BEWARE: Southwest will steal your points !
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Southwest Rewards
Posts: 1
BEWARE: Southwest will steal your points !
I was surprised recently to find that when trying to get a family member a ticket for a funeral they couldn't afford to attend, that my 115,000+ Reward points had EVAPORATED!
How could that be? I had just taken a Rewards Flight just 2 months prior. When calling Southwest Rewards, I was attended by a representative that sounded exactly like an automaton.
AUTOMATON: Sorry, but if you read the details of the rewards program you will see that if you do not add points to your account, we assume it is defunct and zero it out!
ME: BUT I JUST FLEW WITH YOU USING REWARD POINTS!
AUTOMATON: Sorry that doesn't count...you have to ADD points for us to assume the account is active in a 24 month period.
ME: BUT THAT WAS WORTH OVER $3000 AND YOU NEVER EVEN HAD THE COURTESY TO NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE THAT THIS WAS PENDING???.
AUTOMATON: Sorry that is not our responsibility.
ME: BUT I WAS AN A-LIST FLYER WITH YOU FOR OVER 16 YEARS ! HAVE YOU NO CUSTOMER LOYALTY? I HAD EARNED OVER 250,000 POINTS WITH YOU AS A BUSINESS TRAVELER, AND NOW THAT I AM RETIRED, AND HAVE TIME TO USE THEM.....YOU TAKE THEM AWAY??? YOU KNEW I WAS ALIVE, I JUST FLEW WITH YOU!
AUTOMATON: Sorry (not sorry).
NEVER AGAIN WITH SOUTHWEST
How could that be? I had just taken a Rewards Flight just 2 months prior. When calling Southwest Rewards, I was attended by a representative that sounded exactly like an automaton.
AUTOMATON: Sorry, but if you read the details of the rewards program you will see that if you do not add points to your account, we assume it is defunct and zero it out!
ME: BUT I JUST FLEW WITH YOU USING REWARD POINTS!
AUTOMATON: Sorry that doesn't count...you have to ADD points for us to assume the account is active in a 24 month period.
ME: BUT THAT WAS WORTH OVER $3000 AND YOU NEVER EVEN HAD THE COURTESY TO NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE THAT THIS WAS PENDING???.
AUTOMATON: Sorry that is not our responsibility.
ME: BUT I WAS AN A-LIST FLYER WITH YOU FOR OVER 16 YEARS ! HAVE YOU NO CUSTOMER LOYALTY? I HAD EARNED OVER 250,000 POINTS WITH YOU AS A BUSINESS TRAVELER, AND NOW THAT I AM RETIRED, AND HAVE TIME TO USE THEM.....YOU TAKE THEM AWAY??? YOU KNEW I WAS ALIVE, I JUST FLEW WITH YOU!
AUTOMATON: Sorry (not sorry).
NEVER AGAIN WITH SOUTHWEST
Last edited by jrpcs; Mar 20, 2019 at 8:35 am Reason: clarity
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
They should tell you, but it is posted..
AA does not send you letters, but they will let you buy them back..
funny how we forget bills, some of us forget to go to work..
AA does not send you letters, but they will let you buy them back..
funny how we forget bills, some of us forget to go to work..
#9
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 94
I was surprised recently to find that when trying to get a family member a ticket for a funeral they couldn't afford to attend, that my 115,000+ Reward points had EVAPORATED!
How could that be? I had just taken a Rewards Flight just 2 months prior. When calling Southwest Rewards, I was attended by a representative that sounded exactly like an automaton.
AUTOMATON: Sorry, but if you read the details of the rewards program you will see that if you do not add points to your account, we assume it is defunct and zero it out!
ME: BUT I JUST FLEW WITH YOU USING REWARD POINTS!
AUTOMATON: Sorry that doesn't count...you have to ADD points for us to assume the account is active in a 24 month period.
ME: BUT THAT WAS WORTH OVER $3000 AND YOU NEVER EVEN HAD THE COURTESY TO NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE THAT THIS WAS PENDING???.
AUTOMATON: Sorry that is not our responsibility.
ME: BUT I WAS AN A-LIST FLYER WITH YOU FOR OVER 16 YEARS ! HAVE YOU NO CUSTOMER LOYALTY? I HAD EARNED OVER 250,000 POINTS WITH YOU AS A BUSINESS TRAVELER, AND NOW THAT I AM RETIRED, AND HAVE TIME TO USE THEM.....YOU TAKE THEM AWAY??? YOU KNEW I WAS ALIVE, I JUST FLEW WITH YOU!
AUTOMATON: Sorry (not sorry).
NEVER AGAIN WITH SOUTHWEST
How could that be? I had just taken a Rewards Flight just 2 months prior. When calling Southwest Rewards, I was attended by a representative that sounded exactly like an automaton.
AUTOMATON: Sorry, but if you read the details of the rewards program you will see that if you do not add points to your account, we assume it is defunct and zero it out!
ME: BUT I JUST FLEW WITH YOU USING REWARD POINTS!
AUTOMATON: Sorry that doesn't count...you have to ADD points for us to assume the account is active in a 24 month period.
ME: BUT THAT WAS WORTH OVER $3000 AND YOU NEVER EVEN HAD THE COURTESY TO NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE THAT THIS WAS PENDING???.
AUTOMATON: Sorry that is not our responsibility.
ME: BUT I WAS AN A-LIST FLYER WITH YOU FOR OVER 16 YEARS ! HAVE YOU NO CUSTOMER LOYALTY? I HAD EARNED OVER 250,000 POINTS WITH YOU AS A BUSINESS TRAVELER, AND NOW THAT I AM RETIRED, AND HAVE TIME TO USE THEM.....YOU TAKE THEM AWAY??? YOU KNEW I WAS ALIVE, I JUST FLEW WITH YOU!
AUTOMATON: Sorry (not sorry).
NEVER AGAIN WITH SOUTHWEST
#10
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,511
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,192
Unfortunately this is precisely covered in the T&Cs. You must have points go into the account every 24 months to keep it active.
Not very friendly, agreed, but quite clearly stated.
Not very friendly, agreed, but quite clearly stated.
#12
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,511
UA: 'United may, but shall have no obligation to, send a Member a notification of miles nearing expiration.'
AA: 'Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. All miles expired from December 2002 onward are eligible for reactivation for a fee.'
DL: 'Miles do not expire.'
AA: 'Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. All miles expired from December 2002 onward are eligible for reactivation for a fee.'
DL: 'Miles do not expire.'
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,455
As far as I can tell, these Skymiles will never expire.