Southwest finished the year in bad shape. For a number of reasons, the weather problems faced by the industry hit the airline a little harder, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports around the country. One family even opted to drive 2,500 miles instead of dealing with the incessant cancellations.
As a “gesture of goodwill,” Southwest’s CEO announced that anyone who faced cancellations during the meltdown would receive 25 thousand Rapid Rewards points. While it won’t salvage your ruined holiday plans, it’s a pretty generous acknowledgment of the company’s shortcomings, especially since the points are on top of refunds, airfare vouchers, and reimbursements already distributed.
If you were affected, check your inbox and you should have received the email. If you’re unsure what to do with those points, it’s essential to understand how they work.
Rapid Rewards are tied to the value of the cash price of any flight, so there’s not much room for scoping out crazy value flights. But it is a stable awards currency, so you can generally expect those points to be worth about $375. Shop around, and it might fluctuate a little, but as a freebie, it’s a solid deal.