Need a Southwest card/points primer

[KKB]

I have the PLUS SW card and got the bonus, used most of it for a San Diego flight. So would it be better for me to apply for the Premium or should DH apply for his own?

Well, it is better to have you get the premium, BUT they aren't offering the 50K sign up bonus right now. I have heard they usually do around the end of the year. You could certainly do it then IF you got the Plus card this year & IF you can get the charges in before the end of this year--but you will only get one year of a companion pass. The year you earn the 110K through the end of the following year is the length of the companion pass. So if you earned your 50K this year, sign up for the next 50K sign up for premium. Remember, you have to earn 10K besides the 50+2K min charges--so 6K more.

We are hoping DH is going to sign up for both at the end of 2015 if the deal shows up again. We will get the charges done at the beginning of 2016 so we can get nearly 2 full years of advantage of the companion pass. At least we HOPE to do that!!

 

[ceecee]

Totally confused!
I got the plus the around April (?) of this year and used 48,000 points in August of the 50,000. So I can sign up for a premium, get another 50,000 points? But I have to charge 10k to do it? Then my yearly fees would be $170 which is almost a ticket to Orlando (we paid $203 this year).

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

One small thing I've discovered is that Wyndham Rewards (for hotels like Ramada and HoJo) has a terrible rewards program, but you can set your points to go to Southwest Rapid Rewards. I figure that's a better add-on to my 50k points than trying to stay like 20 nights to get 1 free!

We do this for all hotels stays, at least ones that offer some type of rewards. Also for car rentals too.

We have had the card now for 2 months and have just gone over the $ 2K to get the 50,000 points. Our 50K points have not posted yet but I'm thinking that what My3kiddos is the case with us... our due date is 08.20.14, so I suspect they will most likely post shortly after that. We recently flew out of Memphis airport and SW had a booth set up where they were offering the 50,000 points. You may want to call SW and ask them if you can get the offer for 50,000 that they are doing at the airport. (worth a try, anyway)

Totally off your original topic ....One other thing to keep in mind when you shop online, if you go through the Rapid Rewards shopping center link first, your online purchases will gain you even more rewards points. (so if you use the card, you get the 1 point/$1.00 spent, and if you go through Rapid Rewards shopping link, https://rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com/ you can get a whole bunch of points. For example, I bought a Dooney Bag 2 weeks ago from Macy's. They were running a 4 points/ $ 1 spent so I wound up getting 592 rewards points added to my Southwest Rewards. And believe me, it adds up. (you can do this now without even having a SW Visa.... start racking up points to your Rapid Rewards number )

We did it for the same reason as you only we're going to Universal. It's going to give us free flights for that trip, plus with the anniversary points and the points we've put on through the shopping link and a flight we just took, we should get another 3 free flights out of it as well. We just love it. It's worth the $99 fee, in my opinion.

We love it too! Even something simple like buying new outdoor trash cans from Home Depot. You can buy online and do "in store pick up" and just go get it in an hour or 2. We also did this at Best Buy when dh was buying a computer for my MIL. Well, she paid us for it but dh picked it out for her and brought it to her. It's a win-win for all of us.
So we earn pts by shopping online at various websites then earn more for using the SWA card.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Totally confused!
I got the plus the around April (?) of this year and used 48,000 points in August of the 50,000. So I can sign up for a premium, get another 50,000 points? But I have to charge 10k to do it? Then my yearly fees would be $170 which is almost a ticket to Orlando (we paid $203 this year).

Wouldn't you get more than a RT ticket with 100,000 pts?
From Philly, we can fly to MCO for less than 7000 pts unless we're on a strict schedule. 100,000 pts would get us many RT flights!! Of course that can vary with where one lives.

Also assuming you're using the card all year to earn more than just the bonus pts.
We put everything on our SWA card except dh's truck payment, our mortgage, and certain utilities that charge a cc fee. We earn roughly 1 one way seat to MCO every 1.5-2 months.
I'm very careful to keep paying it online every few days so it never gets out of control. Some months it's really a stretch to get it all paid in full but I'm very determined.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Also for those of you considering keeping the card just long enough to get the bonus pts then cancel before your next annual fee, keep in mind that the annual fee is part of an agreement between customers & Chase bank. It's locked in. So if you think one day down the road you can always re-apply if you want it back again, the AF may be higher then.
I've had the SWA cc for years and we're locked in with a $59 AF. I wish I got it earlier.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Got my SW companion pass a few weeks ago! So excited for half price airfare! Have two trips planned already in September.

