I am also highly disappointed with the new Rapid Rewards program. The new system requires all passengers to fly more flights than the current system in order to earn a rewards ticket (for instance, assuming the ticket price is the same for each flight it would take 10 round trips to earn a free ticket, rather then 8 round trips under the current system).
Also, the new system penalizes passengers for booking reward tickets at the last minute (even United does not penalize passengers for this). For example, United Airlines will always charge me 25000 miles for a free domestic round trip, regardless of the actual price of the ticket. Southwest, on the other hand, will probably charge me extra miles if I redeem points for a flight at the last minute. This is because Southwest fares (like other airlines) usually increase for last minute purchases. In turn, a flight from Denver to Seattle might cost 12240 points if purchased in advance, up to 60000 points if purchased at the last minute.
Unfortunately, only Southwest benefits from the new Rapid Rewards program. While Southwest is "Dedicated to Denver", these changes make United's mileage program a much better deal for business travelers.
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