<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pgary:
Wouldn't that be nice. Alas, you get only one credit for the one way ticket, regardless of the number of stops or plane changes. From http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewards/about_rr.html
"Rapid Rewards counts credits, not long miles. If you take just eight (8) roundtrips (or receive 16 credits) within 12 consecutive months to receive a free Award Ticket on Southwest Airlines, no matter how far you fly or what fare you pay." </font>
A common omission and important point about Southwest's program is that the credits expire after 1 YEAR. Most airline programs have miles that never expire as long as you keep adding to them (once per three years) while you must get sufficient credits on Southwest within one year to get the free roundtrip. If you are looking to get the miles and use them right away (providing you get enough credits right away) Southwest may work for you. If you want the flexibility to bank the miles without worrying about exipration it may not.
I would also consider what airport is easier/closer to get to for you. Personally, I may be in the minority, but I will not drive an extra hour each way to save $100, but I would drive the extra to save the connection if the overall travel time is shorter.