AirTran’s A+ Rewards program is ending November 2, 2014, and all credits currently in your account will be rolled up into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. All A+ credits will be converted as 1 credit = 1,200 Rapid Reward points. This is the same conversion as transferring your credits now. If you typically earn and redeem AirTran credits know that November 1 is the last day to put these credits to use.
More importantly, this means November 1 will be the last day to convert your Southwest points to a Southwest standard award. Standard awards have different availability then Southwest points and are capacity controlled. If a flight you are looking to book is more then $137 each way and has availability with the standard award, you can actually use less Southwest points for the exact same flight:
- Transfer 19,200 Southwest points (worth $274) to AirTran. This will convert into 16 A+ Reward credits.
- Transfer your 16 A+ Reward credits back to Southwest. This will convert to a Standard award (good for 2 one-way tickets and expires within 1 year of conversion)
You can learn more about transferring Southwest points to AirTran here.
It is also the last day you will be able to extend the life of your Standard award for one more year. By transferring your existing Standard awards from Southwest to AirTran and back to Southwest you are able to extend the expiration date, which has worked out fabulous for both myself and I know many readers! You can learn more about this here.
Free 750 Southwest Points
Due to the programs being combined, if you link your AirTran account to Southwest you’ll earn 750 Southwest Rapid Reward points (worth ~$10 towards a “Wanna Getaway Fare”). You must complete the verification process by May 23, 2014 to earn the bonus points. This seems to only be available for those that received the targeted email, so go back and check your email!
Thanks to InsideFlyer for sharing this news.
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Might you be able to advise me. If there is only a standard award available for one let of a flight I would like to take can I simply transfer 9,600 pts and book a one way flight?
Thanks for all you do!!
@CG – Unfortunately you cannot transfer for a one way. You can, however, transfer 18,200 pts for two one ways. Use one way now and another one way at a later time.
One more ? Do they not allow Freedom award booking any longer?
Is there anyway to view if a flight is available under the “old” award system without having any awards available? How can we check whether that is available or not?
One more ? Do they not allow Freedom award booking any longer?
@CG – I believe so.
@CG, I transferred enough point 19200 to Airtran and then back to Southwest for a RT standard award and Freedom awards are still offered. Just remember that would be 19200
points for a one way. Still may be a heck of a deal if seats are available, since last minute one ways can be 30-40k points.
I see no way you can view inventory unless you have at least a STandard award?