Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[MarBee]

I was just coming online to post this. Two free EarlyBirds are going away, making me think that EB will no longer be an option. One free bag per cardholder and members of cardholder's party, as expected, has been added. I am intrigued by this, though:
View attachment 986726

It gives me hope that, if I book basic, DH and I can get standard seats together. However, I feel it really does seal the doom of Early Bird.

I have a flight next month I was debating on getting EBCI for it or saving it for another trip. Just went and booked it for now bc it doesn’t seem it will exist later.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So far of the flights we have booked in August and September (Vegas, Orlando, Atlanta) only the Atlanta one in September has reduced, we just got back $48 total in addition to the previous $90. The most recent reduction with the sale that ends tomorrow IIRC.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Bin space.
With almost everyone having to pay for checked bags more people than ever are going to have carry ons.

Going to be interesting since bin space is already an issue…many flights are already asking people to check their carry-ones at the gate when planes are full. They start making announcements at the gate just prior to plane boarding offering opportunity to check your bag for free. Now with bag charges even more passengers going to show up at gate with bags…

 

[disneylover81]

So will you be booking a flight on Tuesday? If so, at least I won't be alone trying to figure this all out as I book that morning. I don't have any kind of Southwest card, but I figured that if I paid for "Choice Preferred", I'd be able to book an assigned seat in the Preferred section. I really need to sit near the front of the plane-I need wheelchair assistance, and several times when I've gotten off later (hate to hold people up), people who haven't ordered a wheelchair take one anyways, so when I get off the plane, all the wheelchairs have gone. Fortunately I'll be going to WDW before this assigned seating change, so I just need to come home and paying more for one trip isn't the end of the world-just maybe the end of flying with Southwest.
Who else is trying out this new system on Tuesday?

Yes, I will be booking a Feb. flight Tuesday and probably going to do choice preferred for the seat selection. We don’t have to sit close to the front, just prefer it so we can get off faster. DH is a smoker and believe me, by the time we land, he is cranky after going so long without so he’s ready to get outside quick. My life would be easier if he’d quit, but no luck yet after 27 years…. Buying tickets now has just gotten tricky since we have the companion pass and not quite sure how all that will work with seat selection since SWA hasn’t really clarified that from what I can tell. I just hope it’s easy to figure out. We have 3 SWA cards, but with the new AF’s, we are going to be canceling at least 1, but maybe 2 of them. Our only nonstop options are SWA or Spirit so we are kinda stuck unless we want layovers, which we don’t.

 

[disneylover81]

So far of the flights we have booked in August and September (Vegas, Orlando, Atlanta) only the Atlanta one in September has reduced, we just got back $48 total in addition to the previous $90. The most recent reduction with the sale that ends tomorrow IIRC.

We are going Labor Day weekend Thursday-Tuesday and our return MCO flight went down 2,500 points so now we are at 14k points for that flight, but going to MCO went up in points. We used 24k for it and now it’s at 29k. We booked Anytime tickets. My kids/grandkids decided to drive the 11 hours there to save money on flights so they’ll meet us there. Gonna be a long journey, the grandkids are 2 and 5.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We are going Labor Day weekend Thursday-Tuesday and our return MCO flight went down 2,500 points so now we are at 14k points for that flight, but going to MCO went up in points. We used 24k for it and now it’s at 29k. We booked Anytime tickets. My kids/grandkids decided to drive the 11 hours there to save money on flights so they’ll meet us there. Gonna be a long journey, the grandkids are 2 and 5.

Ooo that's nice! That drive is probably going to be rough. It's a 2 day drive to Orlando realistically for us but we wouldn't choose it unless we absolutely had to. I've done it as a kid though.

Both of ours were WGA+ fares. We paid cash for the Orlando (and Atlanta) flight in mid-June. It's KC to Orlando on September 5th (so the week after you) and Atlanta to KC later on in September. That Orlando flight was I believe $110 per person WGA+ but it was a flight that arrives at 10:45pm in Orlando and normally not a time we would select but Orlando is just a quick stop over before our bigger trip sooo we took it and it meant my husband didn't need to take an additional PTO day. The other flight times were about triple that cost.

