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A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

FDGTexas
Explorer C

Hoping someone can clear things up for me on this one. I recently enrolled in a A-List status match promotion. I was given 90 days to fly 3 RT (or 6 one-way) revenue flights to extend my status 12 months. Welp, I booked/flew 5 one-way tickets and 1 RT one. Much to my surprise when I wrote to the same email address for the original request for the status match, a rep replied saying I had NOT qualified, since I ‘only’ flew 5 one-way and 1 RT flights. I would either need to fly one more one-way or two more RT flights to qualify. This completely has me in a tailspin scratching my head, as I assumed RT flights would count as 2 one-way flights—thus getting me to 7 one-way flights to qualify. Even when I check my progress towards A-list for 2023 on my account, it gives me credit for 7 of 25 flights needed. 

Was this one rep simply misinformed or is this really some ‘loophole’ in the A-list status match program they do not clarify or spell out clearly? I’m not sure what I can do—if anything—as a next step to escalate.

9 REPLIES 9

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

dfwskier
Aviator A

First of all, I am unfamiliar with the promotion. However, if the promotion said you need to fly

6 flights by a certain date, and you did, then you should qualify. It does not make any difference how you get to 6. Any combination of one way or RT that yield 6 flights would qualify for the match.

 

So yes, the rep was misinformed.

 

Was the RT flight the last of the flights you took? Was the return flight outside of the "date window" for the promotion? If so, then the way SW does things is that neither flight "shows up" until the RT is completed. That SHOULD NOT disqualify the first flight of the RT.

 

My advice is to contact SW via twitter. Request a direct message since you will be discussing stuff which should not be in public.

 

Have information with you for the  discussion:

 

1) Promotion details

2) Confirmation numbers, flight numbers, dates of travel for the flights

 

 

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

FDGTexas
Explorer C

Thanks for the prompt reply and advice to reach out on twitter. I’ll try that as a next step. All of my flights were completed within the timeline of the promotional period (Feb.1-May 31). I’ve listed dates and routes below (while omitting my confirmation numbers).
Feb.24 AUS-LGB

Feb.27 LGB-AUS

April 14 AUS-RNO (half of RT)

April 18 RNO-AUS (half of RT)

April 22 AUS-MSY

May 21 AUS-MSY

May 23 MSY-AUS

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@FDGTexas wrote:

Thanks for the prompt reply and advice to reach out on twitter. I’ll try that as a next step. All of my flights were completed within the timeline of the promotional period (Feb.1-May 31). I’ve listed dates and routes below (while omitting my confirmation numbers).
Feb.24 AUS-LGB

Feb.27 LGB-AUS

April 14 AUS-RNO (half of RT)

April 18 RNO-AUS (half of RT)

April 22 AUS-MSY

May 21 AUS-MSY

May 23 MSY-AUS


Thank you for not putting confirmation numbers, you'll only need that when you talk to Southwest directly.

 

The only issue I see here is whether the 90 days were a fixed period or from the first flight. 

 

The date range of your flights is 88 days so that sounds good. However if the promo was that you had to book starting in February but fly March-May or something? Feb 1 to May 31st is 119 days so that's all that's confusing to me.

 

So to answer your question:

 

  1. No the RT shouldn't affect the count of flights.
  2. I'm unsure about the 90 day period and if it was actually March 1st to May 31st then the two February flights would be out of the window and not counted, or if you had booked them prior to the promotion.

If you reach back out to them, have them clarify what they are seeing as the five flights and which are they not counting?

 

 

 

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

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

FDGTexas
Explorer C

Each email is only getting worse. According to the original rep who responded to my email when I asked for the date I needed to complete my status match, she stated:

Hi Denise,

Your Promotion start date began on 2/2/2023 and ends 5/31/2023.  You would have to have flown 6 one way flights by 5/31/2023.”

 

I received their original email confirmation on 2/23/23, stating my request was accepted and that my status match had started. It didn’t give any specific dates as to when I needed to complete the 3 RT or the 6 one-way flights. I submitted my original email 2/1/23, so the response from

the rep above made sense logically—since I could see that I was granted A-list status with an expiration date of 5/31/23. 

The most recent email I received from my inquiry to customer relations stated (I altered the confirmation numbers):

Rapid Rewards Members who have an elite status with another domestic airline and who submit the information listed below can receive A-List status for 90 days.To extend promotional A-List status for 12 months, after qualifying for this A-List status match promotion, you must book and complete three qualifying round trip flights (or six one-way qualifying flights) between your enrollment date for this promotion and the end of your 90-day promotional A-List status. (The promotional period started on February 2 and ended on May 3) This offer is valid on new reservations booked within the promotional time period only. 

That said our records indicate that only two confirmation numbers qualified, XYZ123 - 1 segment earned-Booked on February 3 and Flew on February 27, and XYZ234 - 1 segment earned-Booked on February 6 and Flew on February 24. The rest of the reservations that were booked from February 2 until today, were either redemption reservations or reservations that were not flown, which do not count towards this promotion. As such, we are unable to honor this promotion for your travel. We apologize for any disappointment.”

