Complaint Review: Southwest AirlinesHR Manager /Site Manager 2001-2004 • Managed 10 multi-site HR Generalists • Created and facil - Portland Oregon
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- Southwest AirlinesHR Manager /Site Manager 2001-2004 • Managed 10 multi-site HR Generalists • Created and facil Portland, Oregon USA
- Phone: 1-800-435-9792
- Web: www.southwest.com
- Category: BBB Better Business Bureau
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program is a Rip-Off! Portland Oregon
*Consumer Comment: Southwest Best Airline in the Contry
*Consumer Comment: Sure you are...
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I am a frequent flier with Southwest airlines. I travel a lot for work and tend to fly Southwest (although not exclusively) whenever possible to accrue rapid reward points and because of their usually friendly staff.
Last week, however, I had a death in my family. I had several family that needed to travel from all across the country to Minneapolis for the funeral, but didn't have the immediate funds to purchase the tickets. I thought, no problem, I will book purchase their tickets for them and accrue the Rapid Rewards points, just like i normally do with other airlines.
Wrong!
Southwest Airlines policy states that only the person that is traveling can have the frequent flier miles. I called customer service and asked for the business reason behind this policy. After all, I am the one paying for the ticket and contributing to their bottom line, and a weekly user of Southwest Airlines. If I am spending the over $3000 to send my relatives to the funeral, I should get the rewards, since really I am the customer giving Southwest this business.
The customer service rep and the customer relations manager were clueless as to why this was the policy. I asked them why a person who didn't pay for the ticket would reap the rewards of the rapid rewards points? I was told this was so that business travelers who used a company credit card could get the rewards points.
I stated several other airlines that allowed both the purchaser or the flier accrue the points, depending on company policy and employee needs. Customer relations had no answers for me.
Instead, I cancelled all my tickets with Southwest, and booked all of us on United Airlines, wherer I am happy to report that I received all the frequent flier miles for all the tickets I purchased on my credit card.
My main complaint is this... if I am the one spending the money for the tickets, I absolutely deserve to get the Rapid Rewards points. The end result is that as an HR Executive, I changed the policy for my company so that we will not fly Southwest Airlines anymore.
Not only has Southwest lost out on over $3000 in personal travel for me and my family, they have also lost the business of a large fortune 500 company as well.
It's too bad, a few weeks ago I was Southwest's biggest fan. Now I tell everyone I meet in the airport not to fly Southwest because their Rapid Rewards program is a joke. There are just too many discount airlines to choose from, and I will choose the airline that let's me get reward points for all the tickets that I pay for.
Southwest-- You need to review your Rapid Rewards program or you may find yourself rapidly loosing customers.
Sincerley,
One very dissatisfied former customer
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/21/2013 01:17 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/southwest-airlineshr-manager-site-manager-2001-2004-managed-10-multi-site-hr-generalists-created-and-facil/portland-oregon/southwest-airlines-rapid-rewards-program-is-a-rip-off-portland-oregon-1077642. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#2 Consumer Comment
Southwest Best Airline in the Contry
AUTHOR: Karl - ()
SUBMITTED: Saturday, November 30, 2013
I fly Southwest exclusively because of the friendly and efficient customer service, the fact that there are no bag fees, the fact that I can change or cancel reservations without penalty, and the fact that if I have a problem I can call someone here in the USA. I am in the Rewards program but could care less about it. The fares may not always be less than UA, AA etc. but with the bag fees on the other airlines it nearly always works out to a lower bottom line.
Most airlines that I'm familiar with don't offer frequent flier miles to me if I buy someone else's ticket. I pay for the tickets when my wife travels with me but we both receive FF miles. That is not important. What is important is the fact that Southwest is the only major airline that provides any degree of customer service.
#1 Consumer Comment
Sure you are...
AUTHOR: Robert - ()
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, August 21, 2013
So as an "HR Executive" of a Fortune 500 Company you on your own changed the policy of the entire company to no longer fly Southwest Airlines. I really hope that when your CFO sees that your companies travel expenses have increased and they trace it back to your one decision you have a lot better reason than "They won't give me points for tickets I bought for other people".
Then you also better be prepared for the "blow-back" from the employees who actually want to fly Southwest Airlines and have now will loose their frequent flier points because of your vendetta..Oh and in a Fortune 500 company you can guarantee that not everyone will agree with you..you just better hope that at least a majority of them do.
if I am the one spending the money for the tickets, I absolutely deserve to get the Rapid Rewards points.
- But that is NOT how their program is set up. It is for the person who actually flies. Funny how it didn't seem to bother you before? You also seem to know that other airlines have the same policy, after all you only said "several" other airlines allow the purchaser to get the miles..not ALL airlines. I personally can name 2 airlines that restrict the miles to the person actually traveling.
Southwest-- You need to review your Rapid Rewards program or you may find yourself rapidly loosing customers.
- This program has been around for many..many years. Yet every year they have an increase in ridership and are constantly one of the top airlines in the US. Umm...doesn't seem like other people find this much of a problem.
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