A-List & CP
Jan 3, 2020, 8:27 pm
#31
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,460
Out of MDW at the times I fly, most of the airport is business and A-list.
Jan 4, 2020, 8:31 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,192
The more I think about this the more I'm astounded.
A-List has always been difficult to achieve, requiring actual travel to earn. Even in the case of status matches, those were limited to three months and required proof of status from another carrier. Now, they've just given a seemingly large number of people status for half of the year...
Jan 6, 2020, 5:52 pm
#33
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
I had reached out to Southwest before posting here, below is the reply I just received, fyi...
It looks to me now like this is coming from Chase, not Southwest. I wonder how much they paid Southwest for each person's 6-month status?
On December 30, 2019, select Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers were awarded promotional A-List status through June 30, 2020 as a ‘thank you’ for their loyalty.
Members who were awarded A-List as part of this promotion will receive a Rapid Rewards Email Update (RREU) notifying them of their status on January 10. Members will also receive the promotional A-List letter via postal mail the first week of January.
Members who were awarded A-List as part of this promotion will receive a Rapid Rewards Email Update (RREU) notifying them of their status on January 10. Members will also receive the promotional A-List letter via postal mail the first week of January.
- This is an exclusive offer only available to targeted Cardmembers
- Select Cardmember accounts were adjusted to A-List on December 30, 2019. Registration is not required
- To maintain A-List status, Cardmembers must meet normal requirements for A-List qualification (25 one-way qualifying flights or 35,000 Tier qualifying points)
Jan 7, 2020, 6:56 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Jan 7, 2020, 12:14 pm
#35
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Since this is only being given to Chase card members, I suspect it is generated by Chase. I haven't yet received the mailed notification, but that should make it a bit clearer. (In the way that drink coupons from Chase are different than the drink coupons received from Southwest.)
Jan 10, 2020, 7:09 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,192
I just got the confirmatory email today, Friday.
"Members will also receive the promotional A-List letter via postal mail the first week of January." This I did not get. But USPS around here is pretty slow.
Hyatt/AA gave me EXP. When it rains, it pours.
I did send over the EXP status to WN and requested the A-List challenge, which they granted a few days ago.
"Members will also receive the promotional A-List letter via postal mail the first week of January." This I did not get. But USPS around here is pretty slow.
Hyatt/AA gave me EXP. When it rains, it pours.
I did send over the EXP status to WN and requested the A-List challenge, which they granted a few days ago.
Jan 10, 2020, 10:51 pm
#38
Join Date: Dec 2019
Programs: WN RR CP, AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 10
I haven't received any notification, as noted above those are apparently coming later. My status never showed "pending," it just changed, on January 2nd, to "A-List."
The more I think about this the more I'm astounded.
A-List has always been difficult to achieve, requiring actual travel to earn. Even in the case of status matches, those were limited to three months and required proof of status from another carrier. Now, they've just given a seemingly large number of people status for half of the year? I'm not complaining, because I'm in that group. But if I were someone who took a mileage run in order to earn or retain my status, I might not be happy about this new group of people who are given the same status with no effort whatsoever.
The more I think about this the more I'm astounded.
A-List has always been difficult to achieve, requiring actual travel to earn. Even in the case of status matches, those were limited to three months and required proof of status from another carrier. Now, they've just given a seemingly large number of people status for half of the year? I'm not complaining, because I'm in that group. But if I were someone who took a mileage run in order to earn or retain my status, I might not be happy about this new group of people who are given the same status with no effort whatsoever.
Jan 10, 2020, 11:09 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,871
And what exactly makes you so sure that you know the algorithm, which has been a mystery in this forum for years?
Jan 10, 2020, 11:19 pm
#40
Join Date: Dec 2019
Programs: WN RR CP, AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 10
The “secret algorithm” is really simple, and it comes down to revenue flights/points earned on a rolling time period basis.
Jan 10, 2020, 11:34 pm
#41
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,871
So you’re just guessing, along with everyone else. Got it.
Jan 11, 2020, 12:38 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
As I suggested earlier in this thread, presumably Southwest could do as you suggest -- if they wanted to. That, unfortunately, does not mean that they will.
Jan 11, 2020, 7:20 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: ATL
Posts: 1,921
Jan 11, 2020, 7:39 am
#45
Join Date: Dec 2019
Programs: WN RR CP, AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 10
No. It's a tested hypothesis. I spent 18/19 shuttling the same route with the same crew and we built a testing model to see if we could move boarding positions up and down, which was successful. It comes down to points earned and frequency. Essentially, that brings it down to revenue generating flights - the same boarding status would hold through for standby as well.
128 flights last year, 127 I was A-16, the one time I was 17, the 16 normally flew BS, which was sold out on that flight when they booked AT, therefore they generated more revenue.
I hub out of DAL, which gets quite a bit of the SWA brass through there, multiple Gate Service executives and supervisors have also confirmed that fits with their understanding.
128 flights last year, 127 I was A-16, the one time I was 17, the 16 normally flew BS, which was sold out on that flight when they booked AT, therefore they generated more revenue.
I hub out of DAL, which gets quite a bit of the SWA brass through there, multiple Gate Service executives and supervisors have also confirmed that fits with their understanding.