DansDeals.com

15% Off Southwest Flights Linky

You need to request a coupon code.

-Book by 12/01/09

-Travel by 01/31/10

-Blackout dates apply.

HT: David, via dansdeals.com/forums

Southwest Sale Linky

All sale fares sorted by city

Flights that are 0-374 miles are $25 each way

Flights that are 375-549 miles are $50 each way

Flights that are 550-999 miles are $75 each way

Flights that are 1,000+ miles are $100 each way

Other airlines are matching these fares as well.  A quick search showed Continental with $25+ one way fares from Cleveland to Baltimore or Chicago and from Newark to Baltimore.

-Purchase by 10/29.

Valid travel dates:

-12/02/09-12/16/09

-01/05/10-02/10/10

Find a great fare on Southwest or another airline? Post a comment with your find!

Offer Linky

Book by 09/28/09.
Travel by 02/10/10.

Related: Get 8 Credits for enrolling in Rapid Rewards.

Double Southwest Flight Credits Registration Linky

Valid for flights booked and completed between 09/17-10/31.

Related: Double Southwest Credits For Flights To/From NYC!

Enrollment Offer Linky

Be sure to provide your email address and opt-in for all 3 email subscriptions to get the full 8 credits.
6 credits will post immediately upon enrollment. The last 2 credits (for the email subscriptions) will post within 7-10 business days.

16 credits are required to get a free systemwide RT ricket on Southwest.

Offer Linky (Sign up by 09/30)

HT: FT

Update 2: Alive Again!

Originally posted on 03/25/09:

Update: DEAD!

Free Subscription To Information Week Linky

Information Week was actually required reading and used instead of a textbook for one of my more interesting MBA courses (”Deploying Information Technology For A Competitive Advantage.” The prof said that the registrar almost had a heart attack over the length of the course title!)

It actually makes for quite a good read, there’s a lot of neat stuff in there.

Hint: They are looking for people involved in IT (such as CIO’s etc.) to qualify for the free subscription…

Offer Registration Linky

Register by 08/31.

Book and complete travel between 07/16-10/31.

With the promo a Round-trip flight will earn 4 credits, 16 credits earns a free ticket.

For you New Yorkers who have yet to fly Southwest:

The good: 2 free bags and no change/cancellation fees.

The bad: No assigned seats, no true elite status/airport lounge system, no first class, and they don’t fly internationally so forget about using your miles for a “once-in-a-lifetime” first class international trip.

Related: Southwest landing in LGA on 06/28!

Enrollment Offer Linky

Be sure to provide your email address and opt-in for all 3 email subscriptions to get the full 8 credits.
6 credits will post immediately upon enrollment. The last 2 credits (for the email subscriptions) will post within 7-10 business days.

Although the fine print indicates that a MN address is required, I can confirm that the credits post immediately regardless of the address listed on the account.

16 credits are required to get a free systemwide RT ricket on Southwest.

HT: username, via dansdeals.com/forums.

Southwest has finally got their hands on some highly prized LGA slots!

Effective 06/28 Southwest will fly 5 daily flights to Chicago/MDW and 3 daily flights to Baltimore with connecting flights from those 2 hubs to the rest of the country.

One way flights to/from Baltmore are $49+ and Chicago are $89. Flights to many other cities countrywide, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and more are just $99+ each way.

Southwest LGA Introductory Sale Linky

Southwest will fly out of gate B4 in LGA’s central terminal.

Southwest charges significantly less fees than other airlines, including no fees for up to 2 checked bags per person, and no fees for changing or canceling tickets.

Offer Linky

HT: SBS

Southwest Sale Linky

This was actually perfect timing for me, I had been monitoring a ticket for my wife that had been $83+ and it dropped down to $39+ just in time!

Free changes/cancellations and 2 free bags…if only they had a first class section and a real mileage program…

Offer Linky

Book by 01/22.

Travel between 02/03 and 05/31

Southwest Vacations Linky

Book your flight and hotel through Southwest and save 10%!

Use promo code: SWAVCLICK

Valid for bokings made by 01/16/09 for travel through 03/06/09.

Say what you want about Southwest, but their no fees policy is incredibly refreshing! (And this coupon that ran in the WSJ is a classic!)

Offer Linky (Exp: 09/30)

“-Enroll now and get two credits.
-When you sign up for Rapid Rewards E-Mail Updates to receive the latest Rapid Rewards and Southwest Airlines news and offers, we’ll give you two bonus credits.”

Good questions keep on coming in…here are the latest.

