dlaue

When the downfall of the Southwest brand identity is studied in business schools in 10 years, the drink coupon cancellation will merit several paragraphs in the textbook.

kennycrudup

Oh, please. Nobody seems to really GAS on any of the 50+ flights I've taken in the 15 mos since the changes were rolled out.

InkUnderNails

Monster is still on the menu (pdf at link). You just can not use a coupon.

SDCA

Yes they did. They discontinue the tan coupons on the old program where you earn them by earning segments without an expiration date on it.

The "new" coupon program is earned through points.

ursine1

No.

You're confusing the unilateral "expiration" of the non-dated drink coupons with the changes to/relaunch of the Rapid Rewards program. They're two different things, and happened independently, at different times.

Southwest has never discontinued their drink coupon program; since they started offering it they've never taken it away. They have made changes to their drink coupon program. This has happened multiple times; including the change to a "one-coupon, one-drink" format, no longer accepting coupons for Monster energy drinks, and adding printed passenger names to the coupons for example.

New coupons are now earned after 10 paid one-way flights. It has nothing to do with points.

SDCA

I wonder if the plaintiff is asking for $5 per coupon on this lawsuit.

http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsu...ction-lawsuit-


"The Southwest Drink Coupons bear no expiration date, yet Southwest announced August 31, 2011 that it would no longer honor these coupons without providing advanced notice of its intention to do so."

No advance noticed? LOL

I just wonder how much the Lawyer is going to charge him for their service on this lawsuit.

jamesteroh

I have never heard of the plaintiff in a class action paying legal fees, unless they prevailed.

I am glad to see someone filed a class action. I wonder how much this will cost Southwest in legal fees, not to mention good will if the lawsuit gets much publicity.

ursine1

I contacted two law firms months ago regarding potential class action lawsuits against Southwest. After a lot of discussion, both declined to move forward. The reasoning I was given (which I disagree with) is somewhat supported by the article I posted earlier in this thread; basically that the federal Airline Deregulation Act pre-empts state laws that purport to regulate airline "prices, routes, or services."

http://upgrd.com/matthew/court-sides...to-expire.html

It remains to be see if the courts will feel this way also.

SDCA

Even if the plaintiff prevail, how much do you think the plaintiff's lawyer fee will be just so he can get some replacement drink coupons. I don't think he will asked for monetary award unless he actually pays for those coupons when they sold them at the gate podium before the flight.

And bad publicity for Southwest? Highly doubt it. Look at the tv show "Airlines" and numerous bad publicities Really didn't dent Southwest at all. I don't think they've lost millions of passengers yet.

jamesteroh

I'm sure if WN does settle it will be for something stupid like a small LUV vouhcer or a set of drink coupon books for each person that says they are a party to it. The only one that will prosper big time over this is the lawyers. Regardless of the outcome, WN is going to be stuck with some hefty legal fees ovber it, which will be nice if they end up paying more in legal fees than they would have just honoring the coupons that were already out there.

Seeing Delta honors drink coupons that have already expired with clearly stated expiration dates or will exchange them for unpired ones for simply calling, WN should honor the tan ones.

I really wish someone would file a class action suit over their gift cards. It is aggrevating I can't use them for EBCI or drink purchases or at the airport to switch to an earlier flight.

You are right about negtive goodwill, it probably isn't possible for them to get any more negative publicity. They stopped accepting drink coupons with no expiriation date, they went from having one of the best FF programs out there to one of the worst, they have the most unprofessionally dressed crew in the industry (EVERY pax sitting up front on my Delta flight yesterday morning was dressed more professionally than the crew on my WN flight Monday). If Herb was still in charge instead of GK I am sure this lawsuit would have never been filed.

jamesteroh

If it's a class action, the fees will be taken off the settlement or judgment. They will get figured in and WN will end up basically paying the plaintiffis laywers fees with the settlment amount. If WN doesn't have to pay anything, then the lawyer probably won't see a dime since it's probably being done on a contigency basis.

milesrus

I was told last week that we can mail them in and get a new set of coupons? has anybody tried this?

nshelledy

I emailed customer service last week asking if I could mail in old coupons for new ones. When I had redeemed my RR for a flight last spring, they forgot to send me the drink coupons. I emailed them and they sent me some, but it was after my flight, and I haven't flown WN since. I used this as the basis of my request. Anyway, they replied that they are sending me a drink coupon, but made it clear that they had given plenty of notice about the old coupons expiring.

alggag

I think that ship has sailed.

smmrfld

...and run aground.