Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Drink Coupon Class Action Lawsuit

If you were hanging on to your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Drink Coupon for a special occasion, you’re out of luck. Southwest has stopped honoring its coupons, much to the disappointment of many, including one angry flyer who decided to file a federal class action lawsuit against the airline for “unlawfully revoking” its Rapid Rewards Coupons.

Alabama resident William J. Baxley has filed a class action lawsuit against Southwest Airlines (NASDAQ: LUV) for Breach of Contract for refusing to honor its Rapid Rewards Drink Coupons, which are good for one free “beer, wine, mixed or specialty non-alcoholic drink.” These coupons were given to Rapid Rewards members in exchange for their air travel loyalty and to “induce” them to remain members of the program and to fly with Southwest “at considerable expense to destinations it serves throughout the United States, enjoying free libations while doing so,” the Southwest Rapid Rewards Coupon class action lawsuit states.

The Southwest Drink Coupons bear no expiration date, yet Southwest announced August 31, 2011 that it would no longer honor these coupons without providing advanced notice of its intention to do so.

“No provision of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program, and no provision of the terms of its drink coupon program, allows Defendant to revoke a Southwest Airlines Drink Coupon”  after it is issued and accepted by members of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program, the class action lawsuit states.

The Southwest Airlines Drink Coupon class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all members of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program, and all other persons issued a “Southwest Airlines Drink Coupon,” that reside in the U.S. and have been issued an unredeemed Southwest Airlines Drink Coupon.

It is seeking injunctive relief, equitable relief and an order requiring all Southwest Airlines Drink Coupons that were lost or discarded due to the airline’s discontinuance of the coupons to be replaced.

A copy of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Drink Coupon Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.

The case is Baxley v. Southwest Airlines Co., Inc., Case No. 2:11-cv-03420, U.S. District Court for the Northern Division of Alabama, Southern Division.