Southwest drops frequent miles
When Southwest Airlines ended its bonus credits for online bookings, it ended one of the industry’s most generous and longest-running frequent flyer giveaways.
No announcement was made but the move indicated Southwest believed the giveaway had accomplished its goal.
Southwest started giving bonus credits about eight years ago to induce travelers to internet bookings at Southwest.com. No other airline online incentives were as generous, according to the Arizona Republic.
Removal of the bonus credits means it will take eight round-trip flights in a one-year period to earn a free ticket anywhere on Southwest.
That compared to just four round-trip flights during the promotion.
About 60% of Southwest’s ticket sales are now coming from its Web site, said spokesman Ed Stewart. That compares with only 25% just five years ago.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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