Southwest is giving 50,000 points again

[bjscheel]

Oh my goodness. I knew this thread existed but didn't pay any attention as we weren't going anywhere for sure. Now over the last few weeks I have been checking prices on flights to California. It's been running over $300pp x 4 people. (I want to do Des Moines or Omaha to San Diego; then John Wayne airport to come back.)

Started looking into this just now. My flights from/to Des Moines in June would be about 8600 points each, so around 34,000 points total. If DH and I each get a card, we would have free flights and points to spare (hopefully prices don't increase terribly).

Putting $2000 on each would not be a problem as DH puts about $5000 in semi fuel on a card every month.

If we only get one card, at the current fares we would be about 18,000 points short. What do you do when you can only buy some of your tickets with points- buy the rest in a separate reservation?

 

[bjscheel]

Is it still 50,000? Because all I have found is 25,000 with a new card. I have one, trying to decide if I should get another one. Not worried about my credit.

Here is a link posted earlier that has the 50,000:

https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/southwest/radio

 

[Marionnette]

Oh my goodness. I knew this thread existed but didn't pay any attention as we weren't going anywhere for sure. Now over the last few weeks I have been checking prices on flights to California. It's been running over $300pp x 4 people. (I want to do Des Moines or Omaha to San Diego; then John Wayne airport to come back.)

Started looking into this just now. My flights from/to Des Moines in June would be about 8600 points each, so around 34,000 points total. If DH and I each get a card, we would have free flights and points to spare (hopefully prices don't increase terribly).

Putting $2000 on each would not be a problem as DH puts about $5000 in semi fuel on a card every month.

If we only get one card, at the current fares we would be about 18,000 points short. What do you do when you can only buy some of your tickets with points- buy the rest in a separate reservation?

• You can book one-way fares for everyone on one reservation number and then pay OOP for the return fares.
• Or you can book RT reservations for as many people that can be covered with the RR miles and then pay OOP for the remaining people.
• Or any combination of the above that uses your points to the maximum amount.

 

[bjscheel]

I was reading about this on the millionmiles secrets blog and he recommends when you want to get 2, to do a personal card and then a business card. And then call the reconsideration line if the business is turned down. We do have a business, but I don't want to have to call a reconsideration line! Have people here had success either doing a personal one for husband and personal one for wife, or doing one personal and one business card without having to call in?

 

[RachelTori]

I was reading about this on the millionmiles secrets blog and he recommends when you want to get 2, to do a personal card and then a business card. And then call the reconsideration line if the business is turned down. We do have a business, but I don't want to have to call a reconsideration line! Have people here had success either doing a personal one for husband and personal one for wife, or doing one personal and one business card without having to call in?

DH and I each have a personal one -- each of us got the 50,000 miles. We applied at different times (that wasn't planned, it just happened that way!) and both of us were immediately approved.

We don't have a business so neither of us would be eligible for the business card.

 

[elgerber]

So, since they sent me the offer via email, even though I cancelled the card last summer, I thought I'd try again. I was approved instantly, and just for fun I logged into Chase, and my new account already shows on there, in a matter of minutes! That's crazy!

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

Thanks so much for all this information!! So if DH & I each get a card, we each need to put $2000 on each card within 2 months & then each card gets 50,000 points....
Then each cards points can be combined into one account?? We'd need more than 50,000 for 4 of us to fly somewhere, but $100,000 would be enough.

Or we could get gift cards instead of miles??
Just talking this out to make sure we have it all. We each have a Disney visa now but the points rate is so low...

TIA

 

[elgerber]

Thanks so much for all this information!! So if DH & I each get a card, we each need to put $2000 on each card within 2 months & then each card gets 50,000 points....
Then each cards points can be combined into one account?? We'd need more than 50,000 for 4 of us to fly somewhere, but $100,000 would be enough.

Or we could get gift cards instead of miles??
Just talking this out to make sure we have it all. We each have a Disney visa now but the points rate is so low...

TIA

You cannot combine the points into one account, but you could each by tickets for 2 people, or each of you buy one way, or however the points work out.

 

[kristenrice]

Another question...

The only way I will get DH to agree to this is if we close our Disney Visa which currently has a balance on it. I see that there is a bonus offer for 1 point per $1 in balance transfers. Since both the SWA card and Disney Visa are issued by Chase, would I even be eligible for a balance transfer?

 

[HayGan]

Another question...

