odom4president

why does southwest travel booked with rapid reward points NOT count towards A-list qualifying trips?

I see that I need to make 25 one way trips to qualify for A-List. However, if I use points (received from the 50,000 point credit card sign up bonus) to book trips I noticed I don't get credit for each trip as an A-List qualifying trip. (or even companion pass)

Am I the only one who thinks this is unfair?

smmrfld

In fact, it's very fair. This may seem strange to you, but A and A+ are meant to recognize those who actually book paid travel and provide significant revenue to WN, and can't be gamed (with the exception of occasional tier-qualifying bonuses). CC enrollment bonus points count toward CP for now, so you may have some luck there.

tusphotog

It's like this on every other airline.

djs

If this were to happen, you basically (perhaps literally) would be getting rewarded for taking advantag of your reward. Not going to happen.

no2chem

yes, quite the contrary, I think for those who actually fly enough to earn CP, we might even consider the whole 50k credit card thing a bit unfair...

I mean, what is the point of an "elite" program if the qualification requirements are free??

TSparky

Interesting that Hilton does count award nights toward elite status. I don't think any other hotel does.

nsx

IIRC that's a relatively recent change. I vaguely recall getting stay credit sometimes when I incurred room charges on an award stay 15 years ago and thinking that was an error on their part.

FindAWay

I don't think Hilton counting award stays toward elite status is that new (at least, according the blog post below).

SPG counts award stays too - New SPG Benefit: Award Stays Earn Elite Status Credit as of Oct 1, 2011

And, so does Choice Privileges (started in 2010).

Given that RR 2.0, as a revenue-based earning loyalty program, has many things in common with traditional hotel point loyalty programs, perhaps the idea of WN counting o/w flights towards the # of flight requirement for A-List status isn't too far fetched.

toomanybooks

SPG does:

"...all eligible SPG award stays and nights earn credit toward elite-status qualification..."

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefe...preferred.html

tusphotog

As someone who earns well over the 110k point requirement on flights, I agree. 100%. I'm really afraid this whole 50k cc bonus will eventually kill the CP program as we know it.

The problem is there are going to be way too many A-listers. I used to constantly pull down A16-19 on most of my flights with the exception of a few commuter flights on Monday morning. I haven't been higher than A21 since late May or early June and I'm flying WN almost every week. Some weeks I've had two or three R/Ts.

Often1

The reason that award flights don't count is that award flights don't count.

Every program has features. People like some and they don't like others. Programs are neither fair nor unfair.

FindAWay

"Way too many A-Listers"? By whose standard? And, based on what data? I certainly agree that there would be more A-Listers. But, since we're talking only about the number of one-way flights (and not TQPs since no TQPs could be earned without a fare cost off of which to determine TQPs to be earned), we are not talking about the occasional WN flier -- only those who fly o/w on WN more than twice a month on average during a calendar year (combined paid and award travel).

Your data points on your worse boarding positions are likely in response to more people making A-List based on TQPs under double TQP promos. However, including award reservation o/w flights as A-List qualifying, should have an effect (before considering non-flight earning) much less than 2x like such promos - earning & flying the same fare category (WGA, AT, or BS) that would make this change to be earning o/w tier-qualifying flight credit somewhere between 1.1x (since, under RR 2.0, it would take flying the same route 10 times at the same price before being able to use points) and 1.2x (buying BS & redeeming at WGA). Of course, there are many more ways to earn points (CC, shopping mall, WN promos, transfer in from partner, etc.) to redeem for flights; BUT, there are also lots of ways to redeem points for non-flight activities (not that many FTers do it...but, most WN fliers are not FTers).

Of course, only those folks who would make A-List if the tier-earning o/w flights requirement was changed that wouldn't already make A-List on TQPs or already on o/w flights matter here. I don't have the information to make a very accurate estimate of how many folks this would be; but, I suspect we're talking about a small percentage of WN fliers.

Also, am I correct in my recollection that, while it is not known for certain, it is suspected that the order of BPs given to A-List Pref. & A-Listers (within each category) at T-36 is suspected to be based on TQPs earned? If so, someone who would qualify on o/w flights (that wouldn't otherwise qualify under TQPs) would likely be near the very end of the A-Listers and, thus, not affect the boarding positions of those A-Listers who earned status with TQPs.

expert7700

As many have concerns over the future of WN's companion pass program, I feel this exact same way. It was never designed to give a person upto 23.5 months of "free" companion pass by them signing up for a credit card and a 2nd credit card under a fake business name. Then after it expires, they either sign up under a spouse's name and repeat the process or try cancelling their credit cards and signing back up.

I hope that Southwest continues the program , but that as soon as possible they set the bar to what it was originally intended to be: 100 butt-in-seat paid flight segments (or 110,000 flight points, without partner/credit card/multiplier tier/promotions). With fuel costs going up, and international destinations around the corner, I want to know that everyone else with CP has worked just as hard at it (flying) as I have.

Regarding A listers, the program tiers have set #s. Either the #s are right or not, there shouldn't be promos to double TQP, except MAYBE in brand new city launches if WN wants to give business travellers an easier way in to A-list. Still, I'd rather see a "fly 6 round trips from Flint Michigan within 90 days type of promo."

steved5480

^^^

TravelerMSY

Ordinarily I'd complain about the dilution of elite levels by making it easy, but I don't think the CP is a good example. Companion seats book into any available inventory, so it's not like they're stealing anything from other elites.

They did make the right play with A- and A+. You're not getting in unless you're a flyer or very high spender.