Rapid Rewards 2.0 begins March 1, 2011
Jan 8, 2011, 1:13 pm
#616
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,625
I just updated the OP with every bit of information I could think of from this thread. Please report any errors or omissions so I can correct them.
Jan 8, 2011, 1:40 pm
#617
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Mosaic 2, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Premium Cabin free agent
Posts: 848
If you go to book a round trip award you sometimes will be offered a miles + cash option. In the booking I tried this morning the website offered the itinerary for 25,000 miles or 10,000 miles + $ 90. So you are saving 15,000 for $ 90.
Jan 8, 2011, 1:44 pm
#618
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: LAS-DEN
Programs: WN CP & B-list. Disillusioned fmr UA-1P/2P,F9-Ascent; Fmr AA-Plat,CO-Gold,NW-Silver,TWA-Elite
Posts: 1,630
MikeyZBT is definately right about the 25% devaluation, now needing 20 segments to get one free r/t, which now must be of the same value as the original flights. That hurts a bit, but as others have pointed out, future devaluations are probably not needed since the system stablizes. A devaluation, but whether it is lower than the legacy carriers probably depends on your fly and redeem patterns.
Jan 8, 2011, 1:57 pm
#621
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: LAS-DEN
Programs: WN CP & B-list. Disillusioned fmr UA-1P/2P,F9-Ascent; Fmr AA-Plat,CO-Gold,NW-Silver,TWA-Elite
Posts: 1,630
So...
If I fly 8 round trips per year at $100 per segment, that is 8 x 2 x 100 x 6 = 9600 TQP
If I rent a car for each of those trips, that is 8 x 600 = 4800 TQP. It might be 9600 TQP if the car rental company is offering a 2x promotion.
I've earned 14,400 - 19,200 TQP. I need 20,600 or 15,800 more TQP.
If $1 spend = 1 TQP then I need to spend $15,800 to $20,600.
If $10,000 spend = 1,500 TQP then I need to spend $105,333 to $137,333.
Granted, 8 r/t per year before never got you to A-list, but I think $105k of spend to get me up to A-list is pretty expensive. I don't spend that much on CC. But, if it was $15k - $20k, that might be an interesting proposition.
Jan 8, 2011, 1:58 pm
#622
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: LAS-DEN
Programs: WN CP & B-list. Disillusioned fmr UA-1P/2P,F9-Ascent; Fmr AA-Plat,CO-Gold,NW-Silver,TWA-Elite
Posts: 1,630
Jan 8, 2011, 2:58 pm
#624
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Mosaic 2, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Premium Cabin free agent
Posts: 848
Choices will probably continue as it is only a 1% rebate when used in that manner and it is offered by Chase and not UA/CO. I would imagine that the miles + cash option would also continue given the new ceo's propensity to monetize everything.
Jan 8, 2011, 3:41 pm
#625
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin TX
Programs: HH Dia, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 442
Well, I don't have 25 paid one-ways a year. More like 15-18. I get most of my WN credits from credit card points, hotel stays, and car rentals.
I could be missing something, though, or overthinking. Perhaps A-List isn't worth it for a guy like me. Or maybe I should just travel more.
I could be missing something, though, or overthinking. Perhaps A-List isn't worth it for a guy like me. Or maybe I should just travel more.
Jan 8, 2011, 3:42 pm
#626
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,039
FCFree, not all RR points are TQP (tier-qualifying points). There are only two ways to get TQP: base earnings for flights, and the 1,500 TQP per $10K spend on the RR Premier Visa. (Going by memory without double-checking, but this is how I remember it.)
Example: if you get the Premier RR Visa and spend $20,000 (on other than SWA and partners), you'll get 20,000 RR points, and 3,000 TQP. The 20,000 points count toward CP, but not toward A/A+.
It isn't clear to me (in part because I didn't wonder about it until just now) whether the above example results in a total of 23,000 points toward CP, or only 20,000.
Example: if you get the Premier RR Visa and spend $20,000 (on other than SWA and partners), you'll get 20,000 RR points, and 3,000 TQP. The 20,000 points count toward CP, but not toward A/A+.
It isn't clear to me (in part because I didn't wonder about it until just now) whether the above example results in a total of 23,000 points toward CP, or only 20,000.
Jan 8, 2011, 3:46 pm
#627
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin TX
Programs: HH Dia, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 442
Is this right? I would have thought it was 1 TQP per $1 spend? Or is that a 1,500 TQP bonus per $10k spend?
So...
If I fly 8 round trips per year at $100 per segment, that is 8 x 2 x 100 x 6 = 9600 TQP
If I rent a car for each of those trips, that is 8 x 600 = 4800 TQP. It might be 9600 TQP if the car rental company is offering a 2x promotion.
I've earned 14,400 - 19,200 TQP. I need 20,600 or 15,800 more TQP.
If $1 spend = 1 TQP then I need to spend $15,800 to $20,600.
If $10,000 spend = 1,500 TQP then I need to spend $105,333 to $137,333.
Granted, 8 r/t per year before never got you to A-list, but I think $105k of spend to get me up to A-list is pretty expensive. I don't spend that much on CC. But, if it was $15k - $20k, that might be an interesting proposition.
So...
If I fly 8 round trips per year at $100 per segment, that is 8 x 2 x 100 x 6 = 9600 TQP
If I rent a car for each of those trips, that is 8 x 600 = 4800 TQP. It might be 9600 TQP if the car rental company is offering a 2x promotion.
I've earned 14,400 - 19,200 TQP. I need 20,600 or 15,800 more TQP.
If $1 spend = 1 TQP then I need to spend $15,800 to $20,600.
If $10,000 spend = 1,500 TQP then I need to spend $105,333 to $137,333.
Granted, 8 r/t per year before never got you to A-list, but I think $105k of spend to get me up to A-list is pretty expensive. I don't spend that much on CC. But, if it was $15k - $20k, that might be an interesting proposition.
Other partner points do not count as TQP. Fare + CC spend only count towards A-List.
All points count towards CP.
Last edited by benmaller; Jan 8, 2011 at 3:47 pm Reason: clarify
Jan 8, 2011, 4:19 pm
#628
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,039
Jan 8, 2011, 6:56 pm
#629
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: New England
Posts: 485
"You will not be able to combine cash and points directly for a purchase, but you will be able to buy the extra points you need and then redeem your points. Points will be sold in blocks of 1,000 for $25, with a minimum purchase of 2,000 for $50. The maximum purchase is 40,000 points."
Can you purchase points and then use them in your one time only conversion from points to credits?
My 5 YO daughter will be 2 credits short come March. The only way I have found to get a child credits is to fly. The trips after March are short haul and it might take a bit to make those 2,400 points.
Can you purchase points and then use them in your one time only conversion from points to credits?
My 5 YO daughter will be 2 credits short come March. The only way I have found to get a child credits is to fly. The trips after March are short haul and it might take a bit to make those 2,400 points.
Jan 8, 2011, 7:01 pm
#630
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: New England
Posts: 485
I think its a good idea to change the drop date of my SWA Visa.
Normally drops on the last day of the month and credits are posted on the
4th.
Since Feb is going to be a short month I'm thinking about moving it to the
23rd.
Good idea for anyone looking to get in those last few credits via cc purchases.
Normally drops on the last day of the month and credits are posted on the
4th.
Since Feb is going to be a short month I'm thinking about moving it to the
23rd.
Good idea for anyone looking to get in those last few credits via cc purchases.