nsx

Sigh. More squandering of Southwest's brand identity and customer goodwill. It's just sad.

I have probably 20 books of coupons. I can understand the zero notice, because otherwise people like me would hand those books out to everyone on the plane. Too bad my next flight is not until August 1.

For curb and me, the bigger devaluation was the elimination of Monsters for coupons. But this one affects many more customers. I can't imagine that the FAs are happy about having to deliver the bad news many times per day.

lougord99

I wonder if the FA's have also been told no free drinks on delayed flights.

DoctorK

I wonder how the FAs will handle passengers who try to use suddenly-expired good forever drink coupons. I doubt WN is going to send them all notification, and based upon the widely disseminated information that the coupons do not expire, I can see some potential confrontations. I wonder if the FAs will take the coupon or hold the line...

mritty

I realize we're talking about $4 a pop, but I imagine someone could raise a pretty big stink about this one. Unless it's specified somewhere, in writing, that Southwest has the right to change the expiration date, I don't see how they can do this. If I buy something that doesn't have an expiration date, you can't suddenly claim later that they do expire.

freeflyin

Well stated and my thoughts exactly.

It appears that WN has decide to emulate the legacies with their recent changes. They will no longer be set apart from the rest and I think many WN loyalists will rebel simply on principle

curbcrusher

Since the Monster devaluation, I have no dog in this fight. My coupon stash has been growing like kudzu since April.

I bet they will hold the line -- we can't expect them to risk their jobs over a drink coupon. You are correct, though, that this change is a set up for lots of conflict. WN is counting on Customers being understanding.

joshua362

Yikes. What is next, drink coupons are no longer transferable like the upcoming TTF devaluation and you must show ID on the plane to use them?

Cut to the chase, someone screwed up when allowing BS drinks to be distributed in their current form.

We can't trust the public to use their TTF funds properly but we'll allow them to manage and print a possibly unlimited supply of drinks coupons??

curbcrusher

The argument will hinge on whether giving a year of notice prior to imposed expiration is reasonable.

InkUnderNails

I have 30 coupons and a year to use them, not counting the ones I will get in the mail. BS coupons are not an issue.

All I ask is that the FA's allow me to take an unopened mini bought with a coupon that I can use in the room at night. I know that it is probably against regulations, but they do other things with a wink and a nod.

Anyway, when I order my straight WT 101 on a long haul evening flight, it is sometimes poured in a cup, brought in the mini with the cap removed and tossed, or simply in the unopened mini, my preferred. So, I know they have some discretion here. Heck, I might even get a flask to fill.

lougord99

I hadn't thought that part through. Why else would they have your name on them.

Beyond that, I object to yet more paper floating around with my name and RR number printed on it.

nachoman205

What is ironic is that as I type this i have approximatley 15 coupons with 4 more headed my way next week after my award. Plus I have 8 BS coupons that i have not used. I may not a big drinker because alot of my travel is done during work hours and I cannot have one. So I will have a drink every once in a while on a Fri flight home. But what I have done is give a coupon or two here or there away to friends co-workers fellow travelers, but for what ever reason have allowed my stash to grow because "I CAN". Now i will ensure that all my coupons get used. So if you fly with me on a BS flight you might get a free drink because I will use it even if I throw it away. Free coupons will always be used. Ther is now a chance that SWA IMO will probably spend more money on "FREE DRINKS" than they did in the past and I for one hope they do.

joshua362

Great idea, but definately against the regs. I had an overzelous male FA bring me 2 beers on a short packed flight (and took forever to bring them), noticed that I only gave him one empty at cleanup time and insisted I give him back the other one I had stashed in my backpack.

But if I can get the little bottles unopened, great, I might have to start doing that to clear my backlog. My problem is that I usually drink heavily on Saturdays and travel during the week for business.

Can we spin this and say the new policy, especially the BS requirements, is going to promote accelerated and irresponsible drinking in a use or lose it environment and now will unleash drunks upon the world at 9am? You have the deepest pockets, WN...

sbm12

CO did this with Presidents Club passes a few years back. They were the ones issued by Chase for CC holders and they were either being forged or otherwise untenable to continue accepting. There was reasonable notice and the world moved on.

This is certainly another devaluation of the WN brand and product, even if it is now simply enforcing a rule as written. When the corporate policy has been to ignore the written policy that becomes the de facto rule. Changing that with 3 days notice sucks. If I had the certs to burn I'd be camped out at the airport offering them as freebies to everyone I could find.

normalone

So since part of the "value" of buying up to Business Select is a free drink coupon, when there is no drink service on a flight due to weather issues do I get part of my ticket price refunded?

mile ho

I, for one, will present the coupons even after their 'imposed' expiration date. I've earned these coupons and they have no expiry on them therefore they do not expire.

Either Southwest will honor their word as it is on the coupon (which I earned), or they will have to tell me their word is no good.

It's not the few dollars.. it's that this was THE one brand I thought was different; one that I could actually trust in this day and age.

I'm very afraid we are starting to see glimpses of how bad the 2.0 RR devaluation might be.

I have one booklet with an expiry from 2004 and two from 2007 which are now useless. I would have used them first had I actually thought WN would pull something like this. Guess I better get used to the new, less friendly WN.