01-15-2011
02:31 PM
3 Loves
This thought just popped into my mind - What is going to happen when these big-game business travellers (that Southwest lusts after) enter a Southwest jet for the first time ? I would think the reaction would be - horror. "We have to sit in THOSE seats ? Where's the business class seating with the oversized chairs ? Where are the AC outlets ? You serve THAT as an in-flight meal ? OMG, I should have taken United !"
Business travellers have high expections. We will see if they can lower their expectations to Southwest standards for long. My bet - they run screaming back to their huge leather chairs, hot meals, and power taps of the legacy carriers. Since the company's paying for it, why should they suffer in Southwest's so called "business class" ? Maybe Southwest plans on using Airtran's jets instead ? They have the big comfy chairs up front, but no hot meals. It will be an interesting social experiment, this new Business Rewards (ahem), I mean Rapid Rewards program..
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01-15-2011
01:46 PM
4 Loves
Me in a nutshell - I'm just shy of age 50, male, diabetic, and I have a STRONG aversion (dislike) to anything overly complex (like taxes). I really liked Southwest's Rapid Rewards program because it was EASY TO UNDERSTAND. Fly 16 times, earn a free flight - simple.
Now, I will need a calculator to determine where (or indeed if) I qualify for a Southwest Award. Gives me a headache thinking about it. I have to agree with everyone else - Southwest blew it on this one. I call it Business Rewards - it will just cost me more, andf make me angry while trying to determine if I qualify for an award. Southwest has just become like all the other airlines. Miles suck - big time.
Look, if Southwest needs to get more profits under the table (by not rasing fares), they should just increase the award qualification level to 18 flights. This would keep the Rapid Rewards program simple, and it would be more honest than hiding rewards level increases behind a bunch of mathmatical calculations. Shame on Southwest. Shame !
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