Rapid Reward College Program Discontinuing on Oct 15, 2009
Jun 11, 2009, 12:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: WN | UA
Posts: 282
Rapid Reward College Program Discontinuing on Oct 15, 2009
Received this e-mail this afternoon:
If you don't already know, the College program allows double credit on all flights. So 1 round-trip typically earns 4 credits. This is definitely having me rethink my allegiance to Southwest when flying from college & home.
As an active participant in the College Rapid Rewards program, we wanted to make you aware of some changes effective July 15, 2009.
The College Rapid Rewards program will be discontinued, and new enrollments will not be processed. However, as a current Member, you will continue to earn bonus credit through October 15, 2009.
Beginning October 16, 2009, all former College Rapid Rewards Members will earn Rapid Rewards credit at a standard rate, consistent with the general program.
Despite this change, there are still lots of ways to earn credit as a Rapid Rewards Member, both in the air and on the ground! Just visit RapidRewards101.com for information about Rapid Rewards Preferred Partners and ways to get to an Award faster than ever.
We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you onboard soon!
Your Friends at Rapid Rewards
The College Rapid Rewards program will be discontinued, and new enrollments will not be processed. However, as a current Member, you will continue to earn bonus credit through October 15, 2009.
Beginning October 16, 2009, all former College Rapid Rewards Members will earn Rapid Rewards credit at a standard rate, consistent with the general program.
Despite this change, there are still lots of ways to earn credit as a Rapid Rewards Member, both in the air and on the ground! Just visit RapidRewards101.com for information about Rapid Rewards Preferred Partners and ways to get to an Award faster than ever.
We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you onboard soon!
Your Friends at Rapid Rewards
Jun 11, 2009, 12:46 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: WN | UA
Posts: 282
Also, college folks don't have nearly as large of a budget as most everyone else, and that's what made this program unique.
Jun 11, 2009, 12:48 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: BOS/PVD/BDL
Programs: PC Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold,HHonors Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite
Posts: 726
I loved this program when I was in college. I would fly home from PVD to BWI multiple times a year and would rack up a lot of free tickets. I also loved the $29 and $39 tickets too....
Memories.
Memories.
Jun 11, 2009, 12:49 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 20
I also got this email today. I turned 24 earlier this year, so I was expecting to be knocked down to 1 credit per one-way trip soon anyway, but this is a change about which a lot of people will not be happy.
Jun 11, 2009, 12:55 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: PVD
Programs: Rapid Rewards, WorldPerks
Posts: 465
So, if you've been 21 for "quite some time" - wouldn't you have been bumped down automatically soon anyway?
Last edited by dwebb; Jun 11, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Jun 11, 2009, 12:56 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: PVD
Programs: Rapid Rewards, WorldPerks
Posts: 465
Jun 11, 2009, 8:03 pm
#12
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: 21,678
This is a harbinger of a RR 2.0 announcement within a few months after October 15. 
Jun 12, 2009, 5:55 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA GOLD MM,WN CP A+list, HH Gold,MR LT Titanium
Posts: 2,184
I know my family chose WN over other carriers many times because of the college program. I see it as a loyalty building program and now they have lost that edge.
WN has recently made some changes that are taking away it's advantage to my family over the legacies- the pet policy and now the college program.Obviously they feel they need to do these to be profitable,but for us ,it will cause us to book primarily on price more often,which many times leaves WN out of the picture.
Jun 12, 2009, 7:08 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: PVD
Programs: Rapid Rewards, WorldPerks
Posts: 465
Agreed. I feel that the program helps build up loyalty for when hypothetical college student starts business travel.