Southwest supplies factors; extends elite standing and Companion Move for choose vacationers

Southwest Airways had a tough finish to 2022 because it canceled 1000’s of flights across the Christmas holidays and suffered what might be the biggest operational meltdown in its historical past.

Now the service is extending olive branches to a number of teams of affected flyers. In addition to providing refunds to vacationers, Southwest can also be giving factors to pick out vacationers and increasing the qualification interval (and for choose vacationers, the profit interval) for A-Checklist elite standing and Companion Move. A few of this information was first reported by Thrifty Traveler and View from the Wing.

Here is what you could know.

25,000 Southwest factors as an apology

On Jan. 3, 2023, some Southwest members reported receiving an e-mail entitled “A message from Southwest CEO Bob Jordan.” A number of TPG staffers acquired this e-mail, together with senior reporter Zach Griff, who was touring as a bunch of 4 over the vacations. Here is a screenshot of the e-mail Zach acquired:

Zach acquired codes for every of the 4 vacationers in his get together. Every of the 25,000-point codes is price about $375 primarily based on TPG’s valuations. Zach mentioned he acquired codes for 25,000 bonus factors per passenger along with:

• Full refund for the canceled flights.
• $250 per traveler Southwest journey credit.
• Refund for last-minute substitute flights on Hawaiian Airways.

It is unclear how Southwest decides which passengers get these emails with codes. However, we suspect that Southwest should still be within the strategy of sending these emails. And it appears you could get the e-mail even when you already accepted journey credit, refunds and expense reimbursements. So, in case your journey was affected by Southwest’s vacation operational points and you have not gotten an e-mail but, preserve checking.

Associated: Tips on how to redeem factors with the Southwest Fast Rewards program

A-Checklist and Companion Move extensions

Some Southwest members whose Companion Move, A-Checklist or A-Checklist Most popular standing expired on Dec. 31, 2022, acquired an e-mail about an extension. A Southwest spokesperson instructed TPG, “Members who have been both impacted by or prone to being impacted by the operational challenges acquired an e-mail final week.”

The spokesperson went on to state:

“For our Members, A-Checklist, A-Checklist Most popular and Companion Move Members that had not but certified or requalified for A-Checklist, A-Checklist Most popular or Companion Move for 2023, we’ve prolonged the date by which they have to requalify from the top of December, (as is typical yearly) to the top of January 2023.”

So, Southwest is extending the qualification interval by Jan. 31, 2023, for all members who hadn’t but certified or requalified for Southwest elite standing or Companion Move by the top of 2022.

Though Southwest is extending the qualification interval for all members, solely choose vacationers will get their A-Checklist, A-Checklist Most popular and Companion Move advantages prolonged by Jan. 31, 2023.

Nevertheless, my Companion Move expired on the finish of 2022, and I did not get an e-mail about an extension, nor do I see an prolonged Companion Move in my account.

I requested Southwest about this and acquired the next response:

“If you happen to had the Companion Move in 2022 and have been impacted throughout our operational occasion, then your standing ought to be prolonged to Jan. 31. While you go to make a reserving in January, you must be capable to see and have the flexibility so as to add your companion (tell us when you don’t see it).”

As such, Southwest is simply extending elite standing and Companion Move advantages by Jan. 31, 2023, for vacationers affected by the airline’s vacation operational points.

Nevertheless, be aware that Southwest cellphone brokers have given some vacationers conflicting data. TPG’s Emily Thompson did not have any vacation journey booked with Southwest, but a number of Southwest cellphone brokers instructed her that her Companion Move, which expired on the finish of 2022, could be prolonged by January 2023. Each brokers defined that the extension would take a couple of days to look in all eligible accounts.

A Southwest spokesperson instructed us that solely those that had journey affected by the operational meltdown would see elite standing and Companion Move extensions. So if you did not have any bookings to journey with Southwest in the course of the affected interval and do not see an extension in your account, you may probably solely get an extension of your qualification interval (not your profit interval).

Associated: Questioning what occurred to your favourite Southwest route? Here is what to know

How does the elite-qualification extension have an effect on Companion Move incomes?

All Southwest members who did not qualify for a Companion Move by the top of 2022 could have further time to earn a Companion Move legitimate by the top of 2023. If you happen to have been counting on flights or different actions on the finish of 2022 to earn a Companion Move, you now have till the top of Jan. 31, 2023, to succeed in the qualification necessities.

You may marvel what this extension means when you have been trying to earn a Companion Move legitimate by the top of 2024 by incomes 135,000 Companion Move qualifying factors in early 2023. Southwest confirmed to AwardWallet that “all incomes exercise in January 2023 can even rely towards your 2024 Companion Move (earned in 2023, legitimate by 2024).”

If you happen to’re trying to shortly earn the Southwest Companion Move, now’s time to earn the sign-up bonus on any new Southwest bank cards you’ll have opened on the finish of 2022.

Backside line

Whereas there is not any method to make up for misplaced time with family and friends in the course of the holidays, it is nice that Southwest is providing refunds, bonus factors and standing extensions to passengers affected by its operational meltdown. It is the appropriate factor for the airline to do after wrecking many journey plans over the vacations.

Nevertheless, it is disappointing that Southwest’s cellphone brokers gave some vacationers incorrect data. These vacationers presumably referred to as in after studying different web sites reporting that Southwest would lengthen elite standing and Companion Move for all members. Nevertheless, a Southwest spokesperson instructed TPG the airline was solely extending elite standing and Companion Move advantages for vacationers affected by Southwest’s operational points over the vacations.