Excited to explore some places I would have never thought of visiting

 

[jimandami]

Totally confused! I got the plus the around April (?) of this year and used 48,000 points in August of the 50,000. So I can sign up for a premium, get another 50,000 points? But I have to charge 10k to do it? Then my yearly fees would be $170 which is almost a ticket to Orlando (we paid $203 this year).

You don't need to charge an additional 10k, but you must earn 110,000. Technically, you had to have already earned 52,000 since you spent the minimum $2,000 to get the first set of bonus points. You would also spend at least $2,000 for the new bonus points, making your total at least 104,000 points for the year. You need an additional 6,000 by Dec 31, 2014 to qualify for the companion pass. As a PP said, we use it for our everyday expenses and just pay it off monthly, so we get 3,000-4,000 points a month. As far as your annual fees, remember that you do get either 3,000 or 6,000 points on your anniversary date so the annual fee isn't that bad.

 

[MAJPLO]

Another tip about double dipping with the rapid rewards shopping site- I believe right now they are doing a promotion until 8/31: if you spend x number of dollars you get an additional 250 points. I forget the tiers but I think you can get an extra 500 points on top of the individual store's points/$. Sorry if someone already mentioned this.

 

[KKB]

Totally confused!
I got the plus the around April (?) of this year and used 48,000 points in August of the 50,000. So I can sign up for a premium, get another 50,000 points? But I have to charge 10k to do it? Then my yearly fees would be $170 which is almost a ticket to Orlando (we paid $203 this year).

SWA is NOT currently running the 50K bonus with sign up...you will have to keep a watch out for that.

I am not even worried about the 2 annual fees--the companion pass can be used UNLIMITED times before it expires. And you can change your companion up to 3x during the course of the year. This can make things tricky...

I currently have DD has my companion as we have a Sept trip & a Feb trip booked. She & I will likely do college visits in Oct & early March, so this makes sense. BUT DH & I could be traveling over spring break in March or to Vegas for March Madness--expensive times to fly. I am going to book myself a flight & add him as soon as DD & I return--you cannot book another companion if current companion has upcoming flights. Well, you could, but you will look 1st companion's flights.

So current value so far: (approx) $200 Sept trip, $300 Feb trip, $400 each college visit, $350-550 for March trip w/ DH--$1250-1450 saved already, and we still have 9 months of next year! Probably another trip w/ DH during summer & another college visit in fall. I'd love to to more, but this is stretching the budget as it is with college visits.

So I will switch my companion to DH in early March...back to DD in fall...possibly back to DH if we could find time/money for one more trip late in year--maybe even my mom.

 

[sydneysmom]

We do this for all hotels stays, at least ones that offer some type of rewards. Also for car rentals too.



We love it too! Even something simple like buying new outdoor trash cans from Home Depot. You can buy online and do "in store pick up" and just go get it in an hour or 2. We also did this at Best Buy when dh was buying a computer for my MIL. Well, she paid us for it but dh picked it out for her and brought it to her. It's a win-win for all of us.
So we earn pts by shopping online at various websites then earn more for using the SWA card.

Awesome!! and keep an eye on their home page because they run points specials alot where they double and triple them for certain vendors... I got lucky that I bought a purse from Macy's and it was at 4 pt/ $1 instead of the normal 2pt. (they had a 'back to school' promotion where on certain stores points went up.....it's crazy how quickly the points add up just from that.

I also signed up to do rewards from e-rewards. You can bank the $$ you earn from the surveys and when you get to $ 100 you can 'cash it in' for 2,000 SW rewards points! To give you an idea how quick it adds up, I've been doing the surveys for 2 1/2 months and I've got $61.80 saved up already... not too bad. But it'll get me another 2,000 points!

 

[jimandami]

SWA is NOT currently running the 50K bonus with sign up...you will have to keep a watch out for that. I am not even worried about the 2 annual fees--the companion pass can be used UNLIMITED times before it expires. And you can change your companion up to 3x during the course of the year. This can make things tricky... I currently have DD has my companion as we have a Sept trip & a Feb trip booked. She & I will likely do college visits in Oct & early March, so this makes sense. BUT DH & I could be traveling over spring break in March or to Vegas for March Madness--expensive times to fly. I am going to book myself a flight & add him as soon as DD & I return--you cannot book another companion if current companion has upcoming flights. Well, you could, but you will look 1st companion's flights. So current value so far: (approx) $200 Sept trip, $300 Feb trip, $400 each college visit, $350-550 for March trip w/ DH--$1250-1450 saved already, and we still have 9 months of next year! Probably another trip w/ DH during summer & another college visit in fall. I'd love to to more, but this is stretching the budget as it is with college visits. So I will switch my companion to DH in early March...back to DD in fall...possibly back to DH if we could find time/money for one more trip late in year--maybe even my mom.

