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FAQ on The All-New Rapid Rewards

rgreen1
Employee
Employee

Yesterday, we launched our long-awaited Rapid Rewards program. With any implementation of this magnitude, there are bound to be some issues. While we are very proud of the All-New Rapid Rewards, we know that many of you were affected by our system problems, and we would like to take a moment to apologize if you have been inconvenienced. Please know that we have been focused on your needs and your questions. As a matter of fact, we’d like to answer a few of those common questions here. In addition, we’ve created a brief video to give you an overview of what your account now looks like on southwest.com and how to find some of the information that you care about the most. Question: I know I had credits in my account before the launch of the new program, why does my account say I have 0 points? Answer: In the new program, your existing credits are safe and secure. You will still be able to use existing credits by converting points earned in the new program into credits from the old program (1,200 points = 1 credit) to reach 16 credits (enough for a Standard Award). Until you have flown in the new system or used a Rapid Rewards Partner, you will show 0 points. Please be patient as we work on loading all of your points earned since March 1 into our new system. Question: Where can I access my old Credits and/or Awards? Answer: Once you have logged into your Rapid Rewards account, look for the blue account bar on the right side of the screen underneath your name and Member number. You will see the following options: My Travel, My Cart, My Rapid Rewards, and My Travel Guide. Click on “My Rapid Rewards,” and “Credit & Award Status” will display at the bottom of the expanded window. Click on “What Happened to my Credits,” “What Happened to my Awards,” or “What Happened to my Credits and Awards” to take you to the page showing your Credit and/or Award information. The bar diagram will show you how many existing credits you have and how many points are needed to earn a free flight award. If you have Awards from the old Program, scroll down a bit from the bar diagram and click “Go” under “What About My Awards.” On the next page you will see your old Awards and are able to book them by clicking “Book Now” in the green shaded area. Question: Can my Standard Awards from the old program be used to book any seat on any flight? Answer: All of the rules for the old program, including applicable seat restrictions and blackout dates, apply to your remaining Credits and Awards. When you use your points to book a reward under the new program, you will enjoy the benefits of being able to book any seat, on any flight, any day. Question: I was close to earning A-List or Companion Pass Status based on the rolling year, but in my account information, it looks like it restarted at the beginning of the calendar year. Why is that? Answer: With the All-New Rapid Rewards, we are moving to a calendar year for earning status in the program. However, to honor our commitment to you from the old program, you may earn A-List or Companion Pass status based on either the rolling 12-months or calendar year. When you login to your account on southwest.com, you will only see your progress tracked based on the calendar year. We are working on having your progress tracked based on the rolling 12-month qualification displayed in your monthly Rapid Rewards Report e-mail. You can expect your next monthly report within the next few weeks if you have signed up for it online. If you have not previously signed up for this report, click here. To review all Frequently Asked Questions about Rapid Rewards, click here. Stay tuned...we have some exciting things in store for our Rapid Rewards Members in the near future to help us celebrate the new program.
70 Comments
dan_reichelderf
Explorer C
Do not like your new rewards program.I used to be able to get a free trip for 16,000 now that same trip is over 25,000.Can you tell me how thats a better program?I USED TO PROMOTE YOUR AIRLINES AS THE BEST..THAT WONT BE HAPPENING ANYMORE.NOW YOUR LIKE THE REST.
Jim_Sargent
Explorer C
You (SWA) have done a lot of "Back Slapping" for your so called new program. I have been a loyal flier with SWA for 8 years. Converted my parents to fly only with you. I talked them into changing over their personal and bussiness credit cards to the Southwest credit card. My wife and I both changed cards. Now we only get a limited amount of points toward a reward compared to the 1 credit = 1200 points for 16 credits = a reward now. My Dad just flew Orlando to San Diego, got a measley 1070 points. On the old program he would have gotten 2 credits worth 2400 points. SWA is only hurting themselves and will lose loyal customers with this. Were not stupid !!! You promote this great deal and all you have done is cheapen the outcome for your patrons. Completely unsatisfied !!! Jim Sargent
Dan_Behles
Explorer C
Does anyone know what a "Tier Qualifying Point" is? There's an asterisk by the term on the website, but never an explanation anywhere that I could find. Are ALL points "Tier Qualifying Points"? If not, which one are not? Also, to qualify for A-List or A-list Preferred status, or a Companion Pass, can you combine points and flights? If you fly 50 flights a year, and earn 55,000 points from other sources, such as your credit card, do you get a Companion Pass?
swtraveler
Explorer C
I am still unable to log in. Have tried my RR# and p/w numerous times. The error msg is that I don't exist. This is pathetic, plain frickin pathetic. I have spent approximately 12 hours over the past 2 days. Get hung up on while on hold. SWA is wasting my time. They need to contact ME.
Dinah_Tom
Explorer C
The new site only shows I have 1 reward in my account. Where are the rest? Who can I call to get this resolved?
Jim_Naylor
Explorer C
I can understand why short haul flyers paying around $100 (or less) each way will not like the new RR program. Personally...I feel the system is finally fair. I fly long haul from Phoenix back east almost every week. Why my flight from Phoenix to Boston should count the same as Austin to Dallas never made sense to me.
