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Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@bwallet wrote:

I don't think that this is great news at all. I've easily flown enough to keep A-List Preferred. Having other people get given status to compete with me for what are admittedly relatively few perks isn't good news. Perhaps they could be given A-List light and not ever get a higher boarding number then me? Then I'd consider that neutral news instead of bad.

 

Seriously though, good news would be an A-List check-in at OKC. The lines there can get very, very long early in the morning. 


 

FYI: While no one but Southwest knows the exact algorithm for A-List boarding positions, Preferred does always come first, and it's thought that among A-List those with highest annual spend on tickets are ranked first.

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

gsking
Aviator C

Exactly.   Some Animals are more equal than other Animals. 

 

They'll get free internet and more reward points.   Only loss of revenue to SWA.

 

There's no reason to think they'll get HIGHER boarding than anyone who got Preferred organically. 

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

PSU85
Explorer A

I received the same email. At the end of the email it says they checked and I’ve already qualified. However; I don’t have the 4 flights that are required. I have an upcoming trip BWI>DEN, DEN>PHX, PHX>BWI. That’s only 3 flights. My wife is traveling with me on my companion pass. Are they somehow counting that or is the note in the email wrong? I’m close to qualifying anyway but earning A list now would be nice. Thanks. 

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

dfwskier
Aviator A

@PSU85 wrote:

I received the same email. At the end of the email it says they checked and I’ve already qualified. However; I don’t have the 4 flights that are required. I have an upcoming trip BWI>DEN, DEN>PHX, PHX>BWI. That’s only 3 flights. My wife is traveling with me on my companion pass. Are they somehow counting that or is the note in the email wrong? I’m close to qualifying anyway but earning A list now would be nice. Thanks. 


I have never heard of Southwest counting flights before they are flown. Why? Tickets can always be cancelled.

 

Your best bet is to log on to your Southwest account and you'll see your progress to A-List Preferred. That's the only way you could have qualified. Remember earlier this year Southwest gave every Rapid Rewards member 10 free flight segments and some number of qualifier points (I forget the exact number).

 

So if you've been flying a lot, it is possible that the Southwest freebies combined with your actual activity means that you've already qualified.

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

That email is a bit confusing. What they mean is that you already have enough flights booked during the promo period to qualify. (Assuming you don't cancel anything and just fly the flights you have scheduled right now.)

 

That said, it's been reported by some that the email says they qualify, but they actually do not have enough flights booked. It's possible that the sweep done to gather each individual's data was done some time ago, and doesn't reflect one's current bookings. (Perhaps a flight was cancelled after the sweep.)

 

It's also possible that this could be a Southwest "glitch."

 

In any case, I would make sure you meet the requirements as they are spelled out in the special promotion and not depend on anything the email says.

 

Note that award flights do count, but Companion Pass ones (for the Companion) do not.

 

Good luck!

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:


I have never heard of Southwest counting flights before they are flown. Why? Tickets can always be cancelled.

 

Your best bet is to log on to your Southwest account and you'll see your progress to A-List Preferred. That's the only way you could have qualified. Remember earlier this year Southwest gave every Rapid Rewards member 10 free flight segments and some number of qualifier points (I forget the exact number).

 

So if you've been flying a lot, it is possible that the Southwest freebies combined with your actual activity means that you've already qualified.


 

They're not. It's just some confusing email language in a special promotion. (See my post above.)

 

Your recommendation would be for checking your usual progress. But this is a targeted special promotion, requiring two qualifying round trip flights (or four qualifying one-way flights) between August 19 and November 19, 2021

 

To my knowledge there's no way to track it other than manually.

 

 

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

Goforwand1
Adventurer B
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bwallet
Active Member

I don't think that this is great news at all. I've easily flown enough to keep A-List Preferred. Having other people get given status to compete with me for what are admittedly relatively few perks isn't good news. Perhaps they could be given A-List light and not ever get a higher boarding number then me? Then I'd consider that neutral news instead of bad.

 

Seriously though, good news would be an A-List check-in at OKC. The lines there can get very, very long early in the morning

 

I would assume you are being somewhat sarcastic in your reply :-)..I've been flying SWA for over 15 years and have been ALP since the program inception. I have also benefited from the CP program so am a SWA fan-boi!

 

I don't think you will be "competing" with more ALP's.  Business travelers (like me) have reduced travel to customers due to COVID. Some ALP's may not even fly this year with the Delta Variant menacing the US. Basically, SWA is just trying not to lose their core travelers with this offer.

 

That said, it's a smart decision by SWA to keep their most lucrative passengers from defecting , which in the end benefits all of us! Cheers!

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

PilotX
Explorer C

Are we sure reservations booked with points also qualify?

 

The email I received says "including award travel!", but the fine print is says, "Companion Pass®, charter flights, reward and group travel, and Southwest Vacations® packages do not qualify as one-way or round trip revenue or award flights for this promotion."

 

Does anyone know what "award" and "reward" travel are?

 

Thanks! 😀

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@PilotX wrote:

Are we sure reservations booked with points also qualify?

 

The email I received says "including award travel!", but the fine print is says, "Companion Pass®, charter flights, reward and group travel, and Southwest Vacations® packages do not qualify as one-way or round trip revenue or award flights for this promotion."

 

Does anyone know what "award" and "reward" travel are?

 

Thanks! 😀


 

 

Southwest has never been known for having clear disclosure language.

 

I believe "reward" travel covers things like flight certificates won from charity auctions, etc. while "award" travel is flights booked with points. (Which, yes, is dumb since the loyalty program is named "Rapid Rewards.")

 

I would say that the specific mention of "award travel" (flights booked with points) in the main copy (not the terms and conditions) would mean that points flights count.

Re: Keep Your A-List Preferred Perks e-mail..great news!

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

@chgoflyer: "I would say that the specific mention of "award travel" (flights booked with points) in the main copy (not the terms and conditions) would mean that points flights count."

 

Agreed -- I am chasing this promo, and while I used travel funds for one round trip, I am planning on booking the other with points as I also read that they will count.

 

-A List, Companion Pass holder