Changes to Southwest Rapid Rewards Program on April 17th
In the email that Southwest Rapid Rewards sent out today to their members, there is a link under "News For Our Valued Members" that takes you to what I assume is bad news for the Rapid Rewards program. The update says (bolding mine):
We created Rapid Rewards® because we think you deserve to actually feel rewarded. And, from time to time we must make some updates to our program. Beginning April 17, 2015, the number of Rapid Rewards Points needed to redeem for certain flights will vary based on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare class, and other factors. However, there are still many flights which will stay at the current redemption rate. And don't forget that when fares go on sale, so do the points needed for redeeming for a reward flight on those fares.
I have reached out to Southwest to try and see what this new Rapid Rewards system will look like, but for now we don't know the details. I am pretty sure this doesn't mean awards are getting cheaper....
Remember that Rapid Rewards just devalued their mostly fixed value program about a year ago by 15% for Wanna Get Away fares (from about 1.67 cents per point to 1.42 cents per point), so I'm a bit surprised they are already doing it again unless this primarily has to do with their international flights that have come online in the last year or so. The last time they made a change they gave six months notice and outlined exact details of the change ahead of time.
The message from today goes on to emphasize that they still offer unlimited reward seats, no blackout dates, no fee to redeem or cancel awards, etc. That's all well and good, really, but a variable rate redemption system combined with fixed-ish value points doesn't sound like a good change for us. At least the email doesn't mention Companion Pass changes...
I'll keep you posted when I learn more, but I would book any Southwest awards that you have had your eyes on before April 17th, especially since you can re-price them if the points price drops anyway.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app