SW Rapid Rewards (worth it for the rare flyer)?

toonaspie

Just a poser
Joined
May 30, 2010
Since Southwest started doing direct flights from Indianapolis to Dallas, it's been our family's go to airline for visiting relatives, so I think I will be more likely flying with them than on any other airline. I recently bought tickets to visit Dallas in a couple of weeks. I'm wondering if I should call to apply for Rapid Rewards and see they can start applying points with my recent purchase. Though moreso, I should ask if the Rapid Rewards program is worth it at all. It's only guaranteed that we go to Texas about once a year and I do prefer flying over the 16hr-straight drives that my parents would rather do.

I am planning on a flight to Disney World in 2018 and possibly want to do more Disney trips in the future. So I'm wondering if RR can help me earn a discount on flights by then. Also, what's been the best way for you to accumulate points if not a frequent flyer? Also it's a credit card right? I dunno how I feel about adding another credit card to the mix for the savings.

Thank you for your time.
 
Rapid Rewards is just a frequent flyer program - not a credit card. However, there is a Rapid rewards credit card that allows you to accumulate points from purchases.

I am a rapid rewards member, the points accumulate fairly slowly when purchasing the cheapest fares. I do some shopping through their shopping portal which can really add up. I also do some surveys through E-rewards and can use the 'money' earned there to purchase rapid rewards points.

We are fairly loyal to Southwest. My oldest daughter uses them all the time to go from Indy to New York (I can't tell you how annoyed she is that they took that direct route off the schedule). She has also flown on them out of Midway - she is an hour from Indy, 2 hours from Chicago.

She met us in Disney 2 weeks ago using SWA from IND to MCO. They run some phenomenal fare sales on that route, $69 one-way is fairly common.
 
Flights typically earn about 600 points. In order to redeem points for a flight you will need a few 1000 points each way. So you would need to fly about 5 - 8 round trips in order to earn enough points for 1 free round trip.
 
It doesn't hurt to get a Rapid Rewards account. If it takes you 5 years to get enough points to get a free ticket, so be it, still better than nothing. You don't want to regret not having the points, just in case. Their point redemption is very easy, plus it's super easy to get points refunded if price drops, just like you can when it drops in dollars. Like previously posted, you can online shop through their website to earn more points, which is pretty easy to do if you already buy a lot of things online. Also you don't necessarily need SW's credit card. I have a credit card that I can transfer my points to SW, which is a very good redemption value.
 


As mentioned, Rapid Rewards is SWA's frequent flyer program. There is a credit card as well that you can get, but that's not the actually reward program.

Points earned are based on the type of fares purchased, as well as the dollar amount of those purchases. As long as there is at least some activity on your account every 24 months, the points do not expire. That activity can be something as simple as purchasing something on line through their shopping portal (pretty easy to do if you make any on line purchases at all). We accumulate a lot of points via the shopping portal - often more than from actual flights. Different stores will, at times, run specials and bump up the points per dollar significantly. If you can take advantage of those deals for things you were going to buy anyway, you can rack up a ton of points quickly. I once caught a company's printer ink special of 20 points per dollar. I was actually looking to buy ink, and ended up turning a $50 purchase into 1000 points

Using points for flights is very easy.

Steve
 
Sign up. I did a few years ago thinking I'd never use them because I normally only fly Southwest to Orlando and that's just once or twice a year. I never thought much about it but recently I got their credit card. Looking into to using those points I realized I'd accumulated 12,000 points just from my trips to Orlando and that was enough to fly one of us round trip this year. The program is free so why not take advantage?
 
The chase SWA CC in the past has had large point incentives (50,000 - 60,000) to sign up/spend X $ in first 3 months. Annual fee but they give you like amount of points on the anniversary.
 


I would sign up for both Rapid Rewards points and the Rapid Rewards credit card(50,000 or 60,000 bonus only), even if flying once a year. Shop through the SW portal to build up points. I've used it for shopping at JCP(the Disney suitcase deal yielded just under 1,000 miles), Kohls, and Macys lately. Sometimes they will offer 500 bonus miles for $125 purchase. Car rentals and hotels also have bonus points offers. A recent rental was $26 through Costco, $28 through Southwest with a 1,200 flight mile bonus. I'll pay $2 more for 1,200 points/miles. They also have a restaurant rewards program but not many participate in my area.

