Southwest Airlines Community

A lifetime pass on WN doesn't make sense IMO. It is after all, a LCC that is not aligned with any major airline alliances, it doesn't even have interline agreements with any other airline and it uses its own proprietary reservation system than using the major ones like Amadeus Altea or SITA.    You're right that had you gone with AS, your miles and status would've mattered long term as they're now part of the oneworld alliance. Your lifetime status on AS would've allowed you to use your miles to book flights on JAL, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, etc. and it would've granted you lifetime lounge access to all these airlines as you traveled around the world in your retirement.    But if WN had lifetime status and points, it wouldn't make much difference. At best you can go to Aruba, only on WN, no lounges, no other airline partners, etc. And I don't see WN making any upgrades to their system, starting interline agreements or even joining any of the airline alliances. Maybe they can start their own LCC alliance and team up with RyanAir or AirAsia, but that's another major hassle in itself and highly unlikely in itself also.  ... View more

@inetindyswa wrote: 30 years as an SWA loyalists.  I drive 2+ hours one way just to fly SWA.  So I wrote to the VP of Customer Relations on this topic. Got a boilerplate response.  My thought was simply to reward those of us who earned A List Preferred (and even Companion Status) for the past 20+ years.  At that point if you are still qualifying each year with active credits fine.  But for many of us who's jobs morphed into "virtual" after COVID and fly maybe 6 times per year now instead of 100+, we would automatically get nothing more than A List Preferred boarding status.  No extra points.  No special accommodations other than not being stuck with "the unwashed masses" 😁 if at 24 hours and 10 seconds we check in and are stuck in middle to late B.  What's the financial risk to the company?  Maybe the loss of Early Bird, or Ugrade Revenue for the few flights we are still doing?  I have Hilton Lifetime Diamond status as a thank you for 1500+ nights in their properties.  1 time o 100 tines a years I walk in with those extras. Not even asking for that at SWA. Let's start a grassroots campaign that SWA can advertise to younger road warriors to cement their loyalty.  As I have said for 30+ years:  "If Southwest doesn't go to that city, I really don't need to be in that city!". Hello-   I would forward your A-List policy suggestion to Southwest's general email; that way, it can be sent to the appropriate department head within the corporation.   Its possible that the VP of Customer Relations may not be correct department to receive the suggestion (may be VP or Director of Operations, Marketing or whoever oversees the Rapid Rewards loyalty program). Not sure if Customer Relations forwarded your letter to the appropriate department head(s) but it might be worth it to resend it just in case.   https://www.southwest.com/html/contact-us   Nevertheless, not sure if Southwest will make an exception simply because as we all know, frequent flyers pay a lot of money in airfare to the airline to fly frequently, even for WGA short-hauls if you add them all up. But as I said, your letter can help the aforementioned departments determine what kinds of promotions to offer including the current promotion of being able to buy Tier-Qualifying Rapid Reward Points until 8/15. ... View more