Southwest Rapid Rewards is offering a potentially lucrative promotion for flights booked before the end of the weekend…
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Southwest offering 2x Rapid Rewards points
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards has a promotion offering double points for newly booked flights:
- Registration is required between January 12 and January 14, 2024, and prior to travel
- You must book your flight between January 12 and January 14, 2024
- You must fly between January 12 and May 22, 2024
- There’s no limit to how many bonus Rapid Rewards points you can earn
- Bonus Rapid Rewards points will post to your account within 72 hours of completing travel
- Bonus Rapid Rewards points don’t count toward A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass qualification
While previously booked tickets don’t qualify, keep in mind that Southwest doesn’t have any change fees. So if you booked a ticket and the fare hasn’t changed, you can always rebook to take advantage of this offer.
How lucrative is this Southwest promotion?
How rewarding is this Southwest Rapid Rewards promotion? With this offer, you’d earn the following number of points:
- Rapid Rewards members ordinarily earn 12x points on Business Select fares, so will now earn 24x points
- Rapid Rewards members ordinarily earn 10x points on Anytime fares, so will now earn 20x points
- Rapid Rewards members ordinarily earn 8x points on Wanna Get Away Plus fares, so will now earn 16x points
- Rapid Rewards members ordinarily earn 5x points on Wanna Get Away fares, so will now earn 10x points
Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue based frequent flyer program, and personally I value these points at ~1.2 cents each. So by my valuation, you’re getting an incremental 6-14% return on your spending with this promotion. That’s a pretty substantial bonus.
Also keep in mind that this doesn’t include the credit card rewards you earn for airfare spending, which can add up even more.
Bottom line
Southwest Airlines is offering double points for Rapid Rewards members who register, book flights by January 14, 2024, and travel by May 22, 2024. This is potentially a generous promotion, especially given that many people can probably rebook travel to take advantage of this. Personally I value this offer at an incremental 6-14% return.
Do you plan on taking advantage of this Southwest double points promotion?
While 2x isn't eligible to existing, what if existing reservation still has the same price as when booked months ago? I can cancel, obtain flight funds, and re-book, or I can change the existing, re-select the same price, and pay nothing, but then the reservation now has a new "booked" date? Any data points on either from previous similar bonus offers?
I have done this with previous offers. Worked fine.
Changed existing, or cancel and rebook with funds?
Cancel, rebook with the resulting funds.
I’m assuming no bonus if you’re using points to book flights?
very safe assumption
You'll definitely get twice as many points as you usually do for award bookings :)