Hal_Jay_Meyers
Explorer C
After being informed that hold times will be between 27 and 42 minutes, which is an unacceptable service level by all call center standards, I am now trying this as an alternative to contacting SWA by phone. I have attempted several times on phone, but when I select the RAPID REWARDS option for EXPEDITED service, I have been disconnected as soon as I was transferred into the queue. I am also unable to change my flight online. Listen, I understand technical problems, but I have had to take emergency flights for a funeral and this lack of access has cost me several hundred dollars in addition to the last minute fares I had to book. I am now completely stranded. Please figure out a way to service your customers with a "call-back" strategy or something. Southwest Customers have become accustomed to a certain level of consistency in customer service. What I have experienced this week puts SWA below the customer sat level of their low cost airline competition. If this problem is not resolved, customer churn will very likely take care of it for you. Sincerely- RR# 403684341 Churning As You Read THIS
Dave_Thompson
Explorer C
I have flown SWA for well over ten years and have always been a big fan until, yesterday! I spent well over two hours over three different phone calls with Southwest trying to utilize my awards for tickets - not only could no one help me, they refused to provide me the name of someone in customer relations with the capability to help me. Bottom line, I was given the distinct impression that SWA could care less about my business - maybe the time has come to fly with someone else A new meaning for the word nuts
Melanie_Dennis
Explorer C
I know Southwest recently purchases Air Tran. Will they be combing the rewards programs for the two?
Stacey_Grande
Explorer C
After familiarizing myself on the new Rapid Rewards program via a Customer Service Representative, and searching for a few sample flights,I am disheartened to learn that it will now take me almost triple the amount of time to earn a free flight reward. For someone like myself, who flies often for work, but necessarily far distances, my points are now based on my trip fare which is often a low-cost ticket (because I don't fly too far) where as it used to be based soley on the amount of trips taken. The benefit of flying Southwest rather than other airlines was because they rewarded based on trip occurrence, whereas many other competitors reward by miles. Please go back to the old system where we are rewarded by the number of trips taken rather than by the cost of the flight!
Curt_McDowell
Explorer C
Seriously? Is this new program some massive horrible unintentiaonal mistake? I had to free roundtrip flights and when you made me convert them they equaled just shy of 8,000 points which isn't anything. 25% fo what I had. I feel strongly thet SouthWest is not honoring their program I earned 2 trips on.
nsx
Adventurer C
"However, to honor our commitment to you from the old program, you may earn A-List or Companion Pass status based on either the rolling 12-months or calendar year." How often will the rolling calculation be done? If I take my 32nd flight today, when will I get A-list? Tomorrow? A week from today? A month from today? Only after I call and ask? Ideally, rolling qualification should be evaluated daily. Is the current scramble to fix the new web pages affecting the timeliness of rolling qualification?
Jonathan_Shimbe
Explorer C
I believe it was advertised that you could get international travel with your points. What is considered international travel - NY ?
Robert_Myers
Explorer C
After nine days into the new points progam I'am still unable to login. For the past 3 years l have been checking my account at least once a day. I need to login. Please help
Christopher__Co
Explorer C
Well had my first experience with the new rewards program today and I must say it wasn't a pleasant. I tried to use my "old award" for a flight and was told it was not available. I said this upgrade it to an "Freedom Award" and was told we don't have those anymore. Freedom Awards when away with the new system. I was then told that I was sent an email to upgrade all my awards to "Freedom Awards" and that I must not have read the email. I'm very disappointed in SWA as you have always worked with the customer but today I was told that the system wouldn't let me request a Freedom Award and I should have made these chances before March 1st. This is very disappointing that a new program or system keep you from doing what is right for a very frequent SWA flyer. Very disappointing to know that I fly over 100 segments a year and your program/system prevents me to take advantage of an award that I earned prior to March 1, 2011.
MikeSch
Explorer C
Mr. Green, Your posting about how wonderful this new program is a play out of the corporate baloney playbook. Saying that people you researched wantted this is an insult. Really. Why don't you post the first names of the people in your surveys that siad they wanted their benefits cut in half? Or those of the frequent flyers that wanted to see their rpaid rewards beome worht a hell of a lot less? Please do. I'd love to see such openness in the true LUV spirit. It seems like the big mistake is an airline being run by a former CFO. Mr. CFO only knows how to concentrate on costs. Rapid Rewards? That's only a cost - let's cut 'em in half. Loyalty - Smoyalty. Who cares. Mr. Green, what has happened to the attitude that got southwest here? Is the LUV airline actually going to admit that a lot of people aren't happy about the revised Rapid Rewards changes? Or, will we get another of your ridiculous the program has been enhanced based on your feedback. You guys are sorely mistaken if you don't reconsider. You don't get it. To move ahead wthout fixing the problem - welcome to the world of the big guys and their attitudes - take or leave it. For me, I finish the flights I have then it is goodbye Southwest.
m_hunt
Explorer C
I cannot believe how frustrating and useless the new RR program is! I have many unused "free flights" that I am unable to use because there are no standard award seats available. I have a companion pass, but can't use it either, because I cannot book a flight for myself. I tried to transfer points from a hotel program to get enough credits to book a flight, and it, too got screwed up in the transition. I cannot imagine flying Southwest with this reward program. It is much more onerous that their rivals, and at least with the rivals, I know where I stand from day to day regarding rewards and seating. Adios, Southwest.
Ralph_Rodgers
Explorer C
It has been 2 weeks since I have been able to access my Rapid Rewards account online. I have called a couple of times and was assured the problem was being resolved. 2 weeks??? I'd sure like some action on this pretty soon!!
Kevin_Louche
Explorer C
So I've been getting "We are currently unable to display your upcoming trips. Please try again later. " since the new web site began weeks ago. Would have expected this to be discovered in testing before go-live and would have expected this to be fixed by now. Now I have to make 50% of my rez on the phone where it used to be zero. This costs both parties. Does Southwest think we had it too good in the past? What gives?
Super_Upset
Explorer C
The new program is awful! It used to be one flight = one credit. Now my one flight only got me 390 points and I need 1200 for a credit....So I have to pay 3 times as much? The only reason I kept going to Southwest was so eventually I'd be rewarded, but I guess it's back to Priceline and Expedia to find the cheapest airline...one that doesn't break its promises!