SWA Changes in Rapid Reward Award Tickets

[cjsmom5]

As many of you know SWA released their dates through Dec 10th today. For the past 10 years we have flown on award tickets on Thanksgiving Day. But, it doesn't look like this is the case anymore ....

For those of you who don't know, SWA changed their Rapid Rewards program to be like other airlines with limited seats available to use your awards tickets. And, today I find out that there are many flights with NO seats available for awards ticket.

I called first thing this AM to get my Thanksgiving Day flights and were told that there were no seats available, at all -- that day -- for the reward certificates -- from our market (Phoenix). What I find sad is that I put up with no seat assignments, "milk runs" of flights with many "ups and downs," no options for first class upgrades, no lounges at airports, etc. in order to be able to take advantage of their rewards program since they only had blackout dates and one could book on any flight as long as there was a seat. Since that no longer holds true there is little incentive to keep me flying Southwest since they are typically the same price as other airlines when I fly --- at least from our area.

While I had heard of the change, the impact of this change wasn't real until today. It seems SWA is trying to be "more like the others" instead of distinguishing themselves from the others. I think that is sad but times do change.

Anyways, "be aware" of these changes and welcome to the "fight to use your free ticket" gang.

 

[kmermaid]

I too am sad to hear this is the case for around the holidays. I generally do not travel on the busy holiday season, so hopefully this will not be the case for the off peak times. I did not have trouble getting RR tix for 2 weeks before my flight to Naples, but then again Naples is not Orlando. Just when I find a cc to use that I can get alot from (I had cumulated 7 awards and earned a companion pass in less than a year) the rules get changed. I guess I wasn't the only one able to get awards easily.

 

[wdwfan1]

I also tried to book for Thanksgiving weekend. The days I needed were blacked out on my older tickets, and there were no seats available for the new tickets.

 

[tammydel]

I also was sad that I could not use my Rewards for 11/21 (Tuesday before Thanksgiving) or for 11/26 (Sunday after).
Of couse I realize that this is the busiest travel time - but I thought no black out days & seat restrictions would mean some seats (few and maybe not the best flights) everyday. I discovered that there were no seats available to use with rewards. It could be that they were gone by the time I tried to book, about 12pm. So I am paying $399 round trip Albany to Orlando. Ouch! For 5 people Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Again, I know it's the busiest travel dates but golly SW...

Tammy

 

[owtrbnks]

Sorry, I can't join your gang. BTW - You don't HAVE to put up with all those lousy things you mention about SWA. You are free to take your business to the poorly run airlines that your tax dollars support.
I guess SWA just knows how to remain profitable; after all, someone here is paying almost $400 R/T to fly on SWA! Can't be all that bad.
BTW - Just paid $115 R/T from ALB - including taxes in June and $163 for trip next week!
SWA is #1
Everyone else is free to have a different opinion, but you won't change mine. Maybe I'll be the only one on the plane.

 

[jctwizzer]

With the conditions in the travel industry, the move is not too surprising. As I recall, the change was released several months ago so it shouldn't have been a surprise; and nothing is forever. Changing your travel dates to a time when RR seats are available should be a fairly simple matter. Good luck.

 

[ImprovGal]

Has anyone figured out if these new capacity controlled rapid rewards awards are linked to a particular pricing tier? In other words, if there are no promotional/inet special rates available, are there no c.c. rapid rewards tix available as well? I'm getting pretty close to earning another award and am wondering what I'm in for.

 

[maminnie]

I agree with those who are saddened by this.

We have always truly felt like we were 'rewarded' for all the business my husband gives Southwest as we were able to get flights using Rapid Rewards that we wanted as long as we stayed away from the black out dates and booked early. Because the Rapid Rewards program now appears to mimic other airlines he no longer will be compelled to fly on SW. He will take other airlines that are more convenient rather than take SW routes/times that may be less convenient to him.

It appears that SW may no longer have a rewards program for all their loyal customers but rather a program that only rewards those who can fly on the lesser travelled times/days just like the other airlines. I'll have to make that judgement the first time I try to book a flight during a time in which I have been successful before.

