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canyonwalkerThe mileage run I flew on Southwest Airlines this past weekend cinched my renewal of A-List Preferred ("A+") status. I saw that reflected in my account within 90 minutes of completing the flight—Southwest's long maligned IT seems to be improving, quietly— and today I got a "Welcome back" email.
Of course, it's not really welcome back... I never left! I've been A+ for all but a few months out of the past dozen-plus years. Maybe Southwest's long-maligned IT isn't so spiff now, after all. 😅
And in the summary of benefits they sent me they left off the absolute most-important (to me) A+ benefit: the ability to select extra-legroom seats at time of booking, for free.
So, was it worth it? Are the value of these A+ benefits worth the time and cost of the mileage run?
The MR had a hard cost of about $110 (cash out of pocket) plus soft costs of 9,000 mileage points (which have a substitution value ranging from $100-200) and several hours of my time. The value of these is not trivial. As for the value of A+ status next year... Frankly, I'm not sure.
What the A+ status is worth over the coming year depends on how much I end up traveling— with job and life changes expected that's hard to predict— and how Southwest's policies shake out. They're changing their whole customer-facing business model right now, doing away with open seating and free bags. Their austere new rules are sure to fuel a lot of customer outrage. If that translates into plummeting demand they may have to revert some of the policies. It remains to been seen how it all lands.
One thing I can tell you 💯 is that flying a mileage run was NOT my first choice! There are so many ways I would've preferred to renew A+. The MR was, like, my fifth choice.
Next year I'll almost certainly be working on a plan like #1 again, earning A+ —if I choose to keep chasing status—with a the help of a credit card boost. While I'm already keeping careful track of spending for that bonus I'm not going to try to over-optimize it again like I did this year. I'll spend at least a few hundred over the threshold just to cover myself in case there's a discrepancy between my calculations and Southwest's. Because while this MR ended up being not too difficult and gave me a funny story to tell— being in Los Angeles just long enough to piss— I would've preferred notching the status without the expense and uncertainty.
Of course, it's not really welcome back... I never left! I've been A+ for all but a few months out of the past dozen-plus years. Maybe Southwest's long-maligned IT isn't so spiff now, after all. 😅
And in the summary of benefits they sent me they left off the absolute most-important (to me) A+ benefit: the ability to select extra-legroom seats at time of booking, for free.
So, was it worth it? Are the value of these A+ benefits worth the time and cost of the mileage run?
The MR had a hard cost of about $110 (cash out of pocket) plus soft costs of 9,000 mileage points (which have a substitution value ranging from $100-200) and several hours of my time. The value of these is not trivial. As for the value of A+ status next year... Frankly, I'm not sure.
What the A+ status is worth over the coming year depends on how much I end up traveling— with job and life changes expected that's hard to predict— and how Southwest's policies shake out. They're changing their whole customer-facing business model right now, doing away with open seating and free bags. Their austere new rules are sure to fuel a lot of customer outrage. If that translates into plummeting demand they may have to revert some of the policies. It remains to been seen how it all lands.
One thing I can tell you 💯 is that flying a mileage run was NOT my first choice! There are so many ways I would've preferred to renew A+. The MR was, like, my fifth choice.
- First choice, my original plan, was to re-up A+ with a bonus from credit card spending. But then I realized 3 weeks ago that I had miscalculated the spending for the credit card bonus. The pisser is I was short just a few hundred bucks. I could've put that extra spend on the card easily, and at no cost to me; but by the time I caught the mistake it was too late.
- Second choice was to have even one more business trip late in the year. I tried. Customers just dont' want to meet face-to-face anymore.
- Third choice was to manufacture a leisure trip— to go somewhere and enjoy being there. My partner's health problems put the kibosh on that.
- Fourth choice was to just buy status, without having to fly. Indeed, Southwest came through with a status-buying offer a week ago... but it was hideously bad. 😡
Next year I'll almost certainly be working on a plan like #1 again, earning A+ —if I choose to keep chasing status—with a the help of a credit card boost. While I'm already keeping careful track of spending for that bonus I'm not going to try to over-optimize it again like I did this year. I'll spend at least a few hundred over the threshold just to cover myself in case there's a discrepancy between my calculations and Southwest's. Because while this MR ended up being not too difficult and gave me a funny story to tell— being in Los Angeles just long enough to piss— I would've preferred notching the status without the expense and uncertainty.
