Free standby for A-list
Just got the following email:
Dear alggag, Rapid RewardsŪ just got more rewarding! Beginning Tuesday, September 13, A-List and A-List Preferred Members will get to enjoy free same-day standby as a new benefit when flying standby within two hours of your original scheduled departure, between the same city pairs, and on the original date of travel. To take advantage of this new benefit, see a friendly Customer Service Agent at the airport on your day of travel.** Limiting it to two hours of original departure sounds like this will have limited usefulness to the high frequency routes but still a nice change. |
Yea, too good to be true for most of us I would think. Intra CA, MDW-MCI, DAL-HOU maybe, but generally useless for me.
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While I'm happy to see this, it is unfortunate it is only two hours. There are only a few flights that I take that I can even utilize this.
I'm going to make a comment about it on the Southwest's own forum. Maybe it will find the right person at WN...maybe. For those who don't know about the forum (it's pretty new), here is the link: https://community.southwest.com/ Edit: Here is the link to my exact post on the WN-run forum: https://community.southwest.com/t5/R...atch/m-p/47830 |
Yeah, I wonder how they decided on a 2-hour cutoff. Two possibilities:
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I vote for #1. Hopefully (and wishful thinking) they'll empower Agents at the airport to have a little discretion & leeway and stretch it a bit. Although not many people will show up early just to wait and take a chance with the rule as is. Really a whole lot of nothing. Surprised it wasn't touted on NFL ads yesterday...
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I think the 2-hour limit is in place somewhat to avoid how we took advantage of Airtran's all-day standby policy...book the last flight of the day and once your meeting is over, jump on the next available flight
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Originally Posted by dmbolp
(Post 27199789)
I think the 2-hour limit is in place somewhat to avoid how we took advantage of Airtran's all-day standby policy...book the last flight of the day and once your meeting is over, jump on the next available flight
At least those at a certain level. |
Originally Posted by toomanybooks
(Post 27200033)
Isn't that exactly what the legacies offer their elites?
At least those at a certain level. |
I wonder how this would work with a companion pass.
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Marketing gimmick.
Allows WN to advertise "Free Standby" but actually offer something much more limited. Reminds me of "Points Don't Expire." |
I'd love to see how this policy plays out in the real world for:
Taking an earlier connection -- I'd have saved three hours at Midway last week if that flight just under the MCT was available to me. Coterminals, both departing and arriving. |
1 Attachment(s)
The website hasn't been updated with details yet, but this graphic makes it appear that this replaces "standby priority." While that feature had it's problems, it's arguable that it could be utilized by many more A-Listers than free standby with a 2-hour window limitation could. Meaning, in essence, that this could actually be a downgrade.
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Originally Posted by bobunf
(Post 27200257)
I wonder how this would work with a companion pass.
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Originally Posted by dmbolp
(Post 27199789)
I think the 2-hour limit is in place somewhat to avoid how we took advantage of Airtran's all-day standby policy...book the last flight of the day and once your meeting is over, jump on the next available flight
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Originally Posted by ursine1
(Post 27200440)
The website hasn't been updated with details yet, but this graphic makes it appear that this replaces "standby priority." While that feature had it's problems, it's arguable that it could be utilized by many more A-Listers than free standby with a 2-hour window limitation could. Meaning, in essence, that this could actually be a downgrade.
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