Southwest Airlines 2 free flights credit card offer-What's the catch?

[tripplanner2]

Just wondering if anyone had this happen to them... I applied on 2/28. Didn't get an instant approval. Waited and waited, never received a card, e-mail, nothing. I called today and they said my application was still pending. I'm still hopeful that it will be approved and hoping that since it was on 2/28 before the changes happened, that I will get the 2 RT's instead of the points. The Chase rep said to allow up to 14 business days for approval. Everyone else seems to be saying that they got instant approval or got their cards quick. Did anyone else have it take a while? I can't figure out why I wouldn't be approved! Great credit, no problems, ever.

Same thing happened to me. I applied for a different offer than the 2 free flights. I got no annual fee, 1 free flight, and up to $500 in gift cards based on spending. The big promo at that point was the 2 free flights and everyone got instant approval but me. Same thing, excellent credit. Finally got my card and no annual fee. Just hoping they still keep their end of the deal with 16 flight credits and gift cards. Supposedly I will. I think when an offer is coming to an end they hold off on issueing the card quickly.

 

[ahmo]

Thanks for the heads up on the JetBlue offer. The offer is on their website near the bottom of the page. When you click the offer it directly links you to the AmEx application.

Earn up to 20,000 TrueBlue® points, and an Instant Account‡
Earn 10,000 TrueBlue® points with your first purchase
Plus - receive an additional 10,000 TrueBlue points when you apply by April 1, 2011 and spend $500 in 3 months

•Jet for less: oneway Award Flights start at just 5,000 points and roundtrip Award Flights start at 10,000 points
•No blackout dates: redeem for any seat, anytime
•Get up to 8 TrueBlue points per eligible dollar spent on jetblue.com : up to 6 points when you purchase a flight and an additional 2 points when you use your JetBlue Card
•Your points won't expire: just use your Card or fly with Jetblue to extend the life of all of your points for one year.
•The annual fee is $40

Didn't have a chance to read this whole thread so I apologize if it's already been mentioned, but Jet Blue is running this same promo now with their AmEx card. A little different... you have to get approved and then spend $500 on the card by April 1st and you'll get enough points in your True Blue account for 2 free roundtrip flights. I plan on putting $500 of my Disney trip on there to get this. There is an annual fee with the card, $60 I think? But if Southwest doesn't work for some of you, this is a good alternative.

 

[bytheblood]

I just applied for this card and was approved. While I have good credit, I was shocked to see that crazy-high 5-figure credit line they gave me. What do they think I am going to purchase?

Did anybody else get a really really high credit line?

 

[janicep50]

My daughter and I applied for the Chase Visa that offered 2 free round-trip tickets (I think and hope it was) per credit card around February 15. We got our cards about five days later, made some purchases, and requested the earliest closing date we could get, which was March 5. My daughter got her reward points for purchases posted to her SW account probably around March 2nd or 3rd, I still haven't gotten mine posted.

We both got our statements yesterday and we paid the outstanding balances immediately online, figuring maybe it would help speed things along. We're going to Florida on June 11. I called Southwest today to see when the round-trip tickets would be posted to our accounts and I couldn't get an answer. I called Chase today and they told me that my reward points along with my 2 free round-trips would probably hit my rapid rewards account after my next closing date in April, that sometimes they hit your account in a month and sometimes it takes two months. I guess there's no rhyme or reason to this whole thing. Frustrating!

Anyway, does anyone think I'll have a problem booking two months out for our trip in June? And do the round-trips show up as vouchers in your rapid rewards account and not points? I wish I had made a copy of the promotion at the time -- senior moment.

Thanks for anyone's help.

 

[scottmel]

My daughter and I applied for the Chase Visa that offered 2 free round-trip tickets (I think and hope it was) per credit card around February 15. We got our cards about five days later, made some purchases, and requested the earliest closing date we could get, which was March 5. My daughter got her reward points for purchases posted to her SW account probably around March 2nd or 3rd, I still haven't gotten mine posted.

