To apologize for the cascade of flight cancellations last week that left hundreds of thousands of people stranded during the peak holiday travel days, Southwest Airlines is offering "significantly impacted" passengers—including this reporter—25,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points as a form of mea culpa.
This reward is equal to roughly $300, which can be redeemed for a future Southwest plane ticket, gift card, or merchandise, according to the email Southwest sent out detailing the offer. While the airline claims that the points have "no blackout dates, can be used on any available seat, and never expire," how many points customers need to redeem for a roundtrip flight depend on the destination, day of travel, demand, and other factors.
