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Rapid Rewards Changes!

franktravel
Aviator B

From SWA! 

 

"Beginning today, there will be some changes in the cost of using Rapid Rewards Points to purchase tickets at Southwest. On average, it will cost slightly more, about 6 percent more, to travel using a Wanna Get Away fare and quite a bit less, 35 percent less, in the Business Select fare, and 22 percent less for an Anytime fare.  

 

It’s our hope that the updates to our Rapid Rewards program will make it more attractive for you to redeem the fare type that fits your travel needs. It will also make redemptions more affordable when you are booking close to your departure date and Wanna Get Away® fares are sold out.

 

We’re making it even more affordable to use your points to fly on Business Select or Anytime fares. If you choose to redeem your Rapid Rewards® points for a Business Select ticket, you’ll be among the first to board your flight and receive a complimentary premium drink. Not to mention the option to use Fly By Priority Lane access.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The key tenets of our program—no blackout dates, every seat is an award seat, and points that don’t expire—are completely unaffected by these changes. So take advantage of the opportunities this opens up.

 

We appreciate you and look forward to seeing you onboard very soon! Visit Southwest.com to book your next trip."

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Rapid Rewards Changes!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Sigh. Another devaluation. 😞

 

And I do wish Southwest would stop advertising that "points don't expire," when it's not true.

Re: Rapid Rewards Changes!

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@franktravel wrote:

From SWA! 

 

"Beginning today, there will be some changes in the cost of using Rapid Rewards Points to purchase tickets at Southwest. On average, it will cost slightly more, about 6 percent more, to travel using a Wanna Get Away fare and quite a bit less, 35 percent less, in the Business Select fare, and 22 percent less for an Anytime fare.  

 

It’s our hope that the updates to our Rapid Rewards program will make it more attractive for you to redeem the fare type that fits your travel needs. It will also make redemptions more affordable when you are booking close to your departure date and Wanna Get Away® fares are sold out.

 

We’re making it even more affordable to use your points to fly on Business Select or Anytime fares. If you choose to redeem your Rapid Rewards® points for a Business Select ticket, you’ll be among the first to board your flight and receive a complimentary premium drink. Not to mention the option to use Fly By Priority Lane access.

 

 


That's too bad, I would pretty rarely be using points for Anytime or Business Select flights except in case of emergency. If I did have to, then I would pay cash for it to get the 12x points.

 

My daughter turns two in a few weeks, so we'll be burning through points a little faster starting in May, I guess make it an extra 6% faster.

 

This will be nice for anyone that was booking those refundable fares with points though, that's a huge reduction for them. Can't be that many people though?

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Rapid Rewards Changes!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

I can't imagine anyone ever booked AT or BS fares using points unless they had too.

 

Unfortunately, to me, this change suggests that those times you "have to" will be on the increase. (No WGA fares available.)