Jeff Baum said,

“great deal…u the man dan
one question. if i have 2 amex business for me and wife, each with 25000 points, whats the best way to turn them into 100 southwest points in the same account?”

Moishe Pipuk said,

“I have just signed up for the business AMEX card as suggested at this website recently. I just used the card yesterday for the first time. Will I be able to use this plan to get the tickets? How soon will I get my AMEX points and is there a time to “act now” to implement the steps of this plan?
Thnaks much.
Moishe”


Jeff-Here is what I would recommend. AMEX MR isn’t particular that the names of the transferring accounts must match the credit card name.

-Transfer the 25,000 MR points from each of your accounts into just your Continental account.

-Transfer the 50,000 Continental miles, 25,000 miles at a time, into 2 Amtrak accounts-both in your name.

-Transfer the 25,000 Amtrak points from each account into a single Choice account, to give you 250,000 Choice points.

-Transfer the 250,000 Choice points into a single Southwest account-leaving you with 100 credits and enough for the 12 free Round Trip tickets with the companion pass!


Moishe- Unfortunately the AMEX MR bonus takes longer than any other credit card bonus takes to credit-about 3 to 4 months from the date of your first purchase with the card!

While there is no expiration for this deal-who knows when a link in the chain may be broken.

Just wait it out and keep checking your MR account to see if you have received the bonus points. Once you get them you should start the transfer process ASAP.

Correction: The Companion ticket cannot be made in the name of the member who earned the points, and companion travel is only valid together with the member that earned the pass!

Pit Fan said,

“this sounds like a crazy deal.

can southwest flights be used on someone elses name?

and I guess the companion is just for you.

Thank you.”


I like the way you think!

Southwest’s reward tickets can be used by anyone, while the companion pass has to made out in one person’s name.

While you can change the name on the companion pass, it is not the easiest of processes, and it can only be changed 3 times.

Therefore, it may very well be worthwhile to make out the companion pass in your own name, and then just hop along for free when anyone else flies Southwest and together with whoever uses the 6 free Southwest Round-Trip tickets.

Whether you make out the companion pass in your name or someone else’s you will definitely get your money’s worth out of the 40,000 Starpoints or 50,000 AMEX/Continental miles.

Who will you make your Companion pass for? Post a comment!

Update 3: People have been asking me which part of the deal is the most tenuous. In my opinion if this deal were to fall apart it would be the ending/weakening of the Amtrak-Choice transfer at a 1:5 basis. Once you bring your AMEX/Amtrak/Continental/Starwood points into Choice you will be in a much better position…


Update 2: There is some confusion about the length of life for the free Southwest tickets. Southwest credits are valid for 2 years. Once you get 16 credits it turns into a free systemwide RT ticket, which is valid for 1 year from the date of issue. Once it expires you have 2 more years to reinstate it online for an additional year at a cost of $50. You have up to 5 years to reinstate it over the phone, but you will need to save the award ticket number, as that gets deleted from your account 2 years after the award expires.


Update: Moshe is reporting in the comments that it seems he is getting 25,000 Amtrak points for just 20,000 Starpoints. Please post your own findings in the comments!!!


Sneak peak-Among many other possibilities: Just 40,000 Starpoints or 50,000 Continental miles/AMEX points can get you 12 free Round trip tickets on Southwest and a yearlong Southwest companion pass!


This deal is truly incredible, yet there are so many ways of exploiting it that it may get very complicated…

The deal is good if you have any of the following currencies:

-AMEX MR points. (Good job to all those who got in on the 25,000 AMEX MR Business Gold Card deal!)

-Amtrak Guest Rewards points.

-Continental Onepass miles.

-Starwood Starpoints.


Step 1: (Optional, only necessary if you have AMEX MR points)

AMEX MR Points can be transferred into Continental Onepass miles on a 1:1 basis via the AMEX website. (25,000 AMEX points=25,000 Continental miles)


Step 2:

Continental Onepass miles can be transferred into Amtrak Guest Rewards points on a 1:1 basis by calling the Onepass service center at 713-952-1630. (25,000 Continental miles=25,000 Amtrak points)

Starwood Starpoints can be transferred into Amtrak Guest Rewards points on a 1:1 basis by calling Starwood at 888-625-4988. There is some inconsistency with the 5,000 point bonus. Some people are getting 25,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points for 20,000 Starpoints, while others are only getting 20,000 (Officially the 5,000 points bonus is only for when you transfer Starpoints to Airline partners, not Amtrak. In practice, Starwood seems to be giving many people the 5,000 point bonus when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints over to Amtrak.)


