Have been a LOYAL SWA rapid rewards customer since the program's inception. The new system is a mess - there are no point totals- just a list of 'standard awards' (16) and another list says I have zero points. It's 10:30 pm and there is a 25 minute wait for to speak to someone. I have always been one of SWA biggest cheerleaders. Their system was fabulously easy to use but no more. They’ve decided to replace it with the new system which is nothing more than a thinly disguised shell game. I need a straightforward booking system and if I'm to continue using the RR credit card I need value; I don't see the value any or SWA’s trademark ease-of-use simplicity.
They treat us like fools that have days to sit around figuring out what ‘shell’ the points are under, then another shell has the flight hidden underneath it. Forget it. I haven't flown ANY OTHER AIRLINE in 25 years. If they didn't appreciate our loyalty why should we continue to be loyal? I just booked another airline for an upcoming May flight. Maybe they are trying to get rid of some of us? Well SWA it worked in my case. I’m ditching the RR credit card as well. What good is it?
Change is good but did you need to create an unworkable mess for us?
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I, too, hope that you stay the course with SWA's current A-B-C seating style. If you homogenize seating you become one with the
other airlines. You'll have successfully blended into the nrom - no longer the maverick daring to be different. But, maybe SWA is becoming a bit long-in-the-tooth and comfortable and it's time to retire into medocrity. If you've decided that saves you that much money to assign seats then I'm sure that you've done the cost analysis that tells you so, right? I do want to throw in my $2558 worth (the average about what I spend a year flying SWA). So here goes w/ my quick thoughts on SWA. First I fly SWA b/c you've dared to be different and that alone makes SWA worth supoporting. I fly ONLY SWA; if SWA doens't fly there I don't go. Kinda silly, maybe, but if you do change to assinged seating I guess you'll no longer give me any good reason to stay 100% loyal. Second, I understadn that you treat your employees, on average, better that other airlines treat their Ee's.I tend to frequent businesses that consider their Ee's their shareholder's b/c they really do make a business who thety are - not the CEO. Third, your ABC seating system is just plain fabulous - t really gives a customer a sense of freedom and has excitement of gambling (like buying a lottery ticket) thrown in with it. I am mystified that someone believes that assigned seating will allow him/her to sit away from screaming kids. Wow. Since screaming kids load up first in pre-board, ya board after them, folks - just sit AWAY FROM them. And lastly, if people want assigned seats they can fly any other airline. SWA is the only ailine that permits ABC type boarding. Please, preserve that feature. It's worth it in customer loyality points if nothing else - just note the feddback you're getting on this issue. And as far as the new CEO that I saw on the cover of Spirit magazine - you're soft-shoe double-speak on the issue if assigned seating is very transparent. Don't infantilize & patronize us, sir. If you're going to start assigning seat just be honest. "We're assigning seats folks, get over it." You really don't sound as if you really give a damn about what loyal customers think. B/c we're new to you. But I remind you, we're not new to SWA.
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