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A Southwest Rapid Rewards member recently experienced a breach in their account, resulting in the unauthorized use of 17,100 points to book a hotel reservation. The incident began on December 3 when the member received an email confirming a booking at Hampton Inn & Suites Kalamazoo-Oshtemo. The value of the points used was approximately $240.
Upon discovering the breach, the individual immediately changed their account password and contacted Southwest Airlines to report the fraudulent activity. They were advised by a Southwest representative to call back during business hours for further assistance with their loyalty program issue.
The member also contacted the hotel directly to document the fraud, although this did not result in an immediate return of points. The next day, they followed up with Southwest's Rapid Rewards department and provided details about the incident. A report was filed, and later communication from Southwest indicated that while they are not responsible for unauthorized access according to their terms and conditions, they refunded the points as "a gesture of goodwill and one-time exception."
