Southwest Airlines Community

come on everyone your acting like all of a sudden SWA is punching everyone in the face and stealing there wallets the new program helps everyone out it just helps the one the help SWA more, more and the ones who help SWA less, less. They're still helping them out though you guys are upset that SWA stopped letting everyone punch them in the face? be reasonable the old program was good and simple but hurt SWA in the long run because of people who would take advantage of it, people would buy 8 round trips at the $50 fares and the get a free round trip and book it on a flight that was valued at $400 and thats what you "core" customers are doing and your admiting it here on the blog saying you fly short hauls to get your free round trip to go somewhere else. Basically your telling SW that your mad that they arent paying you to fly with them anymore. What you can do is buy a few Business class tickets and earn A LOT of points and use those points to more WGA fare flights free say you buy 3 BCS from LAX-ISP at $474, multiply that by 12 thats 5,688 make it a round trip then its 11,376 points per round trip; so 3 of those flights is 34,128. Now you want to redeem a free flight, redeem a WGA flight not a BCS flight at $224 needing $26,880. that adds up to 1 free round way for only 3 free roud ways. sounds like Southwest is helping those out that are willing to help them out plenty. It just sounds to me like they're tired of handing out cookies to everyone and getting crumbs in return. ... View more

to Anonymous 2:19 thats not true, the agents are not graded or even given average talk times they are on the phone as long as the customer still has questions and or concerns. I'm sure what it is, is that the company doesnt want people having hour long conversations about the customers thirds sisters wifes uncles nephews marrital problems. But as long as theres a real question they'll help as long as it takes. Also if you call the 1 800 line they have reps thats are dedicated to just answering questions about this new program if somethings too confusing give them a call and they can help you out. I dont think any other airling would dedicate entire groups of people just to anwer questions about a change! ... View more

The way I see it is a lot of people are upset that they wont be able to book last minute flights without having to spend more points as opposed to the old system they would and it would still spend one standard award. From my experience trying to get a last minute flight with a standard award is almost impossible, all the seats available are always used up if I try to book last minute. with this new program I can buy a rapid rewards ticket the day of travel; sounds good to me at least now I'll have the choice to make last minute flights. Also people asking if there flights from 2010 transfer over to the new rapid rewards the way I understand it, I think they do. Flights from march 1 2010 all the way to march 1 2011 all go towards the new rapid rewards. Not only that if my companion pass expires 3/1/11 its extended to 12/31/11? thats great! I see a lot of positives in this new program! Russell A. ... View more

I think the new program should work pretty good, for example I'll use the guy a few comments aboves example. If I'm flying flights at $124 a flight with the new program I'll be earning 744 points per flight aposed to 1 credit per flight, and to redeem a free flight I'll need 7440 points instead of the 16 credits. So now to earn the points I'll only need to make 10 flights rather then th 16 needed for the other flights. flying 6 less flights for a free one sounds better to me! ... View more

This new program seems pretty good to me I'll use the guys example a couple comments up, say I'm flying wanna get away for $124 earning 744 points aposed to getting 1 credit per flight. To earn an award on the old program I'd have to fly 16 flights earning 1 point each to get one free flight. With the new program I'd only fly 10 flights earning the 7440 points I need to redeem a free flight at the same price. I dont see what the problem with that is I have to fly 6 flights less to earn a free flight! sounds good to me! ... View more