Step 3:

Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be transferred into Choice Privileges points (A hotel loyalty program) on a 1:5 basis via the Amtrak website. (25,000 Amtrak points=125,000 Choice points)

You can transfer out a maximum of 25,000 Amtrak points per calender year. (Amtrak elites can transfer out up to 50,000 per calender year)


Step 4:

-Choice Privileges points can be transferred into Southwest Rapid Rewards credits on a 5,000:2 basis via the Choice website. (5,000 Choice points=2 Southwest credits. 125,000 Choice points=50 Southwest credits. 250,000 Choice points=100 Southwest credits.)

-Choice Privileges points can be transferred into Air Canada Aeroplan miles, Alaska Airline Mileage Plan miles , American Airlines AAdvantage Miles, Continental Onepass Miles, Delta Skymiles, Mexicana Frecuenta miles, Northwest Worldperks miles, United Mileage Plus miles, or USAirways Dividend miles on a 5,000:1,000 basis via the Choice website. (5,000 Choice points=1,000 miles)

-Choice Privileges points can be used for Choice hotel stays via the Choice website. You can nab a $400 hotel room in Manhattan for just 20,000 points/night.

-Choice Privileges points can be used for over 240 luxury hotels worldwide starting at just 24,000 points/night!


OK, so before going on, let’s recap a bit:

-You can now transfer Continental miles/AMEX points to 8 other airlines without losing a single mile in the process. (25,000 AMEX points=25,000 Continental miles=25,000 Amtrak points=125,000 Choice points=25,000 miles on 8 other airlines!)

-You can transfer 20,000(if you’re lucky) or 25,000(if you’re not so lucky) Starpoints into 25,000 Continental or United miles without the huge devaluation of transferring directly at a 1:2 basis.

-You can turn 25,000 Continental miles/AMEX points or 20,000-25,000 Starpoints into 6+ nights in expensive hotels.


Now for the fun part:


Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards:

-16 credits is enough for a free systemwide Round Trip ticket.

(Every 16 credits you earn gets you a free Southwest drink coupon if you’re 21+)

-32 credits is enough for a free Round Trip ticket to Hawaii on ATA.

-100 credits earned from any source within a 12 month period earns you a free companion pass!

The companion pass:

-Does not cost any credits, it is a free perk.

-Is valid for 12 months after it was earned.

-Allows you to bring along another person for free whenever you fly Southwest, even if you are flying on a free mileage ticket!

-Is valid for a seat anywhere that Southwest flies.

-Must be made out in a specific person’s name. That name can be changed up to 3 times after you set the original name.

-Is not subject to any blackout dates or capacity controls-you can confirm a 2nd seat for free whenever you fly.

-Does not require you to pay for regular flying taxes, you only responsible to pay $2.50 per segment for 9/11 security fees.


So, 50,000 Continental miles/AMEX points or 40,000-50,000 Starpoints will get you 50,000 Amtrak points, which will get you 250,000 Choice points, which will get you 100 Southwest credits!

Jackpot, right?

There’s just one hiccup in that logic, unless you have Amtrak elite status you can only transfer a maximum of 25,000 points out of your Amtrak account per calender year.

That’s actually not too big of a problem: it doesn’t say anywhere that you can only have one Amtrak account!

If you would rather keep life simple and not have 2 amtrak accounts you can also transfer 25,000 points out this year, and then the other 25,000 points on 01/01/08.


OK, Jackpot! 12 Round-Trip tickets and a companion pass (6 award flights for 96 credits, times two because of the companion pass) for just 50,000 Continental miles/AMEX points or 40,000-50,000 Starpoints!


One caveat: Amtrak Guest Rewards has earned a bad reputation for axing United as a transfer partner overnight without any prior warning back in 2004. Amtrak may end this transfer opportunity at any time, so:

1. Do not delay-do this ASAP!

2. Do not let points idle in an Amtrak account, transfer them to Choice points ASAP.


As far as how this values a mile, here are a couple quick guesses:

-4,000 Continental miles is enough for a $400 Manhattan hotel room. Value=.10/mile

-50,000 Continental miles is enough for a 12 Round-Trip tickets and a companion pass. Value=???? It all depends if you use those tickets for $100 flights or $1,000 flights and how often you use the companion pass!

So is it worth getting 8 free Southwest credits for enrollment? Absolutely! Is it worth using Obopay to generate Continental miles? That’s your call!



©2007 Dansdeals.com
Questions, Suggestions, Errors? Please leave a comment!
Please do not post this article on any other website without explicit prior permission. Thank You!

