$5 option for a 19200 point Standard Award for travel as late as 5/2016 (was 10/2016)
Oct 29, 2014, 4:46 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
I transferred points to my A+ Account and it worked fine almost immediate. I have one flight tomorrow I want to get that credit before I transfer back. If it doesn't show up almost immediately I'll transfer some more points and let the credit show up as points.
Oct 29, 2014, 5:35 pm
#32
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,172
Last chance: $5 option for a 19200 point Standard Award for travel as late as 10/2016
Thanks OP - did it for myself
How to get 300 cheap points into spouse/child accounts? I only see 2k transfer option. Worth it to preserve this option?
How to get 300 cheap points into spouse/child accounts? I only see 2k transfer option. Worth it to preserve this option?
Oct 29, 2014, 5:48 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,698
I remember multiple years ago when there was no issue with booking a reward ticket-if a seat is available it is yours! Then they changed it. But availability was still good, comparable to any other airline.
Have they changed it again to have less availability with reward vouchers?
Have they changed it again to have less availability with reward vouchers?
But this seems vary from person to person here so take it with a YMMV, my experience is to/from ISP where the flights have easily been cut back by 50%+ since 2011...
Still didn't stop me from creating 4 more...
Oct 29, 2014, 6:02 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
Oct 30, 2014, 12:00 am
#35
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,706
Two questions for nsx (or anyone else).
1. So if I seed 0.25 credits, I can fund the rest 15.75 required for a standard award, any time within a year, with RR points in my account, right?
2. It looks like standard awards are meant for round trip, not one-way, is that right? Can I have an open jaw?
1. So if I seed 0.25 credits, I can fund the rest 15.75 required for a standard award, any time within a year, with RR points in my account, right?
2. It looks like standard awards are meant for round trip, not one-way, is that right? Can I have an open jaw?
Oct 30, 2014, 12:49 am
#36
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,036
Standard Awards are bookable as two completely independent one-way trips, an even more generous proposition than just an open jaw. They don't have to be for the same passenger, and they don't have to include a common city.
Oct 30, 2014, 6:54 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
Has WN stated that we will be able to top off our seed until Oct. 31, 2015, or are we just assuming?
If there is availability for the Award and an empty extra seal for her.
If there is availability for the Award and an empty extra seal for her.
Oct 30, 2014, 8:37 am
#39
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,706
Oct 30, 2014, 12:18 pm
#40
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
At this point I assume that Southwest is going to allow all credits to be used or simply expire. If they don't I would expect to see a conversion of credits to points.
In any event if you only have .25 Credit it's not a big loss and worth the risk. I don't plan on topping off my seed until I need it or late October 2015, if I haven't used it.
Oct 30, 2014, 12:43 pm
#41
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MCI
Programs: CBP Global Entry, WN A-List Preferred, WN Companion Pass
Posts: 2,007
Oct 30, 2014, 1:22 pm
#42
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
Programs: Marriott (Silver/Gold), IHG, Carlson, Best Western, Choice( Gold), AS (MVP), WN, UA
Posts: 8,730
This is not my experience, I gotten few day out availability with nothing but AT fares available on a complete sellout. I've also been shutout in advance with very low WGA fares available. I contend that there is no rhyme or reason how SA's are offered and probably varies greatly for every city...
As I said in my las sentence--you can see some availability for last minute tickets. At that time wanna get aways are inflated or unavailable.---but you might get a spot for the voucher. But its not something I would rely upon.
Yes there are numerous other factors at play in it and its availability.
For example WN may restrict them being available on nonstop flights but will have them on connections.You could see similar priced flights but some have spots and some dont---if there is a connection in this then there may be another factor going on or the number they had sold out for this flight.
Oct 30, 2014, 6:18 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
Useful to have a few of these Standard Awards in pocket and a seed ready. For example, I just found out that my son has school off tomorrow. The thought occurred to fly to LGA with him for a couple days.
9 different flights MDW-LGA are available tomorrow for a one-way Standard Award. For cash, $424 AT.
9600 points, as discussed many times, worth about $137 otherwise.
9 different flights MDW-LGA are available tomorrow for a one-way Standard Award. For cash, $424 AT.
9600 points, as discussed many times, worth about $137 otherwise.
Oct 30, 2014, 9:38 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: PHX
Programs: WN CP & A-List; Hertz 5*
Posts: 100
Thank you nsx for reminding us to seed friends/family account. I did this and noticed that some are nearing points expiration (no activity in close to 24 months). When I did the seed credit through Airtran back to WN, the "last activity" date then changed to... not Oct 2014, but to Oct 2013, one year old. This probably reflects the life of the newly generated 0.25 seed credit.
Which got me thinking -- when the Airtran to WN credit to points conversion is done sometime in November, it may... or may not... update the Last activity date to something more current. If it does, it's a nice bonus for points in little used accounts. If it doesn't, then it doesn't hurt anything.
So, basically, after doing the 0.25 credit seed, I also pushed another 300 WN points to Airtran hoping they will bump up the last activity date in these infrequently used accounts.
Better be quick... there's only 24 hours left to finish all the transfer games!
Which got me thinking -- when the Airtran to WN credit to points conversion is done sometime in November, it may... or may not... update the Last activity date to something more current. If it does, it's a nice bonus for points in little used accounts. If it doesn't, then it doesn't hurt anything.
So, basically, after doing the 0.25 credit seed, I also pushed another 300 WN points to Airtran hoping they will bump up the last activity date in these infrequently used accounts.
Better be quick... there's only 24 hours left to finish all the transfer games!