Southwest Rapid Rewards - any experts?

[Ana~n~Joseph]

I recently got a SW Rapid Rewards Chase CC (I applied Feb 28). The promotion they were running was two free roundtrip tickets with first purchase. Well, I just got my "rewards" and they are classified under the old program so seats are limited. Does SW usually open seats as the dates get closer? I'm traveling May 19-22 to Orlando - there is one flight available on the way there and none on the way back. Please tell me things will magically open up!!!

 

[readytogotodisney]

I'm no expert, but from what I remember SW has a limited # of reserved "free" rewards seats on each flight. Once these are gone, they're gone.
I know in the past they had any and all seats were available for rewards, but they have since changed this. Sorry, hopefully I don't know about a loop hole and you can get your rewards seats.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

I'm no expert, but from what I remember SW has a limited # of reserved "free" rewards seats on each flight. Once these are gone, they're gone.
I know in the past they had any and all seats were available for rewards, but they have since changed this. Sorry, hopefully I don't know about a loop hole and you can get your rewards seats.

Under SWA new Rapid Rewards program, all seats are available for booking using RR points.

I have had occasion to have RR seats become available after all available RR award flights were booked. Just keep checking. If not, then just use one half of the award for this trip and the other half for another.

 

[Jordan'sMom]

OP, I'm in the same boat. I check every day but nothing has opened up for our outgoing flight. I find it hard to stomach $230 for a one way flight to Orlando. That's more than I paid round trip every other time we have gone!

The SW agent I spoke to said "anything is possible" but I believe someone will have to cancel/change their plans before a seat will open. At this point, I am just hoping the price comes down a bit and will purchase the outgoing flight, saving the rewards for next year. Good luck to you!

 

[mcd2745]

We ran into the same problem. My DW and I both got cards (separate accounts), so we each got 4 certificates (we are a family of 4). I was able to get a flight down to MCO out of Long Island with my certificates but there were no reward seats on any flights for when we are returning until 3 days after our scheduled return date. And the our preferred return flight from MCO is $259 pp one-way!!! We paid $188 and $218 round-trip each of the last two years. We ended up booking a very early flight back the next morning for $163 pp. We'll just leave the DW (staying at the BC) in the evening, take ME to MCO, grab a shuttle from an airport hotel and crash there for the night and be out very early for the flight. I know the price of fuel is rising, but these fares are ridiculous. I hope they are putting some of that money into making sure the roof of the planes don't rip off. Oh wait....

 

[pooch]

I too applied for and received the SWA RR Visa with 2 free RT flights. My certificates appeared as soon as my bill closed (hadn't even received the bill let alone paid it). I called earlier this week and the wonderful CSR told me as long as there are available seats (said nothing about available Reward seats) on the flight, I could book with my certificates. I got exactly the days and times I wanted with no problem.

 

[Jordan'sMom]

I too applied for and received the SWA RR Visa with 2 free RT flights. My certificates appeared as soon as my bill closed (hadn't even received the bill let alone paid it). I called earlier this week and the wonderful CSR told me as long as there are available seats (said nothing about available Reward seats) on the flight, I could book with my certificates. I got exactly the days and times I wanted with no problem.

Consider yourself lucky! Certain days only have limited availability. When I first tried to get the reward, there was only 1 seat left for a 5:15 flight out of Houston. We need to be at Chef Mickey's at 5:30, so obviously that wouldn't work! We are also flying out the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend so less availability for reward flights.

 

[yankebabie]

How do you know if there are any rewards seats on the flight you want? I don't see anywhere on the S.W. website that tells you that.

 

[Jordan'sMom]

How do you know if there are any rewards seats on the flight you want? I don't see anywhere on the S.W. website that tells you that.

SW just fixed their website about two days ago where you can now actually book the visa rewards online instead of having to call. The process is a bit cumbersome however.

First, login to your rapid reward account. On the right side, click on the "My Rapid Rewards" tab.

At the bottom of the opened panel, you will see "What happened to my Credits and Awards?", click this.

You will be taken to a new screen and will need to go to the section labeled "What about my Awards", click on the "go" under "View Full List of Awards".

Finally, you made it to the page where you can book your award flight and view available dates.

I hope this helps!

 

[Lewisc]

According to experts on flyertalk Southwest will generally release standard (RR1.0) tickets shortly before the flight. Days maybe a week. Inventory does show up as passengers with existing reservations change/cancel flights.

No guarantee the best strategy is to book "bad" flight times or even not the date your looking for and hope to change as your travel date gets closer.

We have no idea how the new rapid rewards 2.0 program will affect how they allocate inventory.

 

[Frannie115]

At this point, I would book whatever free flights are available for your promo.

We received our free flight credits about 3 weeks ago and called to book them right away. This is for June and there were only 4 seats left on one flight. It was the flight we wanted .

 

[Lewisc]

I don't know the impact of all the free tickets being issued as a result of the Chase promotion will have on availability of flights. Can't be good.

 

[candy0730]

I am hoping RR flights open up also. I bought tickets for September when the schedule was released so I have great flight times. I was hoping to use my RR credits from my September flight and save the travel funds to apply to our Thanksgiving flights since most of the week is blacked out so I won't be able to use the credits then. Unfortunately the only flights left on the days we want to travel are late afternoon on the way there with 1 stop and early morning returning home. Of course the weekends before and after are wide open. I know I have to be flexible but this is so discouraging. I am not giving up my great flights so if I have to use the credits some other time then that is what I will do. I am sure a weekend in Vegas would be a blast.

 

[Abbie]

I too applied for and received the SWA RR Visa with 2 free RT flights. My certificates appeared as soon as my bill closed (hadn't even received the bill let alone paid it). I called earlier this week and the wonderful CSR told me as long as there are available seats (said nothing about available Reward seats) on the flight, I could book with my certificates. I got exactly the days and times I wanted with no problem.

I'm starting to think this is the worst promotion I've ever been involved in! I've had my card for over a month now, it closed last week and the amount I spent for the month was deposited as point into my RR acct. But my two free flights don't show up anywhere, so I called to ask about it. I was told it wouldn't show up in the acct for 6-8 weeks after the statement closed, but it sounds like people are seeing their free flights immediately? Am I looking in the wrong place?? Very confusing.

Also tried to follow the steps JordansMom posted but I never get further than "What happened to my credits?" page. The new page that loads (showing two old credits plus the new points) doesn't have anywhere to click on "What about my rewards?"

 

[pooch]

under "promotions" Have to go back & try again but I'm pretty sure I went into my account on SWA (not on the Chase site), clicked on "my rapid rewards", then "promotions". There were my 4 certificates with a button to click to redeem. That took me to a page that directed me to call a CRS at SWA to complete my booking. The gentleman I spoke with said the IT geeks were supposed to have fixed that so you could do it all yourself on-line but apparently had not as of then.

IDK, it was so easy. I don't understand why I didn't have the problems others have, not that I'm complaining!!!

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

I'm glad I'm not the only one dealing with this. It frustrates me because when I called to activate the card I was told I would get the actual points credited to my account but instead got the vouchers which are held against the old rules of the program (limited seats).

There are no flights available on the way back and on the way there they only have the latest flight of the day open (I have a 1 year old --- it would be a nightmare). If I fly out the day before and come back a day earlier I can use them but Disney doesn't have my room category available anymore I guess I"ll keep waiting..........

And if I see one more of the new SW commercials talking about "no red tape" I'm going to scream