That Atlanta flight seemed way too high to begin with at $268 per person but I had checked Delta and they were $269 so yeah. But it's ridiculous to me that SWA has been on par with Delta for our airport for the last several years. A main cabin seat (which is what the $269 was) and a SWA flight are not the same type of experience. But to that point like I posted that Atlanta flight has come down to a much more reasonable price for a 2hr flight.

For whatever reason Vegas is a very expensive destination this year. Our August flights were 23,500 points per person just WGA+! And like I mentioned haven't gone down at all. And my goodness normally we would not pay that price. I mean like we paid that years back to Jamaica which makes much more sense but not to Vegas My husband was just there in Vegas and his WGA+ flights RT were about $900 for just one person and he now has to go back to Vegas in about a week and a half and it's right around the same. He checked and Delta was also about that. He could save a bit with American Airlines but with a connection in Dallas which didn't make sense for him. For him most of his flights are booked within a few weeks of the flight but given our other flight was booked months in advance it just seems Vegas is pricey this year to/from our airport.

 

[DGaw4]

View attachment 986839

Can someone help me confirm I'm understanding this screenshot correctly from the bottom of https://www.southwest.com/customer-enhancements/cardmember-benefits ?

While the $75 travel credit and 4 upgraded boardings benefits are being removed from the Priority card, if I apply for the Priority card I would still be able to use those benefits before 12/31/2025?

I was wondering about this too. When you look at the current offer details listed for the priority card the 4 upgraded bookings are still listed until the end of the year but the $75 flight credit is missing. I talked to someone at Chase and they also said there is not currently a flight credit if you sign up, but am not 100% sure if they truly understood what I was asking.

 

[Threehearts]

I have never tried for any SUBs when choosing a credit card so I am having a little trouble understanding this new Southwest offer.

Does it matter if I go through Chase for the Chase Southwest card or should I get the card directly from Southwest? I do business with Chase so it would easier to go that route but I just want to be sure that would get the same new sign on benefits as I would with the Southwest"s Priority card.

I did read through the whole thread and I hate to admit that I'm still confused on this one point.

Many thanks!!

Threehearts

 

[eticketplease]

I have never tried for any SUBs when choosing a credit card so I am having a little trouble understanding this new Southwest offer.

Does it matter if I go through Chase for the Chase Southwest card or should I get the card directly from Southwest? I do business with Chase so it would easier to go that route but I just want to be sure that would get the same new sign on benefits as I would with the Southwest"s Priority card.

I did read through the whole thread and I hate to admit that I'm still confused on this one point.

Many thanks!!

Threehearts

Do you currently have a Southwest credit card?

If so, you will not be able to open a new one and get the bonus.

If not, it doesn’t matter if you click from Southwest or if you click from Chase, it will ultimately be the same place which is Chase‘s website.

You will need to make sure you put your rapid rewards number in the application so they can tie it to your southwest account

 

[Threehearts]

I do not have any Southwest cards and never have held any. I only carry 2 cards(1 Chase for my small business, 1 personal CC and one debit card.

I currently transfer all of my points on my Chase card to Southwest so they have that number on file for those transactions. Will that be enough?

I very much appreciate your patience in helping me with my questions. I'm sure most people navigating this issue have a much easier time understanding.

 

[anricat]

Wow this is a great idea!! Have you already tried this?

I've done it! Worked like a charm.

 

[pooch]

My nonstops from CT to MCO late September were 5500 & 4500 respectively. When I took the grands last November, final price R/T was 8200 points each. My goal is always less than 10,000.

 

[eticketplease]

I do not have any Southwest cards and never have held any. I only carry 2 cards(1 Chase for my small business, 1 personal CC and one debit card.

I currently transfer all of my points on my Chase card to Southwest so they have that number on file for those transactions. Will that be enough?

I very much appreciate your patience in helping me with my questions. I'm sure most people navigating this issue have a much easier time understanding.

Ok I think you are confusing a few things.

