Southwest Airlines LOWERS eligibility requirements for its frequent flyer program – after Delta Air Lines came under fire for restricting access to its airport lounges
Southwest Airlines has announced changes that will make it easier to qualify for its frequent flyer loyalty program.
From January 1, 2024, the airline will lower the threshold for achieving ‘A-List’ and ‘A-List Preferred’ status in its Rapid Rewards program.
It comes weeks after Delta Air Lines faced widespread backlash after announcing plans to limit the number of entries into its lounges and tighten the qualifying criteria for customers to earn frequent flyer status.
In response to the criticism, CEO Ed Bastian admitted that the company had “probably gone too far” with the strict measures – and promised to make “changes” to the changes.
Southwest Airlines announced that the new requirements will be 20 qualifying one-way flights for A-List status, down from 25, and 40 qualifying one-way flights for A-List Preferred status – down from 50.
Southwest Airlines has announced changes that will make it easier to qualify for its frequent flyer loyalty program
The airline is also lowering the barrier to spending on its co-branded credit cards.
Rapid Rewards Premier, Priority, Premier Business or Performance Business cardholders now receive 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) for every $5,000 spent.
This is down from $10,000 currently.
The number of TQPs you need to qualify for A-List and A-List Preferred status remains the same (35,000 and 70,000 respectively), but a credit card can get you there twice as fast.
A-List members receive priority boarding, priority check-in and access to the security lane.
Starting next month, A-List Preferred members will also be entitled to two free alcoholic drinks per flight, including beer, wine, spirits and hard seltzer.
The airline is also lowering the barrier to spending on its co-branded credit cards (photo: CEO Bob Jordan)
Jonathan Clarkson, Southwest’s vice president of marketing, acknowledged that the changes go against other airlines’ rewards programs.
“While I would like to say that we are so agile, we responded immediately, but that is simply not the case. “We’ve been working on this for a while,” he said USA todayreferring to Delta’s recent announcement.
“At a time when other programs, plural, make it harder to reach tier status, we make it easier.”
The airline also announced other changes to its Rapid Rewards program, including the ability to book tickets with cash and points.
Previously, customers had to use only one or the other.
Clarkson said he was not concerned about an increase in the number of members of his frequent flyer programs diluting the experience for seasoned travelers.
The announcement of changes at Delta came after problems with overcrowding in airport lounges.
“The most important thing was to ensure that the changes we made did not lead to a bloated program,” Clarkson said.
“It will result in a larger program that we anticipate, but not to the point where it erodes the benefits of the people who can benefit from it.”