I wrote to SWA re this issue and received the same rationale noted above, that using drink coupons for Monsters gets in the way of evaluating popularity. Now that you've had a few months to make the assessment, what say you SWA?
With others who've written I agree that the only way this policy makes sense is if (1) SWA pays more for Monsters than for alcohol; (2) tickets now go unused by those of us who need to arrive alert (most business travelers); or (3) related to #2, Monsters were enormously more popular among drink coupon users than alcohol, resulting in increased coupon redemption rates (and restocking costs for Monsters) and no corresponding increase in revenues. My guess is that all 3 of these factors apply.
Considering these coupons are perks for those of us who pay premium fares or fly SWA often, this is a horrible customer relations decision. Feeling the love?
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