This is the intro to the Trip Report, The Southwest Companion Pass: Round 3, which focuses on burning SWA RapidReward points after their confusing devaluation.
I kick it off with this overview: A Wedding in Scottsdale: Saying “I Do” to Points
Imaginary trip planning is one of my favorite hobbies because I get to fantasize about where I can go. The problem with the points game is transitioning from being a curator of points, putting them on display for all to see, and heeding sound advice: Shut Up and Book!
Luckily, airlines and hotels intervene by way of devaluations, incidentally freeing us of our hoarding ways. Though we gripe and groan about the injustice of making free becoming less free, we really should be thanking the power players for encouraging us to get away. Those who are paranoid of the devaluation who plan tomorrow’s vacation today realize the greatest dividends in the points biosphere (see $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World). Those who preemptively book following news of a devaluation find themselves on an unanticipated adventure (see Round the World Dividends from the Geographically Challenged).
Which brings us to Southwest Airlines who announced they are going to essentially freestyle their awards chart. So what do we do? Tweet at Southwest that bags and humans should both fly free?
No. We should imaginary trip plan.
And if anyone’s interested here’s what I’ve come up with.
The Mission: burn 87,244 SWA points.
The Target: complete the following Trip Report: The Southwest Companion Pass Round 3 (see Round 1 & Round 2) by going to:
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Belize City, Belize*
That will add three more to the Country Count List and take me to Mexico City, a place I’ve wanted to visit for a long time.
The Plan: I’m assuming somehow I’ll be in the neighborhood of Chicago when I begin and that before April 17th, Belize will be a destination of Southwest.
Devaluation? I think not.
Onto ‘A Wedding in Scottsdale: Saying “I Do” to Points’==>