 


And none of the information provided is accurate. I’ve checked my credit card statements against the dates

of my flights so I know exactly when I paid for them—as

well flew them. I flew all of them. Paid money for all of them. I’m just at a complete loss as to how each rep is giving me different tallies as to which revenue flights I took or the timeline to complete the challenge. At this point I just want to throw in the towel and avoid flying SWA at all costs—as I feel misled and misinformed at each turn of this issue. I went from being told I flew 5 qualifying one-way flights to now only 2? I really don’t understand the inconsistency on such a large scale. If my promotional period was supposed to be a strict 90-days from when I requested—then the May 31st date doesn’t make sense—neither does the confirmation email arriving on 2/23/23 stating my status match was granted and just started. I think I’m most upset about being told I had until May 31st—same date as my A-list promotional status was ending—to complete the challenge, if in fact the date was May 3. Sigh. SWA won and I think I officially give up. I’ll try to book flights with the remaining RR points I have, close the RR Chase visas I have and walk far far away from the train wreck that has become SWA in the last year. 

appreciate all the advice and feedback. Thank you so much!

 

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

dfwskier
Aviator A

When you log in to your RR account, you'll find a list of flights taken. 

 

Again, I am not familiar with this particular promotion. Most SW promotions you have to

1) Register for the promotion

2) Then book your flights

3) Then take your flights

 

I presume this promotion has the same rules as others I have seen. Did you do things in that order.

 

As I aid earlier, I suggest you try twitter.

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

FDGTexas
Explorer C

Thanks again. I did try twitter…all roads lead to incompetency. Just an fyi, the status match isn’t like the typical ones that simply get started with clicking a link to opt in, etc. This was a very ‘manual’ process. I had to send an email to a specific address with proof that I had elite status with another airline. Then I waited nearly 3 weeks before I heard back stating I was granted the promotional A-list status until May 31. In the same email I was advised that I needed to complete 3 RT (or 6 one-way revenue flights) before the end of my promotional period to extend that status another 12 months.

 

And yes, I can see the flights I’ve flown when logging into my SWA account, the reason I know these were revenue flights that were counted—as it shows 7 of 25 flights completed and counting towards A-list for the 2023 year. I can see the points credited as well. 

I would love to ‘fight it out’ but I feel like each response only goes down a darker hole of incompetency. It hardly feels worth the struggle to maintain status with an airline I feel doesn’t value my business. 

For the sake of transparency, this was the response I received on twitter:

Thank you for your patience. In this case, the Status Match program is managed by the Team you have communicated with via e-mail, who has already advised you that you currently don't met the necessary requirements. While we wish we could offer you additional assistance with this, you will need to communicate with them regarding this promotion, as they are the only Team that will be able to award this status to your account. Still, you have our apologies for any lingering disappointment.”

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

dfwskier
Aviator A

@FDGTexas wrote:

 

In a half hearted defense of SW -- the firm has hired thousands of new employees over the last 18 months, and they do get things wrong.

 

Just this week, I twice communicated with SW via e-,ail about an issue, and both times SW employees got the answer wrong. Then I did go to twitter about the issue and exchanged DM's with a different person for over 90 minutes before the employee got it right.

 

Not an excuse, but and explanation.

 

Only you can decide whether it's worth that kind of effort or easier to  just give up.

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

FDGTexas
Explorer C

Sorry you've experienced any of the same grief I have this week. Glad your issue was eventually resolved. For me, it’s just a big red flag when I’m solicited to participate in a status match challenge and I take the bait—but then they fail to execute or align on processing of honoring their side of the deal. Not one person has told the same story as the person before them—so the policy is whatever flies with the person who reads your email. Rules don’t apply the same consistently across the board. 

I’m mostly upset I spent any money flying with SWA trying to attain this status when I should have just deleted the email when I read it. 

Re: A-List Status Match Clarification Needed

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@FDGTexas wrote:

If my promotional period was supposed to be a strict 90-days from when I requested—then the May 31st date doesn’t make sense—neither does the confirmation email arriving on 2/23/23 stating my status match was granted and just started. I think I’m most upset about being told I had until May 31st—same date as my A-list promotional status was ending—to complete the challenge,

 


It's a little confusing since they mention two dates, May 3rd as your 90-day window and May 31st as the end of the promotional period. 

 

So depending on that clarification would change whether you have five flights or seven that qualify.

 


@FDGTexas wrote:

That said our records indicate that only two confirmation numbers qualified, XYZ123 - 1 segment earned-Booked on February 3 and Flew on February 27, and XYZ234 - 1 segment earned-Booked on February 6 and Flew on February 24. The rest of the reservations that were booked from February 2 until today, were either redemption reservations or reservations that were not flown, which do not count towards this promotion. As such, we are unable to honor this promotion for your travel. We apologize for any disappointment.”

 


This part is the strangest - for some reason they think these were booked with points, or I'm not sure if the fine print would have excluded travel credits or vouchers from qualifying.

 

Or that you didn't complete your flight, that's a strange one that they think you didn't actually fly. If you have the boarding passes that might help although you could in theory still not have flown, I'm at a loss what the mix-up might be. 

 

 

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