We have a $99 fee for 6,000 miles yearly. My wife and I each have cards. Our redemption this year is a flight back from Las Vegas to Cincinnati. It was 5,987 points, the fare was $117. Now the flight is nearly $300, so it's a good value.
 
Do I need to have the Southwest/rapid rewards credit card to use the SW shopping portal?
 
Do I need to have the Southwest/rapid rewards credit card to use the SW shopping portal?

Nope, their credit card it not needed. All you need to do is go to the Southwest shopping website, and click on the store you want to shop at, order, and you'll earn your miles. Just a note, you need to make sure cookies are enabled on your computer, otherwise your computer won't "remember" that you came from Southwest and give you your miles.
 
Since Southwest started doing direct flights from Indianapolis to Dallas, it's been our family's go to airline for visiting relatives, so I think I will be more likely flying with them than on any other airline. I recently bought tickets to visit Dallas in a couple of weeks. I'm wondering if I should call to apply for Rapid Rewards and see they can start applying points with my recent purchase. Though moreso, I should ask if the Rapid Rewards program is worth it at all. It's only guaranteed that we go to Texas about once a year and I do prefer flying over the 16hr-straight drives that my parents would rather do.

I am planning on a flight to Disney World in 2018 and possibly want to do more Disney trips in the future. So I'm wondering if RR can help me earn a discount on flights by then. Also, what's been the best way for you to accumulate points if not a frequent flyer? Also it's a credit card right? I dunno how I feel about adding another credit card to the mix for the savings.

Thank you for your time.
We fly SWA a few times a year, and after only a few years have already earned a free flight via RR. I recommend signing up for it. It's free, and doesn't require any kind of credit card. Just sign up on their website, & be sure to type in your RR number each time you book a flight.
 
Signed up last week and they were able to incorporate my recently booked flight to start me on points.

:thumbsup2 Wish me Disney vacays aplenty!
 
One more minor Rapid Rewards feature. YMMV. SW sends out coupons for adult beverages periodically. I never purchase drinks on planes, but I will take advantage of a free drink when we're flying in the afternoon and I won't be driving myself home from the airport. I get more coupons than I will ever use before they expire, since we usually fly to MCO on early morning flights.
 
Always join the FF program of any airline you fly. It doesn't hurts and it might help. Being a member is always better than not. :)



One more minor Rapid Rewards feature. YMMV. SW sends out coupons for adult beverages periodically. I never purchase drinks on planes, but I will take advantage of a free drink when we're flying in the afternoon and I won't be driving myself home from the airport. I get more coupons than I will ever use before they expire, since we usually fly to MCO on early morning flights.

From my extended family's experience, that only happens once you're at a decent status. It's never happened to me, but my mom drinkong SIL always gets them because she flies SW all the time.
 
One more minor Rapid Rewards feature. YMMV. SW sends out coupons for adult beverages periodically. I never purchase drinks on planes, but I will take advantage of a free drink when we're flying in the afternoon and I won't be driving myself home from the airport. I get more coupons than I will ever use before they expire, since we usually fly to MCO on early morning flights.

What is ymmv? I noticed today on eBay pp selling these coupons, thought I some for $25 for a sheet of 9 coupons for drinks.
 
We've started looking at SW from Indy to MCO since moving to central IL. It was only $99 Ea way for Aug/Sept, offered around mid may (booked from midway instead for around $100 Ea way 5/29). This is the time for free dining, mnsshp, F & W, so decided to book. We got some gift cards at about 15% off on eBay (also using a new c card for its $200 bonus + 1.5%), and there's some at sams $150 cards for $142.99 (~5% off).
 
What is ymmv? I noticed today on eBay pp selling these coupons, thought I some for $25 for a sheet of 9 coupons for drinks.

It's an acronym for Your Mileage May Vary, which they used to always say in car ads when talking about the miles per gallon they get. Our coupons were sent to us as credit card members. They do not have our names or rapid rewards account number on them, so not identifiable to us, but are not supposed to be sold.
 
It's an acronym for Your Mileage May Vary, which they used to always say in car ads when talking about the miles per gallon they get. Our coupons were sent to us as credit card members. They do not have our names or rapid rewards account number on them, so not identifiable to us, but are not supposed to be sold.

Thanks for the explanation. I'm saving up (resisting not getting another c card) to be able to get a chase sapphire or a SWA with the 5/24 chase rule for credit. Not just for the free alcohol though:). People will sell anything.
 

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