Fly Southwest for FREE ANYTIME!!

[sphiatt]

I hadn't thought of this as an amazing deal for some reason, until I saw Apex's post on 7/18's deals page for Southwest's Internet Deals. I've been flying for FREE on SWA for about a year and 1/2 now. It only works as 100% free for short trips, but it still nice for little vacations and weekend getaways. Heres what to do:

1) Keep an eye on SWA's Internet Specials and pick up the really cheap tickets. This week I'm booking a r/t flight for my wife and I from Salt Lake City to Boise ID. Total cost: $36 each way for two = $144 + taxes = $160 in total. Then I book on-line and pay the $160. At the end of the on-line booking/payment process (for all you first-time SWA flyers w/o the PLASTIC SWA Frequent Flyer Card) there is a link to get your SWA Frequent Flyer Card. Take that link and request an ACTUAL PLASTIC CARD be mailed to you. (This Deal WILL NOT work with one of those lame paper cards you get at the gate which look like subway club cards).

2) Get your frequent flyer card in the mail and present it at the gate or at check in both going out and returning on your flights, this will earn you 1 credit each way normally, but is doubled for on-line booking, so in my case for the $160 r/t flights I earned 2 credits each way for both my wife and I = 8 frequent flyer credits for the trip.

3) You need 16 credits for a FREE flight from SWA, which they mail you automatically when you get to 16. All you have to do is book two more R/T tickets for say $50 or so each way (I can get to L.A., Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Seatle or Oakland for this or less with the on-line specials) and your total cost is about $300-$350 all together, or less, for the 4 r/t tickets you just used and flew.

4) Take that free ticket (which is 100% transferable) and sell it on Ebay for $350!! I've done this 3 times already and paid a total of about $1,000 for 12 r/t flights in the past 18 months, but have also sold 3 (1 for every 4 flights) free tickets on Ebay for $1,000 in cash as well!

Basically the value of a swa credit on ebay is 1/16 of say $320 (be conservative)= $20, so anytime you can book a r/t flight for around $80 (since each r/t booked on line = 4 credits) you are getting the flight for free. Of course you CAN book the $100 flights and end up netting $20 out of pocket for the flight, which is still pretty good.

I'm not sure how much longer the double credit on-line promotion will go, its been that way since I started doing this though and is always extended each time it is set to expire. This deal is also sweet if you fly for business, you basically earn very fast, free tickets.

[Speedfreak]

Cool, I like flying in planes. maybe I should do this just to go joyriding around.

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[ken]

wow...

But aren't those frequent flier credits for your own personal flying? In other words, wouldn't you personally have to go on 4 flights and your partner on 4 for you both to get the 1 ticket?

[Sador]

nope, all SWA frequent flier rewards ARE transferrable....

Had my "plastic card" for 5 years!

[noowen]

uhhh...swa flight credits are transferrable??
as in...i can sell it?

[haven]

Sounds good.

[jng]

Cool info sphiatt

[sphiatt]

To answer some questions:

1) Your card can be swiped for those in your immediate party/family that are flying together with you. My wife and I always use the same single card, so we don't have to take 4 separate trips each to get a free ticket, just two trips together.

2) No the CREDITS are not TRANSFERABLE but the free ticket you get FROM the 16 credits IS. They do say on them "Not for Resale" or something like that some people on Ebay typically sell a SWA drink ticket for $350 and "throw in a free R/T Ticket". Thats how I've always done it just to be safe.

[ugly]

Thanks for the heads up on this, man. I look forward to taking advantage of this.

[bigbang]

are ur free tickets for anywhere within the US or just within a state? I'm searching for some good deals to go from SF to Boston in august 6-13..

[dm0ney]

How do you go about transferring the ticket? Do you have to call them up and book for the person that bought the ticket? Do they verify that you are actually the person who the ticket was awarded to before you transfer it?

DM.

[sphiatt]

Sorry I don't have any more vouchers just now.. I've sold them all on E-bay. If you want to fly on SWA for $325 r/t even last minute go to Ebay and pick up one of these. There are tons of them for sale!

[lisu24]

I actually do have a voucher that I haven't used yet. I just got it two months ago. I don't know if I would even sell it. They're awesome if you want to use it around the holidays...Christmas and Thanksgiving prices hurt!

[sphiatt]

No, there is no tranfer thing to do... the voucher doesn't come in your name and its like cash basically. YOu give it to someone or its stolen or whatever and its gone. If you sell it on Ebay the person buying it just has to call the 800# and tell them they are using voucher #XXX-XXXXXXX-XX or whatever and then book the flight. Once you sell that bad boy its out of your life forever and the dude who bought it can use it at will. Its hecka cool (see Cheap 32" TV discussion for Hecka explanation).

[aardvark]

SouthWest wouldn't let my wife and I use the same card on our flights. Do you have any idea why? Have they changed their policy?

[Kenas]

Is there a link to SWA Internet Special and to PLASTIC SWA Frequent Flyer Card?

Thank you

[Kenas]

They don't fly from NYC??

[flergum]

The problem with the deal as you have posted it is that you have to go to Boise.

[rosebud1956]

Hi,
A friend sent this post to me. I do all above, except the same card.
We also get many miles on renting a car. Last year, we needed a extra 18 points to get a Free pass for someone to travel with you for a year free. You need a 100 points in one year to get this.
I had my husband book on the net, and Alamo was giving 3 points per rental at that time. Now they only gave up to the Dec 19,2000 1 1/2 for a permotion.
In one trip, 4 points round trip, and because my husband was close to a airport, he made a reservation each day return the car then picked up another. Total of 13 points one trip.
Of course, they will catch on to this. Then you will see rental car only 24 hours with a ticket. This will make only 1 car rental this way.
Some hotels, Hilton, Hyatt ect.. also give a 1/2 point.
So, you can see how easy it is to get a free pass for a family or friend. I use the tickets for my travel. Who knows how long this will be offered, good reason to travel while the chance is here.
Love to hear any other ways to get more points!
rosebud

[rosebud1956]

If you sighn up with MCI long distant, and get register with Southwest. For every $125.00 you spend, you get a point. I think this is only home lines.
rosebud