FindAWay

In case this is a serious question since this was your first post, the answer is none. Or, if you prefer, you can use your CP to all of the international destinations to which WN currently flies (which is also none). When (I don't think it's an "if" anymore - with HOU changes and the Investor Day slide depicting Caribbean, Mexican, Central American and Northern South American destinations on the horizon) WN starts flying internationally, it is not clear whether or not the CP will be usable on international flights. Note, starting in April, you can use it to SJU, which is not in a US State (but, is not international either).

If it was a joke, ^.

lazyy

anyone know, how soon we can use the CP once we qualify?

I'm guessing Sw will send something acknowgding CP, and requesting the name for the CP. Once we submit the name, we are good to go? how long thes the process take?

toomanybooks

If you call when you hit 110K, a couple days max. You can give them the info on your Companion on the phone.

kaminski6

The above was indeed a serious question. I actually got the 50k to post today! So I am at 106,000 so far for Jan. I have one more 50k card that will post the 2nd of next month, and I may xfer some hotel points from Marriott.

Someone mentioned i can call and handle the CP status that way? I ask only because I have a cruise I leave for w/ my S.O. on Feb 20th we fly to Ft Lauderdale. I have so far purchased us each round trip tickets w/ my points (25k apiece or so) however if I can I'd like to cancel her ticket and bring her using the CP pass... Do you think I'll have time to set that up?

Dad to GO

I've been purchasing some beans to hit that last 6K to get me to the 110K for the CP. I'm only $1000 short and my statement closes on Sunday! Hope the purchase posts to my credit card by then!

toomanybooks

No problem.

You have 106K points now in 2013 and another 50K coming in Feb.? Serious overkill if I am reading you right.

shawntobi

Never to many points...... I will add 150k non flying point in the next 4 months, 2 cards ect.

If I knew the Card bonus program would continue next year, I might wait.. In the meantime, I never purchase tickets for US on personal SW travel.

lkar

If you are adding the points other than through sign up bonuses -- that is, by spending on your cards -- you are leaving money on the table. You are only getting 1.7 cents of value. Why not get a 2 percent cash back card instead? Or use a citi thank you card and get 2.6 cents toward SW flghts per $1 of spend. (I am assuming one can use a CP with WN tickets purchased with TY points. I would think that must be true.)

Other than perhaps for the meagre 2x bonus categories, the Southwest card seems pretty much useless once the CP is earned.

(And a belated welcome to flyertalk to kaminski6.)

nsx

I have a 2 percent card from Capital One. I like it. But I prefer the Southwest card right now because:

1. Some taxes are waived for points bookings, bringing the savings on a short-haul deep discount ticket to more than 2 cents per point.
2. Points bookings are more valuable than cash bookings because they are refundable to the account and re-usable by any traveler.
3. I have the option to convert 19.2k points to a standard award which can be worth more than $400, again exceeding 2 points per dollar.
4. The points count toward Companion Pass renewal, which is not nearly as easy to reach as it was when you buy low-fare short-haul tickets.

If you don't plan to maximize the value of your points in these ways, or if you find it inconvenient, then by all means go with the 2% cashback card.

lkar

All good points. Number 2 especially. If you make award reservations for others and they are infrequent fliers, points definitely give you more flexibility. I also agree that being able to convert to old style awards is nice, at least as long as it lasts. For generating currency to buy plane tickets, though, thank you points are still top of the list to me.

FindAWay

Also, even at a 1.7 cent value...redemptions with a CP double that to 3.4 cents.

ljknecht570

???You can convert points to a standard award? I thought you only had the option of doing that once? Just to use up old RR1 points??? If this is true, how is it done.

hindukid

My problem though is that after generating 120K points to earn the companion pass I now have $2000 worth of points and free companion travel. So I basically never need to pay for airfare to cover my needs. I find that I can usually scrounge up some United miles for my international needs.

But I am interested in thank you points. What can I do with them? Buy other peoples tickets? Spend on car rentals? Spend on Discover America deals? Can you explain how you get 2.6% back. The info I am seeing is 1 point per dollar spent and each point is worth 1.33 cents in travel. So that is only 1.33% rebate.

Also I guess my other issue is that I feel we only get a limited amount of CC apps. So I like not to waste them. There are plenty of opportunities out there that are easily worth $500. So if one applies for a Citi card they are forgoing $500 worth of bonus elsewhere. I am effectively getting 1.8% back using the Amex Hilton. So I am theoretically losing .8% back. If I spend 20K per year then that is $160 per year. So it would take me a little over three years to make back the $500 lost CC bonus. Now I suppose if Citi wanted to convert my AA card that would be a different story.

hindukid

Not really because you can still pay cash and use your CP anyways. I don't use 9000 point and buy a ticket and get a free companion and say I got $300 in value for my 9000 points because I could have just spent $150 and gotten a flight for me and my CP.

kaminski6

Yes, because I was approved for 3 cards.... (and I already have 80k points from last year that I have been saving till I got CP status so that I'm stocked w/ points for mass free travel)

two cards netted me 100k (bonus) and about 6,000 in odd points somehow. It's a bit overkill however I can use all those points for tons of free trips for myself and my CP. I've been planning this since when I didn't get approved last year for the 3 cards at once and was to dumb to realize I could have transfered hotel points then.