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Southwest Airlines has restructured redemption costs for tickets in its Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program.
Beginning last week, the carrier increased the number of Rapid Rewards points that must be used for its cheapest Wanna Get Away fares by 6%. However, Southwest reduced redemption costs by an average of 35% for its Business Select fares and by 22% for its mid-level Anytime fares.
“It’s our hope that the updates to our Rapid Rewards program will make it more attractive for you to redeem the fare type that fits your travel needs,” the carrier said of the change. “It will also make redemptions more affordable when you are booking close to your departure date and Wanna Get Away fares are sold out.”
Airline spokeswoman Thais Hanson wouldn’t say how many Rapid Rewards points per dollar Southwest typically charges for the various fare types. However, Gary Leff of View from the Wing wrote that under the old formula the carrier charged approximately 120 points per dollar for Business Select, 100 points per dollar for Anytime and 72-74 points per dollar for Wanna Get Away fares. Under the revised formula, the cost for the three ticket types is balanced at close to 78 points per dollar, or 27,300 points for a $350 ticket.
Southwest emphasized that other key elements of the Rapid Rewards program are not changing. Points don’t expire, there are no blackout dates and every seat is an eligible reward seat.
Source: travelweekly.com