Update: The offer for 8 free credits upon enrollment with no flight necessary may expire today! If you do not yet have a RR account then do yourself a favor and open one now!
<cryptic mode_on>Trust me on this one and open that account today, because I don’t want to get 1,000 whining emails in 2 days from now when this and the Obopay deal get clarified…</cryptic mode_off>

Originally posted: 08/27

As a promotion for the starting of S. Fransisco service, Southwest is offering new Rapid Rewards members 8 free credits (16 are required for a free RT)

Also all flights flown out of or into SFO before 10/31 receive double credits-so you can fly free if you take just 2 RT’s.

Promo Linky

Southwest College Rapid Rewards:

You don’t actually have to be in college-as long as you’re 18-23 you’ll get 4 credits for signing up and double credits for every flight that you take.


S. Francisco Promo:

Get 8 credits for signing up and double credits for SFO flights.


Intra-CA Promo:

Fly 3 Intra-California(SFO-LAs Vegas also counts) RT’s and get a free systemwide ticket.


1250+ Mile Fight Promo:

Fly 2 RT’s of 1250 miles or more and get a free systemwide ticket, fly 4 and get 2 systemwide tickets or a ticket to Hawaii on ATA.

Southwest must be getting pretty desperate…I’ve never seen them get into this promo thing quite like they are now!

Fly 2 RT’s of 1250+ miles and get a free award ticket.

Fly 4 RT’s and get 2 free award tickets, or a free ticket to Hawaii via their code-share partner, ATA.

Promo Linky

There is a link on the promo page for all qualifying city pairs.

Now you just have to download Ding and wait for a sweet  deal!

It all started when Virgin America announced that they would fly LAX-SFO for $44.

Last week I posted Southwest’s 8 free credits/double miles promo celebrating their new flights from S. Francisco starting at $39.

Not to be outdone, United started a double miles promo for intra-california flights.

And AA wasn’t too far behind with their own double miles promo.

It all comes full-circle now, as Southwest has announced a promo for a free systemwide ticket if you fly 3 intra-california flights!

Update: DEAD!

These fares are bookable from now until 10PM EDT via Ding-be sure to update your preferences to include Columbus, OH.

Search this site for Ding to learn more.

$15 One way cities to/from Columbus, OH:
Baltimore
Birmingham
Buffalo
Chicago/MDW
Nashville
Norfolk
Philadelphia
Raleigh/Durham
S. Louis

$30 One way cities to/from Columbus, OH:
Albany
Albuquerque
Austin
Boise
Burbank
Corpus Christi
Dallas/LUV
Denver
El Paso
Ft. Lauderdale
Ft. Myers
Harlingen
Hartford
Houston/HOU
Jackson
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Long Island
Los Angeles
Manchester
Midland/Odessa
New Orleans
Oakland
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Ontario
Orange County
Orlando
Phoenix
Portland
Providence
Reno/Tahoe
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Jose
Seattle/Tacoma
Spokane
Tampa Bay
Tucson
Tulsa
West Palm Beach

Update: DEAD!
The fares are valid until tonight at 10:00pm edt!
This is a nationwide sale, but seems to be really good for Baltimore, Chicago, and Denver.
Travel is valid between 05/01-05/31, and does not require a RT purchase.
Don’t know what Ding is? That’s why there’s a search button in the top left hand part of this site-just enter “ding” then click search blog, and you’ll see everything I had to say about it since April 2005!

Sample One Way $25 Fares:
Los Angeles, Burbank, or Ontario to/from Oakland, Sacramento, or San Jose.
Baltimore to/from about 20 cities, including Chicago and Cleveland.
Chicago to/from about 25 cities, including Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

Sample One Way $50 Fares:
Los Angeles to/from Baltimore, Chicago, or Denver.
Baltimore to/from West Coast or Florida.
Chicago to/from West Coast or Florida.
Denver to/from East and West Coast.

Enroll in Southwest College Rapid Rewards and you’ll get 4 credits off the bat.
Plus you’ll get double credits for flights booked at southwest.com!
Normally a free flight is 16 credits (8 RT’s)
With this program you’ll get 16 credits with just 3 RT’s!!!

Southwest College Rapid Rewards Enrollment Linky

I’ll be taking the day off for the grand holiday of Purim.

For those of you still sober-Southwest is celebrating the 2nd anniversary of Ding with some amazing fares (A quick search through some Ding offerings yielded Cleveland-Orlando for $29+ OW, and LAX-Oakland for $29+ OW)

Don’t know what Ding is? That’s why there’s a search button at the top of this site-Use it!

Offer Linky