Companion Pass Hotel Transfers are allowed again, through March 31, 2017 only!!
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,602
Companion Pass Hotel Transfers are allowed again, through March 31, 2017 only!!
#4
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Does the right hand have any idea what the left hand is doing anymore?
Good news, but note that the statement from Southwest specifically doesn't mention credit card bonus points as qualifying anymore.
(Emphasis mine.)
Good news, but note that the statement from Southwest specifically doesn't mention credit card bonus points as qualifying anymore.
(Emphasis mine.)
As we began the New Year on January 1, we took the opportunity to close a loophole in our Rapid Rewards Companion Pass terms and conditions related to transferred points from our Partners. This was an effort intended to clarify qualification requirements for Companion Pass, one of the best benefits in travel, as well as to protect the integrity and value of the Rapid Rewards program.
In doing so, we updated our terms and conditions which now clearly state that points transferred from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions and Diners Club will no longer count toward qualification for a Companion Pass. Members will continue to earn toward Companion Pass benefits through paid flights flown on Southwest, Points earned through spend with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit cards, and base points earned through transactions with Rapid Rewards partners.
Many of you have reached out to us since then, and we greatly appreciate your honest and candid feedback. Because we are a Company that values our Customers and believes in doing the right thing, we are offering a limited window for Customers to earn toward Companion Pass by transferring their loyalty points from these Partners.
To that end, points converted from the above mentioned programs will count towards a Companion Pass until March 31, 2017. This is a hard deadline and we will not be able to make any exceptions beyond March 31. If you have points with these Partners that you wanted to transfer, please do not wait. Make the transfer before the deadline.
We appreciate all of our Customers and look forward to seeing you onboard very soon!
In doing so, we updated our terms and conditions which now clearly state that points transferred from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions and Diners Club will no longer count toward qualification for a Companion Pass. Members will continue to earn toward Companion Pass benefits through paid flights flown on Southwest, Points earned through spend with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit cards, and base points earned through transactions with Rapid Rewards partners.
Many of you have reached out to us since then, and we greatly appreciate your honest and candid feedback. Because we are a Company that values our Customers and believes in doing the right thing, we are offering a limited window for Customers to earn toward Companion Pass by transferring their loyalty points from these Partners.
To that end, points converted from the above mentioned programs will count towards a Companion Pass until March 31, 2017. This is a hard deadline and we will not be able to make any exceptions beyond March 31. If you have points with these Partners that you wanted to transfer, please do not wait. Make the transfer before the deadline.
We appreciate all of our Customers and look forward to seeing you onboard very soon!
#6
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: St. Louis, MO
Programs: Southwest Companion Pass
Posts: 790
Does the right hand have any idea what the left hand is doing anymore?
Good news, but note that the statement from Southwest specifically doesn't mention credit card bonus points as qualifying anymore.
(Emphasis mine.)
Good news, but note that the statement from Southwest specifically doesn't mention credit card bonus points as qualifying anymore.
(Emphasis mine.)
Actually they do. You just have to read a little further.
*Companion Pass Qualifying Points are earned from your revenue flights booked through Southwest Airlines, your points earned by making purchases with a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card, and your base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. Purchased points, points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions and Diners Club, points earned from Rapid Rewards program enrollment, tier bonuses, flight bonuses, and partner bonuses (excluding points bonuses earned on the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not count toward Companion Pass.
#7
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
The RR FAQ still includes the line recognizing bonus points from the credit card, so hopefully that hasn;t changed just yet.
(Emphasis mine.)
(Emphasis mine.)
Companion Pass Qualifying Points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest Airlines, points earned on Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards Partners. Purchased points, transferred points transferred between members, points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions and Diners Club, points earned from program enrollment, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, and partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not qualify as Companion Pass Qualifying Points.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
#9
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: St. Louis, MO
Programs: Southwest Companion Pass
Posts: 790
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,602
I have CP for 2017. I'm going to renew it with a TP for 2017 and 18.
My thinking is this, should things stay the same I still have to spend $10K on credit cards to get CP for 2018/2019. I don't MS so that means laying out 10 grand in few weeks as our first flight of the year is always in February to Vegas. If I have CP for 2018 I can just use those WN cards for my regular purchases and be at 110K by April.
I could also see the max cc bonus going to 40K points ( or more than 110K points needed for CP) which would mean that I would need to spend $30K to get CP as I don't pay for WN flights. Maybe a rental car here and there brings it down to $28K. I could do the spend over a few weeks but then I also risk future problems with Chase and have a load of gift cards to spend. Spending $30K on legit spend over say 10 months would be easier and it wouldn't raise any flags with Chase.
The way things are changing I think you have to play a little defense in this game today, balance risk vs reward with the major risk ( for us) being CP via CC's ends during 2017.
My thinking is this, should things stay the same I still have to spend $10K on credit cards to get CP for 2018/2019. I don't MS so that means laying out 10 grand in few weeks as our first flight of the year is always in February to Vegas. If I have CP for 2018 I can just use those WN cards for my regular purchases and be at 110K by April.
I could also see the max cc bonus going to 40K points ( or more than 110K points needed for CP) which would mean that I would need to spend $30K to get CP as I don't pay for WN flights. Maybe a rental car here and there brings it down to $28K. I could do the spend over a few weeks but then I also risk future problems with Chase and have a load of gift cards to spend. Spending $30K on legit spend over say 10 months would be easier and it wouldn't raise any flags with Chase.
The way things are changing I think you have to play a little defense in this game today, balance risk vs reward with the major risk ( for us) being CP via CC's ends during 2017.
Last edited by flyer4512; Jan 5, 2017 at 12:35 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 142
The information is on the Southwest website now https://www.southwestaircommunity.co...ear/ba-p/50377
Last edited by ftnoob; Jan 5, 2017 at 12:58 am Reason: Replace generic swamedia link with URL of actual news item