janetdoe

I have 4 credits that I got for signing up for an account last year. I really don't have any interest in using them towards flights. I guess I could get a credit card, but I've already done a few of those this summer, and then I would just have 54,000 points that I'm unlikely to use.

Is there anything else I can do with the points? Give/Transfer them to someone, donate them to a charity, etc? They look like they don't expire until July 2012.

One of the credits is listed with an expiration date of Nov 2012, Credit Amount = 1, Remaining Credits = 0. What does the "remaining credits" mean? Because the one credit is clearly included in my total "You have 4 credits as of today".

rove312

The old rule was they gave 2 credits for signing up; you probably got that and 2 more for something else: signing up for e-mails? So they're saying when your oldest 2 expire, you'll have 2 remaining credits. Then your last credit will expire in Nov. 2012.

toomanybooks

You couldn't really do anything with unwanted WN credits before, and surely not now. Points as well, so far as I know.

You need 14,400 points to top off for an award (12x1200), Credit card @50K would thus give you a RT and 35600 points worth almost $600. That could be pushing $1000 in value, something I wouldn't sneeze at, but YMMV.

You could then give the RT away if you did not want to use it.

Points don't expire as long as you earn a few each couple years.

janetdoe

Thanks for the info. I'm not sneezing at the WN credit card promo, I just have already applied and received several cards lately, and my next target is Chase Sapphire.

Plus, until the Wright Amendment expires, living in Dallas makes it unusually difficult to fly WN.

azgrunge

I've not done it with Luv, but I have kept 'activity' going for other family member's FF programs by my hotel stays. Of course I lose the hotel points for that visit.

bdsisme

I'm sort of a newbie to this, so I'd like your help, please! I was only 2 credits away from a free flight before they switched over to the new Rapid Rewards program. Hence, when I log into my account it now tells me that I need an additional 2,400 points for a free flight award.

A lot of my previously-earned credits will expire at the end of August, so I need to earn these additional 2,400 points quickly. I know of two options:
1) Buy $400 worth of airfare (wanna get away fare), and (I think) travel by the end of August (before the others expire).
2) Pay $75 for 3,000 points.

Are there any other easy/cost-efficient options?

Thanks in advance, guys!

toomanybooks

Some hotel bonuses going for 3Q. Check Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, etc. to see what fits you best. Loyalty Traveler blog a couple weeks ago had a complete roundup. I think a couple cheap nights could get you over the top, so this might work if you are staying somewhere anyway.

Transfer in if you have Diners or Choice points. Others, too, but I think the conversion ratio is bad.

cactus47

This is a little bit off-topic, but the best place I could find to post without starting a new topic. I need some tiny number of points, like 127, to top off my old credits to get an award. My oldest credit expires on 7/30/2011. I bought a $50 gift certificate at a RR Dining restaurant on 7/17. It already shows up as a 150-point reward at the RR Dining site, but the "Date Paid" shows "Pending." How long will those take to post to WN? If they come in ON 7/30, is it too late to convert to get the award? What if they post to WN after 7/30, but it shows that the activity was pre-expiration? Thanks!

texashoser

What do the rules say about how long it takes for RR dining points to post?

These are actually excellent questions for the WN reps - you should PM them.

robbert

Mine have posted in about a week. It takes a couple of days to see them on the rapidrewardsdining site and then a few more days to get them into your account. My guess is that they'll post on time for you.

bdsisme

Note quite the right place to put this, but it's related:

I have enough RR points to transfer to my RR 1.0 account for a free flight award. The old RR credits start to expire on August 27th. I want to wait as long as possible to transfer the points to the old 1.0 account so the 1-year expiration of the flight award is as far in the future as possible.

My question is: How long does it take the RR 2.0 points to be transferred and accounted for in the RR 1.0 system? Should I do it today, or can I wait until the 26th?

STS-134

What I've been doing with my 3.5 orphaned credits: take an occasional WN flight, and put rental cars and hotel stays on my RR account. I've gone up to 7700 points (out of 15000 needed), so I am on pace to make it before my first credit expires in June of next year.

I will also sign up for Rapid Rewards Dining. http://www.rapidrewardsdining.com/bonus.htm
You can earn 300 bonus points just for signing up and dining somewhere (if you spend at least $25 in 60 days - easy to do!). As I understand it, these points are in addition to any points you earn in your credit card program (cash back, etc.) so there's no reason to not sign up for this. I was hesitant to sign up for a long time because I didn't want to lose my cash back bonuses and stuff, but apparently you don't lose anything. I'm not sure whether there's a restriction that the RR account and CC account have to be under the same name, but if not, the person who posted that his/her daughters have orphaned credits could put one of the daugher's accounts under his/her own credit card to earn them some points (if the daughters are not yet old enough to have CCs themselves, otherwise, encourage them to sign up).

ftnoob

The process is instantaneous.

No need to do it today, the real question is whether the 27th would work? Pre-transition, your 27-Aug credit(s) would have been good through at least 11:59 pm (probably Pacific Time). We don't know whether that is still true. I would have tested it under different circumstances (such as those described below). A PM to G/V/W might be worthwhile. (Let us know if you learn anything.)

The more important question is: if fewer than, say, 2.0 credits expire on 27-Aug, when is your next credit expiry? Say you have 1.25 credits expiring on 27-Aug and the next expiry is eight months away. You could let the 1.25 drop off. You'll need an extra 1,500 (worth $25) points to top off the award, but in effect you are buying an eight-month extension for $25...a potentially better deal than one year for $50 (which isn't even an option for TAs).

STS-134

Anyone know whether using SAs (not FAs) will get easier as time goes on? For example, by the end of 2013/beginning of 2014, is WN planning to reduce the amount of award inventory to compensate for the fewer SAs in existence, or will they keep the inventory the same therefore making it easier to book just because not as many other people are booking with SAs? I think the last possible date someone could still hold a valid SA is February 28, 2014 (because the last possible credits could be earned on February 28, 2011 and converted to a SA on February 28, 2013).

I have 0.5 credit that expires on 6/12/2012, but the next 1.0 credit doesn't expire until 12/26/2012, and the next 2.0 credits don't expire until 1/2/2013. So I'm thinking of just letting that 0.5 credit go, if that gives me an extra 6 months of easier booking.

bdsisme

Thanks for the information; unfortunately, I have 6 credits expiring on 27-Aug (I got in on the great "sign up for RR" bonus), so I'm going to convert this week. I'll wait a few more days, though -- thanks again!