Southwest latest to devalue reward points
Southwest Airlines is the latest major carrier to downgrade the value of loyalty points.
It says points earned will have varying value based on route, time and day of travel, and general customer demand.
These new changes will start from April 17 but the airline has not yet disclosed how many miles will be needed for each reward flight.
Southwest confirmed the value of points will vary on some flights but others will remain the same.
"In an effort to stay competitive in the current market conditions and provide the most customer-friendly redemption policies in the airline industry, Southwest Airlines has slightly increased the number of Rapid Rewards Points needed to redeem flights," a statement said.
Brian Karimzad, director of the rewards program site MileCards.com said it will be difficult for fliers to work out how many points are needed to redeem flights on any given day.
"The loss to consumers is no longer knowing how much your points are worth in advance. Now, what they’re worth will be at the whim of Southwest’s revenue management policies each day."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports