For the last few years I have been telling everyone that SW is the last airline that treats you right. No fee for changing a ticket. Banking your funds for a year. No bag fees. Fun employees who really seem to like their job and appreciate your business.
Then you take away the ability for me to give the funds from an unused ticket in my name to another family member or friend. "The government made us do it."
Now you make it more expensive for us to earn a free ticket "because we asked you to change the Rapid Rewards program."
What will be next? Bag fees? A fee for changing your travel plans? No refunds or banking of funds?
Those of us in the sandwich generation [many of us are now retired and on a lesser income] who are helping take care of aging parents have been loyal to SW especially for the flexibility with our bookings. We have also been loyal because whether we flew from OH to TX or OH to Chicago we earned the same credit. A trip was a trip and we could earn a free trip without having to be a road warrior or spending a fortune. Now all that changes.
The people being hurt with the new RR program are those of us who routinely fly on Wanna Get Away fares. It will cost us at least twice as much money to get the same free trip.
I remember --- rear facing seats; your 30th birthday for which I wrote a song; using www.iflyswa.com and a phone number to match [that's how I call you all the time]; Set LUV Free campaign; 10 minute turns and getting there early so I could be first in line. You did a good thing regarding 'getting in line'. Thank you.
Unfortunately, SW is becoming more like the other airlines bit by bit. If there is no difference, we might as well forget loyalty and just shop the price and take the non-stop airline rather than the connection with SW.
If the bottom line is that you cannot afford to let us have the free ticket as often, then just say so and we can accept that you have to tighten your expenses just as we do. But do not insult our intelligence by telling this that it will be better for us. We do not believe you and we will leave.
... View more