Their rewards program was truly a reward rather then simply a piece of paper that comes every month and shows you how many miles you have and can never use even if you book a reservation at the earliest possible time. This sort of program does nothing but make one disappointed and angry rather than make you feel like you have been rewarded for being a loyal customer.

If the ability to get seats during higher travelled times is as bad as it sounds, I hope SW makes some adjustments to the program that once again make it a step above the other airlines.

 

[cjsmom5]

I did write SWA and let them know of my disappointment. When I hear back I will post their reply. When I talked with the customer service representative she was really surprised that there were NO seats on Thanksgiving Day available but she said that primarily the dissatisfaction has come from those trying to book last minute flights. I explained to her my frustration in that they were becoming like everyone else and she said she would pass the information on ... she also said that SWA does listen to letters/comments received from customers. So I figured a letter didn't hurt.

As far as booking, much of the time that I book with SWA their flights are the same price as US Airways, Delta, Alaska, etc. and in many cases the other flights are at better times and non-stop. We were talking today that for future trips we would probably just buy the best tickets available and look at builiding up Disney reward dollars to pay for our hotel instead of airline tickets. At least for the moment Disney will let you pay for just about everything with the reward dollars.

But it does sadden me that SWA is becoming like the others in terms of service and programs. I realize that SWA does make a profit which is unique for airlines these days ... but in the beginning they were lots of fun ... the flight attendents were a kick and really enjoyed themselves ... and their fares were considerably less. Today the fares are the same, many of the flight attendants have the same sterile attitude as other airlines, their routes are often longer without non-stops, and now the rewards program is very similar to others. As a business they have the "right" to do whatever they want but I think in this instance that they are going to lose those "faithful" that looked to their airline for the maverick attitude and prices that they used to be known for ... and I think they will find that this is an important market niche that they may have underestimated.

That being said, owtrbnks .,.... you are right I don't have to put up with all those things that we are "whining about" but what I can do is take my travel money to other forms of transportation and other carriers ... and as you said everyone has the right to an opinion. I will still fly SWA but only if they are the lowest price with the best connections/route available ... no longer do I believe SWA is #1 nor will I only look to them for my tickets ... but I am sure you will not be the only one on the flight as many of their flights these days are filled to capacity and often oversold ... those dings work well .. but the prices of those dings are typically very low, too.

 

[Maxwell]

I tried for award tickets the second the fares were released for Nov 21 and all said unavailable. It can't be that I was too late. They obviously blacked out all seats for awards. They used to have the best and easiest award system and now they are reverting to the policies of the other airlines. It's too bad really. I booked JetBlue as their price was lower that SW.

 

[iluvflorida8]

I tried for award tickets the second the fares were released for Nov 21 and all said unavailable. It can't be that I was too late. They obviously blacked out all seats for awards. They used to have the best and easiest award system and now they are reverting to the policies of the other airlines. It's too bad really. I booked JetBlue as their price was lower that SW.

I also was on-line yesterday the exact second Southwest released dates to Dec 10th. I immediately tried to book with Rapid Reward seats for Tuesday Nov 21 or Wednesday Nov 22, for any time and NO seats were available at 10:00AM eastern time!!

I did get 2 RR seats for Thanksgiving morning at 8:00AM for Pittsburgh to Orlando. But even on the return for the Sunday or Monday after Thanksgiving,there were NO RR seats at all!!

 

[cepmom]

we are close to getting our 16 credits and were planning on using it to purchase a ticket for our upcoming cruise in January. We will be flying on Friday 1/12 which is the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr day. Does anyone think this is going to be a blackout period or is it usually only around Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's??

 

[cjsmom5]

SWA doesn't have blackout dates anymore on the recent awards. They are subject to whether or not there are any seats available that are designated for Rewards tickets. Some flights have no seats available, at all. So, it is hard to say whether or not there will be a seat on the day you need to fly.