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Today I’m giving away a free oneway award on Southwest Airlines that must be flown by April 20, 2013. Specifically, I am giving away half of a standard award–a capacity-controlled award on Southwest Airlines. Standard awards are a relic of the old Rapid Rewards program.
Eight months ago, I converted 19,200 Rapid Rewards points to a Southwest standard award. I explained how to do that in How to Exploit the Southwest-Airtran Merger.
I did this because Southwest currently effectively operates two loyalty programs, a revenue based program and a chart-based program. The revenue program is the normal one where 60 points are needed per dollar of a fare. That’s a great program because cheap flights cost very few points–way fewer than domestic awards on legacy carriers.
See Anatomy of an Award: How to Book an Award on Southwest for details on how to book through the normal revenue process.
Southwest’s other “chart-based” program is a relic of its old program and its merger with AirTran. Basically 19,200 points can be transferred to one standard award, which is good for two free oneways on Southwest. Here’s a video on how to do those transfers.
This program works out to be a way better deal if the price of your two oneways is above about $330 total–not a hard threshold to pass on two flights. The only drawback is that standard award seats are capacity controlled like awards on the legacy carriers whereas revenue redemptions are not capacity controlled.
I don’t find this to be a big deal in practice because Southwest has incredible availability on the capacity controlled awards.
So in April 2012 I redeemed 19,200 points for a standard award. That award gave me 12 months to fly two oneways. I used one from LAX-MDW for the Chicago Seminars, and I used the other to book a return from IAD-LAX on my Triangle Award for $10 Out of Pocket award.
But then I cancelled the IAD-LAX leg to book Bill a return from the LAX FTU. (Free cancellations are an awesome facet of the Southwest program.) Then we cancelled that for Bill when his plans changed. I reinstated my IAD-LAX. Then I cancelled again when AA offered a direct flight for $109.
That leaves me with a free oneway on Southwest that can be used on any flight with Standard space by anybody until April 20, 2013. I can’t use it since I am moving to Argentina. I’m giving it away as follows:
To enter, comment with the date, flight number(s), and price of the oneway award you would want. There could be more than one flight because this award has to be oneway but not one segment. For instance, here are three oneway award possibilities from LAX to Norfolk, VA on February 6, 2013.
So if you wanted the top one, you would comment February 6, 502/410, $207. If you wanted the second one, you would comment February 6, 2173, $198.
Also include your real email address where prompted; it’s not displayed, and I will only use the winner’s to contact him.
Comments must be made by 6:59 PM Hawaiian Time/ 11:59 PM ET on Monday December 10 to have a chance to win. One entry per person.
Picking the winner
I want an expensive award to win, but I also want everyone to have a chance, so here’s what I’ve devised.
I will use a random number generator to select three sub-$170 entries to enter round two. I will take all over-$170 entries to round two. I will then use a random number generator to pick a winner from the entries in round two.
I’ll check whether the winner from round two has award space. If it does, that’s the winner. If not, I’ll select until I find an entry with award space.
Good luck. I hope someone wins who can really use a free oneway trip somewhere Southwest flies.
I’m on vacation in Hawaii until Wednesday, so I may not answer email. If you are emailing about the Award Booking Service, email milevaluebooking (at) gmail (dot) com
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March 1, 243/224, $281
SEA-MCI April 22,1467/1911, $395
Crap i just realized that is after the cutoff of 4-20 so I have to switch it to:
MCI-SEA April 19,501/2700 , $206
SLC-GSP May 9, 999/1126, $298
MCO>BOS April 1st, 212/$266
March 8, 196/2884, $398
I would fly SAN to GSP/1945/260$ to visit my family on Feb 8 at 11:10am. Thanks!
Jan 17, 1980, $176 (MCI-FLL). Thanks for the opportunity!
LAS-PIT, March 24, 461, $351
March 16, 1301, $286 (BDL-FLL)
4/7/2013 Flight 148/713 (PHX-MSP) Price $502
I’m getting to PHX thanks to a free oneway that I learned how to get from your blog – would be great to come back with your help, too!
January 27, 162/735, $287
elp-san
March 3 LAS-STL 291 $290
March 13, AUS-PIT, 4524/455, $216. thanks, Scott.
March 17, RDU-BWI 526, $157.80
January 5, 1336/2568, $347
[Scott: Entry deleted because he won!]
Southwest
April 3, 2013
Newark: 12:10pm #3839
Atlanta: 6:40pm #1017
$130.00
Thanks!
March 2, 1905/1957, $354
February 17th, 1526/533. $310
Feb 1, las-aus, $200
Feb 8, 2677, $100 – to see my cousin who is expecting a baby … thanks!
Feb 27, TPA-CMH, $177
BWI-SAN January 5, Flight 1591, $298. Thanks!
Jan 1, MDW-LGA WN1140 $330
March 2nd, 1434, $90
HOU to DTW on March 31, #3479/3299 – $288
Thanks for the chance to win.
Jan 5 EWR-LAS, 3149/4862 $511
Gotta get myself to BlogWorld!
April 28, 2013 IAD to PDX returning from FTU!! #3334/1103 $389
Oh shoot – it’s after the window – darn!
Attempt 2: Jan 21, 2013 3935/2766, LGA-PDX, $317
March 1, ABQ-ECP 1109/31 $342
ATL-ABQ, Apr 19th, $245
Thanks!
Mar 7, 2013 118 MCO-LAS $309.
Sunday March 10, 2013 Flight 291 SAT to BWI $277.00
December 28, 2012 198/358 $361
MHT – SEA
January 13, 1586/575, $300
Last day of work = January 11
One year anniversary with my girl = January 14
I need to get to Vancouver and I know there’s a long bus up there from Seattle =]
December 21, 2012 – 4710/4014 – $605.
Thanks for this opportunity!
SEA-ABQ, Feb 15th, 1464/348, $403
Tpa-Pit, 3/10/12, 362, $269
March 30, 1135/2018, 304.60
February 17, STL-OAK, 431, $250 all-inclusive, RR 1.x award available.
4/12/12 2803 SLC-BUR $117
January 29, 312, $225
April 14, 1005, $190.
March 22, 1961/1732, $225
MDW – SNA Dec 30th Flight 2804, $536
January 24, SAN-EWR #3684/#216 $299.60
Thanks!
March 13
EWR-SAN #1739/#500 $230.60
Please disregard the post of
march 13 EWR-SAN #1739/#500 $230.60. I cannot make those dates.
Thanks anyway.
Jan 21, 501, $236
March 23, PHX-IAD 1484/2343, $300
Thank you.
3/24
IAD-BOS # 379/563, $216
Jan 3, 193/3070 $286
SFO-STL
Jan 3, 193/3070 $286
Jan 18, 1191/496, $243
Feb 1st 1768/568 $203 MCI to TPA!
Thanks!
Dec 21, 2012 – 4500/4535 – $363 – OAK to AUS
Feb 26-March 5, PIT to MCO $262
Just in case:
Jan. 19, 2012 – 650/3061 – $356 – HOU to DCA
Feb 15th, 1719/2258 BOS-CMH – $347
Hi Scott, have you announced the winners for the free SW award ?
in 10 minutes!