You mentioned the sub in your first post.

I’m assuming sub is for sign up bonus or sign up welcome offer for opening the card.

Since do not currently have a SW card and have not received a welcome offer in the past 24 months (or in your case ever ) you will be eligible for the Welcome Offer aka sub.

The new offer is 100k points/miles after spending $4,000 in 5 months.

That offer is for any of the 3 personal cards.

The offer for either of the 2 business cards are 80k points/miles after spending $5,000 in 3 months.

The other that has been mentioned is the companion pass.

The companion pass allows a companion to fly with you for the cost of taxes.

Once the companion pass has been earned you will have access it for the rest of the year and all of the next year.

In order to earn the companion pass you have to get 135,000 points in a year. The amount of points resets every January 1st to 0 or 10,000 if you have a SW Credit card.

Now it sounds like you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred allowing you to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest.
That is a nice feature but unfortunately none of those points will count towards the Companion Pass (CP).

To get you started towards the CP each of the 5 SW credit cards will give you 10,000 points towards the Companion Pass each year but are not valid for flights.

So by holding the card you need 125,000 points in a year instead of 135,000.

Welcome offers, everyday spending on the CC, flights on SW, shopping through the SW portal or dining at SW restaurants are all way.

If you can delay getting a personal card until August or September and delay your spending until January 2026 you will have a lot of time to get the remaining points for the CP in 2026 & 2027.

If you manage to get the personal card now you are on the clock now as if you took the whole 5 month period that you have to meet the spend and earned the rest of the points you would earn the CP in late December basically just giving you one year of CP.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[Threehearts]

Ok I think you are confusing a few things.

You mentioned the sub in your first post.

I’m assuming sub is for sign up bonus or sign up welcome offer for opening the card.

Since do not currently have a SW card and have not received a welcome offer in the past 24 months (or in your case ever ) you will be eligible for the Welcome Offer aka sub.

The new offer is 100k points/miles after spending $4,000 in 5 months.

That offer is for any of the 3 personal cards.

The offer for either of the 2 business cards are 80k points/miles after spending $5,000 in 3 months.

The other that has been mentioned is the companion pass.

The companion pass allows a companion to fly with you for the cost of taxes.

Once the companion pass has been earned you will have access it for the rest of the year and all of the next year.

In order to earn the companion pass you have to get 135,000 points in a year. The amount of points resets every January 1st to 0 or 10,000 if you have a SW Credit card.

Now it sounds like you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred allowing you to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest.
That is a nice feature but unfortunately none of those points will count towards the Companion Pass (CP).

To get you started towards the CP each of the 5 SW credit cards will give you 10,000 points towards the Companion Pass each year but are not valid for flights.

So by holding the card you need 125,000 points in a year instead of 135,000.

Welcome offers, everyday spending on the CC, flights on SW, shopping through the SW portal or dining at SW restaurants are all way.

If you can delay getting a personal card until August or September and delay your spending until January 2026 you will have a lot of time to get the remaining points for the CP in 2026 & 2027.

If you manage to get the personal card now you are on the clock now as if you took the whole 5 month period that you have to meet the spend and earned the rest of the points you would earn the CP in late December basically just giving you one year of CP.

Hopefully this helps.

Your thorough explanation is perfect. I do not need a companion pass. It is unfortunate that my transferred Chase points won't count toward the $4000 but I am glad for that information. I will wait until next month to get my Southwest card as I am in no hurry.

I completely understand how everything works now. I'm grateful for your help.

 

[MarBee]

Your thorough explanation is perfect. I do not need a companion pass. It is unfortunate that my transferred Chase points won't count toward the $4000 but I am glad for that information. I will wait until next month to get my Southwest card as I am in no hurry.

I completely understand how everything works now. I'm grateful for your help.

If you are going to sign up, consider using a referral link from a family member, friend, or one of the helpful people on these boards if those aren’t an option. You’ll get the same sign up bonus, and they will get some points for referring you. @eticketplease seemed to be helpful with their response to you, so it may be nice to return the favor to them