We both got our statements yesterday and we paid the outstanding balances immediately online, figuring maybe it would help speed things along. We're going to Florida on June 11. I called Southwest today to see when the round-trip tickets would be posted to our accounts and I couldn't get an answer. I called Chase today and they told me that my reward points along with my 2 free round-trips would probably hit my rapid rewards account after my next closing date in April, that sometimes they hit your account in a month and sometimes it takes two months. I guess there's no rhyme or reason to this whole thing. Frustrating!

Anyway, does anyone think I'll have a problem booking two months out for our trip in June? And do the round-trips show up as vouchers in your rapid rewards account and not points? I wish I had made a copy of the promotion at the time -- senior moment.

Thanks for anyone's help.

That is weird, Janice. In both my Feb and March opening of Visas I logged onto my SW account within days of it closing - not payin the bill - just cycle closing and the points were in my rapid reward account on SW, not chase. So I booked directly. Unfortunately since you are under the OLD program with the old restrictions I think you will have a problem getting a June flight. I had a tough time getting a June flight period and I was under the old program. Due to other personal reasons I switched my trip to August and STILL had trouble getting the vouchers to work b/c I am under the old program. I ended up booking a flight into TAmpa and had way more availability. Was able to get my family of 3 all on the same august flight today actually with no problem. Tampa is around 70 miles away and only hour drive but you will need a car as we always rent anyway. I do believe you will have difficulty though if you want a connecting flight to Orlando.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I just applied for this card and was approved. While I have good credit, I was shocked to see that crazy-high 5-figure credit line they gave me. What do they think I am going to purchase?

Did anybody else get a really really high credit line?

DH and I got $16,000+ each. (separate accounts)

 

[DMRick]

Hi..I posted about this offer on the previous page, however, as it turned out, for me, it's no where as good as SW free trips. On the amount of points they give you (even with the free points after spending the $500) there isn't much of anywhere (at least no where I would want to fly) that would cover a round trip, even using 20,000 points. (Annual fee is $40, and to get the extra points you only have to apply by April 1st, then you have two months to put on the additional $500, but it does me no good, as it won't even get me to FL).

Didn't have a chance to read this whole thread so I apologize if it's already been mentioned, but Jet Blue is running this same promo now with their AmEx card. A little different... you have to get approved and then spend $500 on the card by April 1st and you'll get enough points in your True Blue account for 2 free roundtrip flights. I plan on putting $500 of my Disney trip on there to get this. There is an annual fee with the card, $60 I think? But if Southwest doesn't work for some of you, this is a good alternative.

 

[scottmel]

Hi..I posted about this offer on the previous page, however, as it turned out, for me, it's no where as good as SW free trips. On the amount of points they give you (even with the free points after spending the $500) there isn't much of anywhere (at least no where I would want to fly) that would cover a round trip, even using 20,000 points. (Annual fee is $40, and to get the extra points you only have to apply by April 1st, then you have two months to put on the additional $500, but it does me no good, as it won't even get me to FL).

I have 30K credit line on Disney Visa and 30K on SW but both are Chase so many chase is generous, I don't know..

 

[kotto1234]

I just applied for this card and was approved. While I have good credit, I was shocked to see that crazy-high 5-figure credit line they gave me. What do they think I am going to purchase?

Did anybody else get a really really high credit line?

Yep. They gave me and my hubby 20K each. Maybe they think we can go buy a car with the card

 

[paults]

I havn't heard anything yet and its been 2 wks

 

[DIS_MERI]

wait...still reading ( so many posts) b/c I applied/got the card right when they were changing things up...now I must wait and wonder exactly what I'll see in my account? interesting......

I applied back in Feb and after a bit of a hold, got my first purchase made on 2/18. My card closed yesterday and I got 19200 points (which is enough to fully purchase 16 credits, I did the 1 free flight plus up to $500 in gift cards offer) awarded on my statement for "promotional offer" as well as some points marked as "points for purchases" and some more marked as "points transferred" which together add up to my total purchases for the first month (I imagine they are just ways of marking before/after the changeover since I didn't do any balance transfers).