If you get a referral from a current cardholder, you can currently get the 50,000. It's kinda tough on here though because it's against the TOS to post a link for that.

 

[Gillyrose779]

If you go to southwest . com / inflight (of course take all the spaces out)

you can get a premier card and 50,000 points.

I just saw this while I was flying a few weeks ago. You are suppose to do it inflight but I don't think they care- as long as you get the card.

 

[Gillyrose779]

Oh- and anyone with a card trying to get points really watch the shopping site.

I got 9/ point for JC Penney a few days ago. I ordered blinds I was meaning to do for awhile and got almost 8,000 points- enough for one plane ticket from Indy to Orlando!

 

[phorsenuf]

I already have a premier card but would like to get another for the 50,000 points which will qualify me for the companion pass (though I wish I could wait until January so I could get 2 years out of it!)
I know you can apply for a plus card, or a premier card in a business name.

When I followed the inflight link above, it takes me to a 50,000 link but it looks like it's a regular premier card and not a way to apply as a business. Any tips on that?

 

[Gillyrose779]

I already have a premier card but would like to get another for the 50,000 points which will qualify me for the companion pass (though I wish I could wait until January so I could get 2 years out of it!) I know you can apply for a plus card, or a premier card in a business name. When I followed the inflight link above, it takes me to a 50,000 link but it looks like it's a regular premier card and not a way to apply as a business. Any tips on that?

I would call the number on the website and tell them you have a premier but would like the business. It never hurts to ask.

Also, historically it looks like they tend to bring the 50,000 offer back in sept.

 

[KKB]

If you go to southwest . com / inflight (of course take all the spaces out)

you can get a premier card and 50,000 points.

I just saw this while I was flying a few weeks ago. You are suppose to do it inflight but I don't think they care- as long as you get the card.

That link does go to a 50K premier for 50K link

BUT the currrent online premier/plus/business offer is 25K

"I already have a premier card but would like to get another for the 50,000 points which will qualify me for the companion pass (though I wish I could wait until January so I could get 2 years out of it!)
I know you can apply for a plus card, or a premier card in a business name."

"If you get a referral from a current cardholder, you can currently get the 50,000"

My online research only shows 2500 per referral.

You cannot wait until January--you must earn the 100K within one calender year. If you have earned 50K + 2K this year, you need to earn 58K more before the end of this year...and then the companion pass is good through the end of next year.

 

[MAJPLO]

That link does go to a 50K premier for 50K link

BUT the currrent online premier/plus/business offer is 25K

"I already have a premier card but would like to get another for the 50,000 points which will qualify me for the companion pass (though I wish I could wait until January so I could get 2 years out of it!)
I know you can apply for a plus card, or a premier card in a business name."

"If you get a referral from a current cardholder, you can currently get the 50,000"

My online research only shows 2500 per referral.

You cannot wait until January--you must earn the 100K within one calender year. If you have earned 50K + 2K this year, you need to earn 58K more before the end of this year...and then the companion pass is good through the end of next year.

If I got my card in march don't I have until the following march to earn the companion pass?

 

[jimandami]

If I got my card in march don't I have until the following march to earn the companion pass?

No, the companion pass is by calendar year.

 

[jimandami]

That link does go to a 50K premier for 50K link BUT the currrent online premier/plus/business offer is 25K "I already have a premier card but would like to get another for the 50,000 points which will qualify me for the companion pass (though I wish I could wait until January so I could get 2 years out of it!) I know you can apply for a plus card, or a premier card in a business name." "If you get a referral from a current cardholder, you can currently get the 50,000" My online research only shows 2500 per referral. You cannot wait until January--you must earn the 100K within one calender year. If you have earned 50K + 2K this year, you need to earn 58K more before the end of this year...and then the companion pass is good through the end of next year.

I am a card holder and currently have a referral link for 50,000 that is good until end of August. However, I am not allowed to post it here.

 

[MAJPLO]

I am a card holder and currently have a referral link for 50,000 that is good until end of August. However, I am not allowed to post it here.

I have one also I used to invite my mom. I think it's good for inviting up to five.