Rapid Rewards Enhancements!
Nov 7, 2007, 11:46 am
#46
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Nov 7, 2007, 11:48 am
#47
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
Perhaps I missed it, but when does next year's A-list counting start?
Not that it matters for me this year, but does the A-list count any flight, or is it just a flight that you earn credit for?
Not that it matters for me this year, but does the A-list count any flight, or is it just a flight that you earn credit for?
Nov 7, 2007, 11:52 am
#48
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN CP
Posts: 6,360
A-List qualification is based on actual revenue flights flown
Nov 7, 2007, 11:53 am
#49
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA 1P; Marriott Gold; Avis First
Posts: 112
A-Listers @ Security Checkpoints
Does A-List "status" get you access to the priority security lines at most airports?
I'm a pretty loyal 1K with United and I've avoided WN like the plague because of two major issues: 1) Reserved Seats and 2) not doing anything to make my travel (as a high revenue, frequent flyer) easier.
Number 1 has effectively been solved now, but the single biggest thing WN could do to make my life easier is give me access to the short security lines with A-List status, like my 1K status on United does.
I'm a pretty loyal 1K with United and I've avoided WN like the plague because of two major issues: 1) Reserved Seats and 2) not doing anything to make my travel (as a high revenue, frequent flyer) easier.
Number 1 has effectively been solved now, but the single biggest thing WN could do to make my life easier is give me access to the short security lines with A-List status, like my 1K status on United does.
Nov 7, 2007, 11:56 am
#50
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN CP
Posts: 6,360
Nov 7, 2007, 11:58 am
#51
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,625
Nov 7, 2007, 11:58 am
#52
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
I've used my RR card in SEA before and had no problem.
Curb, thanks for the answers.
Nov 7, 2007, 12:02 pm
#53
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: LAS-DEN
Programs: WN CP & B-list. Disillusioned fmr UA-1P/2P,F9-Ascent; Fmr AA-Plat,CO-Gold,NW-Silver,TWA-Elite
Posts: 1,630
It will be interesting to see how the boarding pass number degrades over time as more and more people become A-listers and more and more start buying Business Select tickets. If you get A30 this month and B61 in March, the effects on those who used to get front-of-the-line A on a cheap ticket are going to be quite noticable.
Also, if you are an A-lister, whether you get A5 or A25 is a big difference! I hope somebody at Southwest thought this through!
Also, if you are an A-lister, whether you get A5 or A25 is a big difference! I hope somebody at Southwest thought this through!
Nov 7, 2007, 12:03 pm
#54
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: TX
Programs: WN A List Preferred and CP, AA, IHG Spire, Hertz #1 Gold 5*, Hilton Diamond, Enterprise Platinum
Posts: 1,269
Another question: Will our status as an A-lister be on our account somewhere, so we don't have to continually be counting our rolling number?
Similar to our status as CP. ?
Edited to add: " OK, I read the website, we will be notified by email or postcard, and it is good for 12 months" my mistake
Similar to our status as CP. ?
Edited to add: " OK, I read the website, we will be notified by email or postcard, and it is good for 12 months" my mistake
Last edited by doctall41; Nov 7, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Nov 7, 2007, 12:03 pm
#56
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Nov 7, 2007, 12:07 pm
#57
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: Whoever Has the Best Bonus
Posts: 5,183
Overall I would agree with an earlier poster that this just makes the program much more complicated, whether or not its better or not for a particular person depends on their travel plans. Southwest is just going down the same road as it seems every other FF program .. the good news is that it will also mean more opportunities for FTers to find and use loopholes in the system 
Nov 7, 2007, 12:15 pm
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: UA Platinum MM; DL Silver; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Hilton Gold; Marriott Gold
Posts: 24,249
Members who fly 32 one-way flights within 12 months are automatically added to our A-List and will receive reserved boarding privileges for one year. That means we’ll automatically reserve your boarding pass for you, ensuring you get the best available boarding number without having to check in exactly 23:59:59 before your flight. While we can’t guarantee you will get an A (if you all fly together somewhere, for instance), in most cases you will!
We’re also giving you back the freedom to use your Awards any time you want, except for a few blackout dates. You can now convert two Standard Awards to one Freedom Award.
to this atrocious spin, although the change itself offers a marginal improvement over the status quo. Freedom Awards are not just twice as expensive as a non-capacity controlled award used to be, they are really four times as expensive when you factor in the elimination of the standard double credit.
Originally Posted by southwest.com
Southwest Airlines introduced "Business Select" at the Company's headquarters today. It's a new fare that guarantees that the "Business Select" Customer will be among the first to board the aircraft. "Business Select" holders also receive extra Rapid Rewards credit for the flight, and they even get a cocktail on the house!
(1) Superior A boarding priority;
(2) Double credits on flights of 750 miles or more; 1.25 credits on flights less than 750 miles; and
(3) One free drink.
To me, as someone who frequently flies WN on full-fares for business, I can't imagine that the above benefits are worth the price premium unless the difference is $10 or less on my short-haul segments: (2) Double credits on flights of 750 miles or more; 1.25 credits on flights less than 750 miles; and
(3) One free drink.
- I already have plenty of free drink coupons so the $5 benefit of a free drink doesn't seem likely to be worth the increased fare (never mind in comparison to flying another airline like CO where my elite status plus a full-fare coach purchase will allow me to Y-up to first class and its unlimited free drinks at the time of booking).
- Since I exclusively fly WN on short-haul segments for business, the extra quarter credit isn't going to mean a whole lot to me. If you value a standard award at around $250, as I do, the quarter-credit bonus is worth a little over $4, and that's without considering whether you'd rather have the $4 in your wallet or in WN's pocket awaiting your future use.
- As for the superior A boarding, it only will matter if it is the difference between getting one of a very small handful of superior seats in either the bulkhead or exit row. Since there are apparently no guarantees of an A1 to A4 (or whatever) because the number of Business Select customers may very well exceed four on any given flight, the benefit may largely prove illusory to someone who is already an A-Lister or who was able to snag an A boarding pass via online check-in.
What will be interesting to see is how WN's competitors price their full-fare "Y" class fares in markets where they are competing with WN on price. Will they raise their fares so that a "Y" fare is equivalent to a Business Select fare? Or will they keep their "Y" fares at the same price as WN's existing full-fare, non-Business Select offering? I would certainly prefer the latter.
- Since I exclusively fly WN on short-haul segments for business, the extra quarter credit isn't going to mean a whole lot to me. If you value a standard award at around $250, as I do, the quarter-credit bonus is worth a little over $4, and that's without considering whether you'd rather have the $4 in your wallet or in WN's pocket awaiting your future use.
- As for the superior A boarding, it only will matter if it is the difference between getting one of a very small handful of superior seats in either the bulkhead or exit row. Since there are apparently no guarantees of an A1 to A4 (or whatever) because the number of Business Select customers may very well exceed four on any given flight, the benefit may largely prove illusory to someone who is already an A-Lister or who was able to snag an A boarding pass via online check-in.
Last edited by SAT Lawyer; Nov 7, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Nov 7, 2007, 12:16 pm
#59
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN CP
Posts: 6,360
I don't agree that it makes the program more complicated. What we have today is a new status you must earn, similar to CP, and a "rule buster" award. Everything else about the program is the same as it was yesterday.
However, A-List and Business Select do complicate the flight experience depending on where you sit with regard to their effects.
However, A-List and Business Select do complicate the flight experience depending on where you sit with regard to their effects.