01-09-2011
09:30 PM
2 Loves
I knew from the second I saw the PR campaign of how EXCITED Southwest was to announce this and what a GREAT improvement it was that I was in trouble. This has taken a simple program and completely ignored what made it so successful.
Anyone can see that there were valid inefficiencies for length of flight - OK so address that. Give rewards based on flight length. But to lay out this crazy analytical system of divide by this, multiply by that, times1.4, divide by 1200??? And to think a hundred millions dollars could convince southwest that this was a good thing? A company that has lost sight of their reason for success - their Customers.
The biggest loss I see is in point redemption. Yes they say no blackout times BUT by making you redeem a ridiculous amount of points for a seat is in effect - blackout by a different name! I often would use my reward tickets to buy a last minute ticket when the price had gone through the roof. I assume Southwest had that ticket available because the flight was not sold out - win/win. Now to get that same seat I will have to redeem a crazy amount of points.
So from a person who is dubbed the Southwest Queen by family and friends, you have done what I did not think possible. Lost my loyalty. I just checked travelocity for my future flights and guess what! They are exactly equal to SW in cost. I did not know because I was so blindly loyal I never checked. Adios!
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