I am confused. :)

I have approximately 102K SW points and am working on reaching the 110K level before the end of the year. Would a better strategy involve waiting until the beginning of next year to reach the 110K level?

If I am reading you correctly, if I qualify this year for a CP, that will just include the remainder of 2011 and all of 2012 (Dec 31,2012) which is approximately 14 months of having CP status. If I wait until January of 2012 to cross the 110K level, are you saying that I would have 24 months of CP status (1-1-2012-12-31-2013) ?


Thanks and I know this would be better posted in the SW forum.

Come on, pawtim, you could have been more resourceful than that!

As for ingy's secret, I wonder if it relates to Smisek's discussion of a new credit card here: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000044912 ?

Also, I'm unfamiliar with the Southwest program. For 100k miles you get unlimited flying for two years for you and a companion? That sounds like it would blow any other deal out of the water, by far.

Southwest points convert to dollars at a 60 point : $1 ratio. So 100k points gives you $1,667 worth of free Southwest travel. Getting 110k qualifying points in a calendar year gives you a free companion pass.

Ah, got it. I read "your wife along for free" as "you and your wife along for free". So I'd be paying for SW flights (or using miles or whatever) per usual, and she'd fly free?

In what class? If I fly up front can she tag along?

Although I've never been in position to get a companion pass, I believe the companion's ticket is like a reward ticket. The flight is fee, although you'll still have to pay the security fee (up to $10). Southwest doesn't have first class so I'm not sure what you mean by flying up front.

Details are here: http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...and_conditions

Frugal Travel Guy's birthday is October 4th. He must know of a big card offer coming out then.

Yes, sorry. I was thinking of Business Select.

Also, SW says, "Purchased points and points earned from program enrollment, Tier bonuses, flight bonuses, and Partner bonuses do not count toward Companion Pass status." Are you sure that credit card bonuses count? Sounds like that might be considered a "Partner bonus[]". Now, it does say, "Companion Pass Qualifying Points are earned from revenue flights, points issued on Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, and points earned from Rapid Rewards Partners." -- "issued on" the credit card, rather than "earned on" the credit card, so maybe the bonus does count.

My vote is for the Sapphire at this time, but subject to change at any moment!

Curiously waiting to see what you have to offer this time around, FTG.

Me too. I get the impression that FTG gets a "heads up" from the CC company that a new card or new promo is on its way... but my guess is that he doesn't get any of the details of the offer (except for maybe the card involved). As far as the number of points/miles being offered... I suspect that FTG is at the mercy of the CC company's hype. And, as a result, some highly touted offers turn out to be pretty lackluster when they're finally released. I'm definitely curiously waiting to see what is being offered this time around, but I'm tempering my expectations too.