Drinking on SWA

I've been awating my yearly four drink coupons from Southwest.  I got the bonus points on my "anniversary", but darn it, either the mailman confiscated the coupons or SW is getting stingy.

I was about to say this is a $20 reward, four coupons.  Beer and cocktails $5 each.  But...

Whoa!  We just flew on SW, and the drink price is now $7.  I almost didn't notice.  Maybe that Boeing Max 8 mess has more far reaching consequences than we thought.  Perhaps they are re-thinking the coupon program.  Three coupons instead of four?  Or none at all?  Oh, no!

Southwest does offer free alcoholic drinks ON certain days.  Notice I said ON...yep, you have to be flying that day.  Sometimes a usual holiday; sometimes a special SWA day...like the anniversary of an inagural flight from PQR to XYZ.  This would be previously advertised so we could schedule our flights on those days, right?  LOL, no.  I saw this on our drink menu last week, the free drink day being a week previous to our flight, of course.

Sometimes the flight attendant serving drinks will 'forget' to charge for drinks.  Why?  The credit card machine they use is cumbersome.  As friendly passengers, we have often had the attendant 'forget' to ask for our payment.  Happens more often on a second round, it seems.  When it does, we discretly tip the attendant a $5, and they appreciate it.  Of course if he/she asks for payment, out comes the credit card and a smile.

I need to ask Southwest about those coupons!

I also had the same thing happen to me, no coupons with my yearly anniversary. I called Southwest and told them, next week I had coupons in the mail. 

Wow, David, thanks for that info.  I wasn't optimistic it would do any good to harrass them...LOL.  Will call!

It's obviously not as good as free, but for my last several trips I purchased SWA drink coupons off ebay for our group. If you watch closely and pay attention, you can get 'em for 3 or 4 dollars each.

Those coupons have the name of the person who received them in the mail printed on them.  

True Bob, but I have never had  a stewardess check to verify the name on those I have bought on e-bay or the coupons I have been sent by Southwest.

Agree. Have used tickets given by friends many times without issue.

Matt, with drinks priced at $7 (formerly $5), getting the coupons from ebay for $3 or $4 is still a savings.  Nice of you to do that for your traveling companions.

I do know with their new "Priority Credit card" you get all inflight purchases at 20% cash-point-back rate...and I know I got drink coupons on my renewal date last year.

It has an annual fee of $150 but they give you that much in points and travel credits....and you get preferred seating on the plane.     it works out to be a good deal if you fly on them frequently.

My wife finds the deal of the day,free, in the menu card also, they do honor but always tell us to keep quiet and not tell others-strange.  Also we've been stung a couple of times in the past where our coupons will be expiring in a few days and because of possible turbulance they don't serve any drinks. On the return flight we try to use and they say no can do.  But we have had at times as others have said we try to pay for our drinks and they just keep on going and don't charge us.  So I guess it evens out.