Planetrain posted this first reply to ByrdluvsAWACO's scoop:
• Old: Free travel was limited to the cities served by Southwest. New : Points can be used to buy airline tickets and pay for other travel costs in Hawaii, Alaska and international destinations, through Maritz Travel.
Nice! I wonder how soon 2.0 will go into effect, I need a ticket to Hawaii stat!
• Old: Credits in the program expired 24 months after they were earned. New: Rapid Rewards points will never expire, as long as the member has some activity during the previous 24 months.
I thought 24 months was plenty, but I guess this is a perk for those who rarely travel. Definitely not a bad thing.
• Old: The airline automatically issued a ticket for a free flight once it was earned, whether the passenger wanted it then. New: The airline will issue the ticket when the member requests.
This ought to eliminate the expiration issue people have with having to pay $50 to renew a reward.
• Old: Passengers earned a single credit per flight, whether the trip went 182 miles from Dallas to Austin on a $49 "Wanna Get Away" ticket or 1,990 miles from Baltimore to Phoenix on a $459 "Business Select" ticket. New: The points earned go up as the price of the ticket goes up, with bonuses for full-fare tickets and elite status fliers.
This was expected. I think some will get upset, but it makes sense.
• Old: Passengers got one free ticket for every 16 credits, regardless of how much they paid or the length of their flights. New: The points needed are directly tied to the price of the free ticket being acquired.
Again, this makes sense. It'll be interesting to see what the going points are.
I think the changes with 2.0 are enough to keep me flying Southwest. I can't wait to book some award travel to Hawaii!