Rapid Rewards Enhancements!

Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:34 pm
  #76  
 
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Well I can see how the BS fare will help attract new flyers and not necessarily be a reward to existing devotees. Will the BS fare be guaranteed an A if they standby on an ealier flight? From High on Luv's justification for why they cannot give this to A-listers, I don't see how they can give it to a BS'er.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:35 pm
  #77  
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This goes back to FCfree's question upthread about bonus credits with Business Select. Those are flight credits, so do they shorten the number of actual flights required to earn A-List? I thought no, but from your reference to flight credits, it seems so.
Oh, sorry that clarification actually muddied the waters...the extra Business Select credits are actually "bonus credits," so do not shorten the requirements for A-List qualification. You must fly 16 roundtrips (or 32 one-way flights) within a rolling 12 months to get on the A-List.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:35 pm
  #78  
nsx
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Originally Posted by curbcrusher
This goes back to FCfree's question upthread about bonus credits with Business Select. Those are flight credits, so do they shorten the number of actual flights required to earn A-List? I thought no, but from your reference to flight credits, it seems so.

From: http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewar...embership.html

A-List qualification is based on actual revenue flights flown, not Rapid Rewards credits earned.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:36 pm
  #79  
 
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Originally Posted by High on Luv
Oh, sorry that clarification actually muddied the waters...the extra Business Select credits are actually "bonus credits," so do not shorten the requirements for A-List qualification. You must fly 16 roundtrips (or 32 one-way flights) within a rolling 12 months to get on the A-List.
Bingo. Now it all makes sense. Thank you! ^
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:38 pm
  #80  
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Originally Posted by High on Luv
If you’re on the A-List and book or change your reservation less than 36 hours before your flight, we cannot guarantee that we can reserve you the best available boarding pass – because of time zone changes and connecting passengers who print their boarding passes early.
What happens if you're on a Business Select fare and you change your flight within 36 hours of its departure? Are you still guaranteed a priority A boarding pass? Under all circumstances? Only if there are fewer Business Select customers on the particular flight than spaces pre-allocated for them in the A group? Something else (i.e. you go to the back of the A line, but still get an A)?

While we can’t get into the nitty-gritty, A-List order is sorted by, number of revenue flights taken within the past 12 months among other things.
You're answer is helpful inasmuch that it acknowledges that the number of flight segments plays a role in the A-List hierarchy. But, for all we know, that criteria may not be the number one criteria, which certainly devalues its importance. And if other factors like online check-in time still play an important role in separating one A-Lister from another, that information would be helpful to know.

Why can't you disclose the hierarchy? I thought that WN prided itself on transparency with its customers. CO, to give one example, expressly publishes its Upgrade Priority.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:39 pm
  #81  
 
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Need More Details Please!

Originally Posted by High on Luv
Customers traveling on Business Select fares will get the first boarding passes, and Members of A-List will receive the best available boarding passes after that. While we cant get into the nitty-gritty, A-List order is sorted by, number of revenue flights taken within the past 12 months among other things.

Hope this helps clear some things up!
I think that your heavy Texas travellers will feel more comfortable if we can get more details on this in particular. I don't see why SW can't just tell us what to expect as far as "sorting" of the A-List passengers.

It's a real concern to me that I've been one of the first 5 or 10 folks on the airplane recently (because I check in exactly 24 hrs in advance), but under this new system, I could be looking at 40, 50, or even later. Factor in through passengers, and even with A-list we could be at the back of the plane.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:40 pm
  #82  
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I lost my Companion Pass in the past year because Southwest could not compete with Continental on the Tampa-Houston route. CO got my 40 full-fare roundtrips.

For the same full-fare price:

Southwest offered a restricted award for every 8 roundtrips that I flew.

Continental offered a free first-class upgrade, expedited security screening, and a restricted award for every 6 roundtrips that I flew (using a status challenge).

Now Southwest has raised their price above their previous full fare pricing for ... a free drink and 0.25 credits?

Uh, no thanks.

[ironically, with the CO->Amtrak->Choice->WN transfers, I actually get more RR credits for flying CO than WN! ]
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:41 pm
  #83  
 
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Originally Posted by nsx
A-List qualification is based on actual revenue flights flown, not Rapid Rewards credits earned.
Right. My confusion stemmed from me not understanding that BS credits will post as 1 flight credit and X BS bonus credits. I thought they would could as flight credits as a result of a single credit post event.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:42 pm
  #84  
 
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Originally Posted by MrMan
Just show your RR card. All members can use at most airports. WN controls most checkpoints as they are the largest carrier in most concources
This may be true at DAL, PHX, MDW or LAS, but it is absolutely not the case at the airports I frequent: SEA, PDX, DEN, SLC, SNA, and many more. If A-List does not shorten my wait at security, then WN will continue to get zero of my travel dollars.

These new service announcements did, however, get enough of my attention that I posted on the WN forum...
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:45 pm
  #85  
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Originally Posted by SAT Lawyer
What happens if you're on a Business Select fare and you change your flight within 36 hours of its departure? Are you still guaranteed a priority A boarding pass? Under all circumstances? Only if there are fewer Business Select customers on the particular flight than spaces pre-allocated for them in the A group? Something else (i.e. you go to the back of the A line, but still get an A)?
From http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewar...hip_rules.html item 7:

Reserved boarding privileges will not be provided in instances where the Members reservation meets any of the following criteria: reservations booked less than 36 hours prior to scheduled departure; changes made to an existing reservation within 36 hours of a scheduled flight; standby travel on a different flight than what was originally confirmed; flights taken after a Members status expires from our A-List. Irregular operations may also affect a Members benefits on Rapid Rewards A-List boarding priority.

Translation: any changes within 36 hours and you are SOL.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:47 pm
  #86  
 
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I'm wondering what status an A-Lister might have earned on another airline now that we have a strictly flight-earned benefit on WN.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:48 pm
  #87  
 
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Originally Posted by markoh
These new service announcements did, however, get enough of my attention that I posted on the WN forum...
At the very least, check back from time to time. WN's CEO said there are more changes to come in the next two years.
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 1:49 pm
  #88  
 
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Originally Posted by nsx
From http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewar...hip_rules.html item 7:

Reserved boarding privileges will not be provided in instances where the Members reservation meets any of the following criteria: reservations booked less than 36 hours prior to scheduled departure; changes made to an existing reservation within 36 hours of a scheduled flight; standby travel on a different flight than what was originally confirmed; flights taken after a Members status expires from our A-List. Irregular operations may also affect a Members benefits on Rapid Rewards A-List boarding priority.

Translation: any changes within 36 hours and you are SOL.
You realize you're quoting A-List terms in response to a BS question, right?
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 2:00 pm
  #89  
 
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Is it too much to ask Southwest to just give their high-rev customers a real status just like other airlines do currently? I realize it flies in the face of their egalitarian mantra but they are already encroaching seriously on that now.

"Ladies and gentleman, prior to our A group boarding today, we would like to welcome aboard our A-lister premium travellers......Welcome aboard...."
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Old Nov 7, 2007, 2:01 pm
  #90  
nsx
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Originally Posted by curbcrusher
You realize you're quoting A-List terms in response to a BS question, right?
Oops. It's tough to keep this BS straight.

I expect that this is a system limitation common to both categories.
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