Last week Southwest Airlines brought out its big guns to keep load factors healthy and keep air traffic growing. They announced double credits for all flights between now and October 31. While other airlines have been involved in significant cutbacks to service, Southwest has been deploying its fleet and fine-tuning its schedule keeping their overall number of flights relatively constant.
This kind of net gain vis-a-vis its competitor keep Southwest moving forward rather than retrenching. The frequent flier double offer will more than likely increase Rapid Rewards membership and possibly entice more businessmen to give Southwest a try.
The steady increase in cities served will serve them well as the legacy carriers retrench to their largest business hubs and leave smaller cities to more low-cost-carrier competition. This promotion rewards Business Select customers with an additional quarter credit, showing Southwest’s clear intention to build their business traffic.
According to their Rapid Rewards head honcho, “Our Business Select customers will especially enjoy this offer because they will receive 2.25 credits for short-haul flights and 3 credits for medium and long-haul flights.”
The double credits for their Rapid Reward program will be in effect from now through Oct. 31. Southwest’s program works differently than programs associated with legacy carriers. Each flight earns a credit. With the double credits four round trips will be rewarded with a free flight.
Many of the major carriers are ramping up their frequent flier programs with bonus miles to reach elite status. But, at the same time, they have been slashing their schedules. Southwest’s approach gives them a chance to grow their business rather than shrink it.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