If I had to guess, I'd say those under the 2 free flight offers probably got 38400 points, which isn't shabby at all.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I got my card in Feb and made my purchase. The card just closed but it isn't showing my free flight credits... just my normal credits. I'm supposed to have 2 free flights! I've now been on hold for 30 minutes! I hope they can get this straightened out!

 

[DizDragonfly]

I got my card in Feb and made my purchase. The card just closed but it isn't showing my free flight credits... just my normal credits. I'm supposed to have 2 free flights! I've now been on hold for 30 minutes! I hope they can get this straightened out!

Did you check your Southwest Rapid Rewards account?

 

[hannahdrewmom]

Did you check your Southwest Rapid Rewards account?

Yes and it's showing what the statement said. I just called chase and they said it would be on my next statement.... but I'm not feeling to confident since everyone else seems to have gotten it on their first statement. Did everyone get them on their first statement?

 

[DMRick]

I do not always get my free ones on my first statement.

 

[nkereina]

Hi..I posted about this offer on the previous page, however, as it turned out, for me, it's no where as good as SW free trips. On the amount of points they give you (even with the free points after spending the $500) there isn't much of anywhere (at least no where I would want to fly) that would cover a round trip, even using 20,000 points. (Annual fee is $40, and to get the extra points you only have to apply by April 1st, then you have two months to put on the additional $500, but it does me no good, as it won't even get me to FL).

True, it won't work for everyone. Where abouts in upstate NY do you live? I have homes in Buffalo and Rochester and JetBlue flies out of both cities so I'm set with it. I'm going to Orlando on JetBlue out of Buffalo. I try to use JetBlue whenever I can.. I prefer to reserve my seats and nothing beats the TVs

 

[DMRick]

I'm near Albany. I checked JB's amount of points to get to Orlando, and the free points they give just don't cut it for us...it's not enough to get us there. Add to the fact we would have to drive to Newburgh, I don't think we'll take advantage of this. We already have a card that gives us money back and the one SW card we kept, which is a better deal for us.
The seat thing is no biggy, since it's just the two of us and we have always gotten seats together. I usually just read my book, so the TV, unless I was going a long distance doesn't matter.

True, it won't work for everyone. Where abouts in upstate NY do you live? I have homes in Buffalo and Rochester and JetBlue flies out of both cities so I'm set with it. I'm going to Orlando on JetBlue out of Buffalo. I try to use JetBlue whenever I can.. I prefer to reserve my seats and nothing beats the TVs

 

[mom23kids]

Yes and it's showing what the statement said. I just called chase and they said it would be on my next statement.... but I'm not feeling to confident since everyone else seems to have gotten it on their first statement. Did everyone get them on their first statement?

They assured me it will be on my next statement as well.

 

[scottmel]

They assured me it will be on my next statement as well.

I just find that so weird...My points showed up online in my SW RR account long before I was notified by Chase....My free tickets (earned in Feb. under OLD plan) was posted the day after the card closed for the month. My other SW visa that was opened in March under NEW plan had points posted 3 days after cycle closed....neither case was I notified by Chase it was just me logging into www.southwest.com and logging into my RR account and seeing the balance information there....

 

[DMRick]

And some of my have, and some haven't. One set took so long, as an apology, they gave me another free round trip. Those were the ones where if you get others to sign up using a code they sent me, I would get (and they would) a free round trip for each sign up. The people that signed up got theirs and mine took a long time.

I just find that so weird...My points showed up online in my SW RR account long before I was notified by Chase....My free tickets (earned in Feb. under OLD plan) was posted the day after the card closed for the month. My other SW visa that was opened in March under NEW plan had points posted 3 days after cycle closed....neither case was I notified by Chase it was just me logging into www.southwest.com and logging into my RR account and seeing the balance information there....