SPG to WN transfers being suspended on 3/1/11

From the SPG website:

IMPORTANT SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS UPDATE:

On March 1, 2011, Southwest Rapid Rewards is changing its earning structure from credits to points. Starpoints cannot be transferred into the new Rapid Rewards points. Please make all of your Starpoints to Rapid Rewards transfers prior to March 1, 2011.

Southwest Airlines and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) will continue discussions to find an appropriate transfer ratio for the future.

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IME transfers usually take a few business days to complete. If you want credits you should leave a few days buffer on the transfer. Southwest has stated that all partner credits deposited after 3/1 will b converted to points at a 1200 pts / 1 credit ratio. So if your looking for the new points a transfer iniated on 2/28 *might* do the trick.

This is the boat I find myself in. I want the new points to book a cheap one way where there is no availablility under RR1.

Good idea on initiating the transfer on 2/28. I rather have the points then the credit in my situation.

Wow interesting. Southwest is really isolating themselves. I dont like it at all.

I expect that SPG->WN will be back. But SPG tends to transfer to other programs with Chase earning cards at 2:1 instead of 1:1, so since WN has essentially defined their RR2 points as being worth $0.0167, it's likely that they are working out the rate. In theory, given Southwest's statement about postings after 3/1 the rate should be 5:4.

What none of us know is what SPG used to buy 1 RR1 credit for from WN.

I think your on target with the 5:4 ratio. This is essentially what they had before with 1500 SPG transfering to 1 RR credit (1200).