Forget it. That’s what I’ve determined after wasting a few nights of searching and clicking SWA for a good companion ticket from the west coast to the Dominican Republic. The only available decent routing in the coming months is to Los Cabos, my New Year’s destination a decade ago. There are many other places I’d rather go in Mexico than Cabo so I’m going to scratch that off the list.
But because the Southwest devaluation is on the horizon and because there are no cancellation fees when flying Southwest, I have decided to book a flight from Detroit to Punta Cana every month through the end of the year. My guess is that I will be visiting my parents at some point and the slogan, ‘wanna get away’ will have me bound for the beautiful beaches of the Dominican Republic.
I’m slightly disappointed I couldn’t perform my usual points magic but I can’t complain too much since this is the third year I’ve had the companion pass. (Click for Round 1 & Round 2’s adventure.)
So how do I rationalize not burning all my RapidReward points before the devaluation?
- I tell myself that I don’t really know what the devaluation will be. OK, that’s the weakest argument but Southwest has a record of being great to its customers. My original fear was that the international routes would be the most devalued but as this post has shown, that’s no longer an issue.
- I have a companion pass. Devaluations aren’t pleasant but let’s not get too greedy and forget that those holding the pass fly 2*1.
- Domestic travel: I barely travel domestic. When I’m flying domestic my objective is to get from point A to point B with the least amount of money out of pocket.Sure it isn’t as great a deal as before but I don’t place a monetary value on RapidReward points like other programs. Just get me there.
- Ultimate Rewards: In the case that I am a few points short, I can always transfer URs to my SWA account to put me over the top. I’ve gathered enough URs to purchase an island in Greece.
Overall, it is my hope that if I’m flexible with my travel dates then the low reward calendar/frequent sales will offset any devaluation.
Now what to do with those stupid ClubCarlson points!
