I’ve said this [1] before, but I love Southwest Airlines. It’s an amazingly successful company in an industry loaded with money-losing, flight-cancelling, bankruptcy-declaring, customer-pissing-off dinosaurs. I don’t fly a whole lot — maybe four roundtrips a year — but I always try to fly Southwest. It’s faster, cheaper and safer than pretty much any airline out there. Hotter stewardesses, too.

That’s why I was happy to download Southwest’s “[2] Ding” application. It’s a small app that sits in the system tray, displaying the familiar striped 737 tail. Whenever Southwest has a sale or other promotion, it plays a “Ding” sound effect, and I hurriedly click on the icon to see where I can go. Everytime, memories of [3] Caesars flash through my mind.

Here’s what makes it even better. Southwest recently changed its Rapid Rewards program so that credits are good for two years instead of one. What’s more, the company retroactively applied the change, so I’m just two flights away from a freebie. I’m heading to South Bend in a few weeks for [4] The Observer’s 40th anniversary reunion/drinking binge. This summer, I’ll be heading to [5] Medina, Ohio (rhymes with vagina) for Tommy’s wedding. After that, I’ll get a flight (and booze!) [6] for free. Hell yeah.