Everybody loves a Freebie! Especially a free drink when you are flying. Here are some ways to increase your odds of getting Free Drink Coupons from Southwest Airlines.
Rapid Reward Member
Join Southwest Rapid Rewards. Fly 10 one way flights in a calendar year and you may receive 4 free drink coupons in the mail. But in order to be eligible to receive Drink Coupons, you must first make sure that your account is set up correctly.
- Log into your Rapid Rewards Account
- Select “My Account”
- Choose “My Preferences/Travel”
- Pick the “Extras” tab
- Mark the radio button “Yes, send me drink coupons as I earn them”
Be sure to sign up for Rapid Rewards E-Mails, the Newsletter and Promotions. These publications may include drink coupons or alerts to dates that will be offering free inflight drinks.
Book a Business Select Fare
These fares are a little more expensive but come with one free drink coupon each way. The coupon will be attached to your boarding pass. This is the easiest way to get a free drink coupon, because it is guaranteed.
If you elect to use a mobile boarding pass and have purchased a Business Select Fare, your drink coupon eligibility will be noted on the mobile boarding pass. In order to receive your complimentary premium drink during your flight, simply show the drink coupon portion of your mobile boarding pass to the flight attendant for validation.
Be sure to save a copy of your mobile boarding pass to your mobile device prior to takeoff so you can easily retrieve it during your flight.
If you’ve saved your mobile boarding pass to Apple Wallet, the drink ticket eligibility will be on the back of the pass. Tap the information button at the bottom right to view the back of your pass.
Rapid Rewards Credit Card
If you sign up for one of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, you may get drink coupons as a perk or thank you from time to time.
Note: One perk with the Southwest Priority Credit Card, is that if you do need to pay for your drinks, you get 20% back on inflight drink purchases made with your card.
Holiday Cheers
Southwest also likes to celebrate by giving away free drinks for Holidays or Special Occasions. Here are some examples of days you might land a free drink if you are flying:
New Year’s Day
Valentine’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day
Mother’s Day
Father’s Day
US Independence Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Of course this list is not written in stone and is subject to change. Southwest may choose to celebrate additional days like their Birthday or Anniversary or National Twinkie Day for that matter (I made that day up, but it should totally be a thing), so keep your eye’s peeled.
Hint: Follow them on Twitter to find out all the fun stuff they are up to.
Flight Issues
If you experience either a flight delay or cancellation, try asking the Desk Agent and they may give you a free drink coupon. Of course they are not obligated to do so, therefore it goes without saying that you should BE NICE when asking! Sometimes, you don’t even have to ask. I have been on delayed flights where I ordered a drink but wasn’t charged because they comp the drinks for all the passengers on that flight as part of their Service Recovery.
Thirsty Thoughts
I don’t think it’s necessary to have a drink every time I fly. It doesn’t really make sense to order a cocktail when we fly early in the morning or the flight is just a quick jaunt. But if the flight is a few hours long, I am probably going to want an adult bevvie!
Of course, you can always select from the non alcoholic options that are always free on Southwest flights.
We also liked the expanded drink menu on our recent Southwest flight to Hawaii which included Kona Brewing’s Longboard Island Lager, Minutemaid Pineapple Orange Juice and Blue Chair Coconut Spiced Rum.
Southwest is a really good Economy carrier. When I am traveling with them, I am knowingly choosing cost savings over frills. I don’t expect them to give me free drinks every time I fly, but if there is something I can do to increase my odds of scoring a free cocktail, why not? I really don’t mind paying a reasonable price for a drink, but it is a nice bonus when you happen to get one free. Plus, somehow it always tastes better when your drink is free!
I hope these tips help you to get lucky and earn a few Southwest Airlines Free Drink Coupons!
Cheers!
The World According to Dev 