The only way I will get DH to agree to this is if we close our Disney Visa which currently has a balance on it. I see that there is a bonus offer for 1 point per $1 in balance transfers. Since both the SWA card and Disney Visa are issued by Chase, would I even be eligible for a balance transfer?

No - Chase won't allow transfers from one Chase account to another.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

You cannot combine the points into one account, but you could each by tickets for 2 people, or each of you buy one way, or however the points work out.

thank you!!

 

[kristenrice]

No - Chase won't allow transfers from one Chase account to another.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

That's what I figured....oh well.

 

[momto1]

Applied for mine today and was immediately approved! This will be great to get airfare for my August trip!
Lori

 

[Marionnette]

You cannot combine the points into one account, but you could each by tickets for 2 people, or each of you buy one way, or however the points work out.

You cannot combine points into one Rapid Rewards account but...

...you can convert points from both RR accounts into one A+ Rewards account at AirTran. 1,200 RR points equal 1 Airtran credit. 8 Airtran credits will pay for a one-way ticket. So, between 2 accounts, you would have enough for 83 Airtran credits - enough for 10 one-way trips or 5 Round-trip tickets.

The negative side of doing this would be that Airtran awards travel is limited to available awards seats. RR points allow you to book any flight with your points. And once the points are converted to AirTran credits, they cannot be changed back to RR points.

In doing the math, you are better off converting to Airtran credits if a one-way WannaGetAway ticket is going to cost you more than $160 and if Airtran has reasonable flights available using A+ awards.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

One more question, I'm playing on their website...and in order to pay for a hotel room with points, I'm assuming it has to be specific hotels, right? I'm playing w/WDW hotels resort and I haven't been able to figure out a way to change the price in dollars to price in points....

 

[bjscheel]

One more question, I'm playing on their website...and in order to pay for a hotel room with points, I'm assuming it has to be specific hotels, right? I'm playing w/WDW hotels resort and I haven't been able to figure out a way to change the price in dollars to price in points....

I am in the Rapid Rewards section of the website and went into the part where you explore rewards. There you can look for hotels. You can look by area or specific hotel. Then it will show you hotels by points.

I'm looking in California. I found the one we want in San Diego, but it is 22,000/night, and we will have like 16,000 points on one account leftover, and 16,000 on the other. In Anaheim, the hotels right across from Disney are around 16,000/night. But my preferred choices are not included.

 

[bjscheel]

Applied this morning and got a cc for DH and one for me!

Did some more browsing and found an Anaheim hotel that we could use. DH might have enough points for one night and I might have enough for one night. We would need to pay for 2 more nights out of pocket. Do you suppose the hotel would let us stay in one room over 3 reservations?

I hope our points work out just right so we can get a couple hotel nights and use almost all of them up, because we will probably never build up enough to use again...without the 50,000 bonus it isn't worth it. DH can earn more with his 2% fuel card and that's cash we can use for anything, not just travel.

 

[kristenrice]

Before I pull the trigger, I want to make sure I have this right...

I'm hoping to convert the RR into A+ credits (since AT flies out of GR and I'd have to drive to Detroit to fly SWA) for our trip on November 7.

If I apply and get approved today, when would the credits appear in my account and be available for use? I know I have to spend $2K in the first 3 months...do the credits show up once I've spent $2K or will they not be available until the end of April?

I want to make sure that I will have enough to cover 2 r/t tickets to Orlando and that there will still be seats available for the flight. I usually book airfare within a week after the prices are released so waiting until 5 months out is a killer for me. If I know that the flights will be free, I won't worry so much.

 

[ICF]

Pts points based on the statements closing. Once the statment closes, with the $2K spent, the pts will post to your RR account.

So, depending on your spending -- it could post in 30 days or it may take the full 3 months.

 

[kristenrice]

Pts points based on the statements closing. Once the statment closes, with the $2K spent, the pts will post to your RR account.

So, depending on your spending -- it could post in 30 days or it may take the full 3 months.

Thanks! This helps a lot!

I am also looking at the possibility of flying from Chicago. We live in GR so it is either 3 hours to Detroit of 3 hours to Midway if we had to fly SWA. Based on the schedule so far, it would be less points to fly from MDW and it would be non-stop. I'd REALLY prefer to fly from GR since it will be only DH and I going. I *loathe* the idea of driving that far on the same day of the flight. I'm terrified of hitting a traffic back up, blowing a tire, etc, and then missing the flight. We typically do a park n fly hotel when we go to Detroit, but that won't be an option for this trip.

UGHH!! I really wish AT and SWA would post their flight schedules for November...it would make this so much easier!