Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

Pabloblanco
Explorer C

I saved 94,000 points, it took me about 10 years.  When I realized that they were going to be lost I got a Southwest card and started to accrue points.  However, even though I was accruing points which is what the customer service person told me I needed to do they did not tell me that the points needed to be POSTED before the deadline.  I missed the deadline by one week.

 

Most other programs allow one to get the points back by paying a small fee, not Southwest.  

 

Southwest was particularly uncaring when I spoke to supervisors about this.  They almost sounded gleeful about my predicament.

 

So far I've spoken with other friends who lost points in a similar manner.  

9 REPLIES 9

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Southwest only began using the points-based system in 2011. 😉

 

Unfortunately, as you've learned, despite Southwest advertising that "points don't expire," they actually do.

 

You need point earning activity once every two years in order to keep your account active and points alive.

 

Once expired, the only way to get them back is if you can prove that you had paid travel on Southwest in the last year but didn't earn points from it.

 

For anyone wondering how to keep an account alive, the quickest way is also the most expensive -- buying points form Southwest. Those usually post fairly quickly -- a few days at most.

 

The cheapest way is to use Rapid Rewards Shopping to make a purchase. Something as small as an iTunes song can qualify. Those points however, can take 6-8 weeks to post.

 

 

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

Pabloblanco
Explorer C

Thank you for pointing it out.  I finally found out the solutions to keeping points as you suggested but after the fact.  However the representative I spoke with about keeping points  when I got a new card did not mention that the points I was accruing needed to post before I would lose my existing points and they did not offer the other options.  A suggestion for Southwest would be for them to clearly indicate the expiration of points in the account page with links to solutions for saving expiring points.  It is difficult to find this info.  They could also have given my points back based on the circumstances.  As I said, the supervisor I spoke with almost sounded gleeful that I lost the points.

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

73
Explorer C

Since i'm not the only person who has lost rapid reward points - over a simple oversight, simply due to the crazy busy schedule of hard working people, it would seem very business intelligence of southwest management to have a mechanism for people to reinstate reward points to keep customers loyal vs polite service represenatives simply stating there is nothing we can do.  Even if its a option to the customer to pay a small fee as a option or sending an alert that while there has been recinent activity your rewards card please not that the point will not be creditied in time to keep your current balance active.  I'm very disappointed with no other options associated when may other airlines do reconcile.

 

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

victorjunlu
Explorer C

 

 

Southwest.com seems to have many fine prints that will get you one way or the other...

 

If only I have seen your post earlier, I would have never bothered saving southwest airline miles.   I have not yet found another frequent flyer program as bad as southwest.

Unless I live close to an airport where I can only travel southwest, my miles will be safer with any other program.   Like to hear any good experience with RapidRewards.

If there is any....  

 

 

My Southwest Experience:

1.) You have to Spend money to keep account active

2.)  Southwest website is confusing and "last Activity" in the 6 months did not stop

      my air miles from becoming  zero.

3.) No way to get the miles back, not even if I want to pay a fee

4.) There is no flexibility even if I proved that the fault was southwest.com

 

Delta - Miles Never Expire.

United - Can keep status Active by using miles, allow reactivate miles by paying a fee

American - Can keep status Active by using miles, allow reactivate miles by paying a fee

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

jakez
Explorer A

@Pabloblanco Just to reinforce your situation here is aonther example, I also lost my points and proved to southwest that they did not give me credit for a qualifying car rental that would have kept my points in good standing and they still would not reinstate my points. 

 

I feel your Pain... I am leaning twards any other airline at tis point.  Hope you get some resolve. 

 

 

 

 

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

Pabloblanco
Explorer C

I got a new Southwest card and plan on getting another when my two years are up to get the promotional miles.  They are the worst regarding loss of points.  Most if not all other airlines have a reinstatement/forgiveness program.  If you get the promotional miles you can cancel the card and I think get back the yearly fee within three months, then wait two years and get another promotion.  Might be a strategy to get even.

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

jakez
Explorer A

I hope everything works out for you.  

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

RandyJacobs
Explorer C

So sorry for your loss of points. Southwest Cancelled my many points also. I went through a period in my life where I did not travel much. And, they cancelled my points without any warning. In the past, I always have liked Southwest, but now I have bad feelings when I think about Southwest. I will only use SW if absolutely necessary. I now see the greed behind the fake smiles. All the nice smiley people working for them will not change the fact that they greedily stoled my hard earned points without a warning.

Re: Lost Rapid Rewards points. Southwest wouldn't make reparations

dfwskier
Aviator A

You do realze that until very recently EVERY airline except Delta deleted fliers points after some period of account inactivity - typically somewhere between 6 months and 2 years. That changed fo r both Southwest and United within the last 6 months. Now they don't delet e points when accounts are inactive. American still does.

 

The rules about point deletion were not a secret. They were published. In all things in life one must pay attention to terms and conditions - that applies to airline frequent flyer programs too.