Theaffordabletraveler

Hello all,

I plan to cancel my SW card when the fee is up next year. I have a few trips coming up where I plan to take advantage of the 4 priority boardings that are reimburse each year.

my question is there a way to use those boardings and get the reimbursement next year but avoid getting hit with the annual fee before I cancel?

any success anyone?

thanks,

The Affordable Traveler

sdsearch

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Theaffordabletraveler.

You may not want to cancel if you get a decent retention offer:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...rs-2020-a.html

Assuming you're talking about the Southwest Performance Business Card (if another Southwest card has the 4 priority boarding reimbursements, I'm not familiar with it), that card is too new (debuted in June of last year) for perhaps anyone to have any experience yet with timing of the renewal versus the 4 priority boarding reimbursements.

New Chase WN Performance business credit card with 80k bonus

And from Chase's T&Cs regarding this card:

SOUTHWEST UPGRADED BOARDINGS

Each anniversary year you will be reimbursed for the purchase of up to 4 Upgraded Boardings which are positions A1-A15. Upgraded Boardings may be purchased at the departure gate or ticket counter on the day of travel only, when available. Price of Upgraded Boardings is based on your itinerary. Anniversary year means the year beginning with your account open date through the first statement date after your account open date anniversary, and the 12 monthly billing cycles after that each year. Eligibility for Upgraded Boardings are for accounts that switch to this product: Account open date is the date the switch is official in the Chase system. After you make your purchase with your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Card, you will receive a statement credit for the price of the Upgraded Boardings. Statement credit and purchase of Upgraded Boardings may not post on the same statement; please allow up to 8 weeks for the statement credit(s) to post to your account. You may purchase all 4 Upgraded Boardings at one time or on separate flights; you will only be reimbursed via statement credit for the first four Upgraded Boardings you purchase on the overall business card account during your anniversary year. Account must be open and not in default at the time the statement credit is posted to your account.

ursine1

The personal Priority card also includes four Upgraded Boardings.

​​​​​​Upgraded Boardings are reimbursed almost immediately after purchase. The credits show up online within days, and are reflected on your next credit card statement.

Since these must be purchased at the gate, there is no way that I know of to purchase them in advance.

I'm not sure exactly what the OP is asking, but I don't think there's any way to do whatever it is.

NoStressHere

As said, you can only buy just before the flight (at gate or checkin counter)

It hits your card within a day or so.

There MIGHT be a small window of time where you could use this and still not pay the annual. You usually have 30 days to cancel the card and still get the fee back. So, during that period of renewal and cancel, if you fly.. maybe.

Theaffordabletraveler

My apologizes. I swore when I read the terms and conditions when I signed up you are reimbursed come your anniversary date. Not when you they post to the cc. I even remember talking to my buddy who rotates the cards and we discussed this exact situation of not being refunded until the anniversary came up. Guess we are crazy??

Theaffordabletraveler

Just went back to my statements in 2019 when I bought 4 upgraded boardings. And yep the credits are there. Guess I am crazy. Sorry about that gang, thanks for the replies!!!

sdsearch

Or at the check-in counter, which has been recommended (in some thread in this forum) in case you don't know how long it will take you to go through security and to the gate, or if it's just convenient because there's no wait when you arrive.

But yes, in any case, it has to be purchased at the airport on your departure day.

flyer4512

I wonder how many people are like me and have not used ANY of the upgraded boardings because we cancelled every flight we had planned for 2020.

It would be nice if Chase extended the time to use the upgrades because of COvid

NoStressHere

We have cancelled at least 5 trips so far and no flying since January. And we have three cards that give 4 boardings each.

DeltaNeutral28

If you have a layover, can you upgrade Flight 2 at check in at the airport of Flight 1?

sdsearch

I don't know, but even if it is in some cases, it may very well depend on timing. Ie, it might only be available after Flight 2 goes to airport control, a few hours before its scheduled take-off, and thus it would much less likely be available yet when you're checking in for Flight 1 if Flight 1 itself is a few hours long.

ursine1

My understanding is no.

bgasser

Curios with the middle seats open and the planes not full, why you want to bother getting an early boarding pass? My last two flight this week has 50 and 74 pax. Had an entire row to myself each way.

DeltaNeutral28

Any more data points if you can somehow get the extra 4 upgraded bookings in the 37 day window you have to cancel should they not offer a decent retention offer once your AF posts? I guess since the AF posts the first day of the month one would need to look at the day they applied for the card and make sure they are that date 12 months later to get the credit for a new set of upgraded boardings? Also, do the internet charges post like credits for A1-A15 boarding positions?

ursine1

Again, the credits for Upgraded Boarding post almost immediately after you purchase Upgraded Boarding.

I can't definitively answer your 2nd question as I don't have the card that offers free wifi, but most likely yes. The card I have gives a discount on inflight purchases (including wifi) and the credits post almost immediately after making the purchase.