Southwest Frequent Flyer Miles

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@jamesdegan wrote:

I recently logged onto my Southwest Rapid Rewards account to book a flight for my middle son Alex and was very surprised to find all of my 140,000+ miles had been wiped out. When I called Southwest customer service, I was told that they had expired approximately 90 days prior to my call. I mentioned that I had never received a notice, email or otherwise regarding any upcoming expiration, and had I received such notice, I would have taken action to avoid the expiration. They indicated that I had opted out of Southwest email solicitations and as such would not have received notice. When I pointed out that I had not opted out of “critical communication” and as such fully expected to receive important reminders it was met with an unsympathetic response “there is nothing we can do”. We had accumulated the miles when my younger son Max was at Emory University in Atlanta and since his graduation had not flown Southwest on a regular basis. I have been a loyal Southwest customer since the 80’s and 90’s when hot-pants were in fashion and Herb & Coleen were the proud parents of a budding airline. To this day, I am a proud shareholder with 1,000+ shares in my possession. As a airline that prides itself on a loyal customer base, I find it inconceivable that there is not a reasonable solution to reinstating my Rapid Reward Points. Can someone help out hear as I would like my story to have a happy ending?

Jim E. Long Island, New York


 

Unfortunately, you may be learning that the Southwest of days gone by is not the Southwest of today. Previously willing to bend the rules and/or make one time exceptions for loyal customers, agents now are less empowered, and at the direction of upper management play things "by the book" more often than not.

 

This is one area where there is no flexibility. Once expired (after 24 months without point-earning activity) the only exception I've heard of to get them reinstated is if you've had point-earning activity within the last 6 months that wasn't credited to your account, and can prove that.

 

Now more than ever, it's important to fully understand all the terms and conditions of every financial transaction you enter into.

The customer must be their own advocate, as even companies once thought to be customer friendly are less likely to bend the rules these days.

 

One last thought, I have read elsewhere about customers who had success having their points reinstated by contacting Southwest CEO Gary Kelly directly, via mail or email. It may be worth a try. If you go that route, you'll need to Google to find his contact information, as that's not something Southwest publishes publicly. Good luck.

Re: How I lost all of my Southwest Frequent Flyer Miles

jamesdegan
Explorer C

Thanks so much for the thoughtful and intelligent reply. Unfortunately it doesn't ease the pain of losing the miles. I may take your suggestion and reach out to Gary Kelly. Safe travels to you, hopefully on an airline that values its customer base.