Sep 17, 2014, 10:45 am
Last edit by: Tanic
Reminder: you must enroll and select Southwest as your airline BEFORE making a reimbursable purchase.
Some have suggested the need to wait several hours or even a day before making the purchase, but there are also several DPs that worked without waiting that long.
(BTW, you will often hear people refer to Southwest as WN. WN is the IATA code for Southwest Airlines. SW is the IATA code for Air Namibia.)
Caution: As of late July 2019, reports are that direct gift card purchases are no longer being reimbursed.
To purchase click here: https://www.southwest.com/gift-card/create-card.html Caution: Do NOT login to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account when making the purchase.
What does appear to work is buying flight tickets less than $100, OR using gift cards to get the charged amount down to less than $100.
Always read the last few pages to get up-to-date DPs.
Some have suggested the need to wait several hours or even a day before making the purchase, but there are also several DPs that worked without waiting that long.
(BTW, you will often hear people refer to Southwest as WN. WN is the IATA code for Southwest Airlines. SW is the IATA code for Air Namibia.)
Caution: As of late July 2019, reports are that direct gift card purchases are no longer being reimbursed.
What does appear to work is buying flight tickets less than $100, OR using gift cards to get the charged amount down to less than $100.
Always read the last few pages to get up-to-date DPs.
Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: WN (2011-2019)
Sep 8, 2015, 11:42 pm
#437
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 21
Still no for me either, purchased on 8/23. This is a definite cancel next year.
Sep 8, 2015, 11:47 pm
#438
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,963
#byefelicia !
Sep 9, 2015, 3:35 am
#439
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 493
If you just signed up, you really should ride it out for the whole year. Then call to cancel at the end of the year and cancel before you have to pay again. You can say that the expense is too high (which is valid). That 100K bonus is worth at least $1000, so even after paying $450 you are still way ahead. And don't forget to use your cards for Small Business Saturday, coming up after Black Friday.
Sep 9, 2015, 1:46 pm
#441
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 283
If you just signed up, you really should ride it out for the whole year. Then call to cancel at the end of the year and cancel before you have to pay again. You can say that the expense is too high (which is valid). That 100K bonus is worth at least $1000, so even after paying $450 you are still way ahead. And don't forget to use your cards for Small Business Saturday, coming up after Black Friday.
I'd say use it until the end of the year, take advantage of SBS, then cancel and get a pro-rated refund. You'll be about where you would have been financially if you had been able to redeem the airline fee credit.
You won't be added to some nebulous "blacklist" because you decided 3-4 months into having a card that the cost just wasn't worth it. Personal circumstances change all the time.
Sep 9, 2015, 4:17 pm
#442
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9
I have decided that I an not going to bother calling in and will cut my losses and cancel the card when it comes up for renewal next month.
Then I will put all the gift cards on one of the GC selling sites like CardPool and unload.
Sep 11, 2015, 8:12 am
#444
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 283
Still no credit. I think it is safe to say this avenue is dead.
I have decided that I an not going to bother calling in and will cut my losses and cancel the card when it comes up for renewal next month.
Then I will put all the gift cards on one of the GC selling sites like CardPool and unload.
I have decided that I an not going to bother calling in and will cut my losses and cancel the card when it comes up for renewal next month.
Then I will put all the gift cards on one of the GC selling sites like CardPool and unload.
Sep 11, 2015, 8:23 am
#445
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Louisiana, MSY
Programs: Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 139
If I don't get the reimbursement I will just request them to let me change airline to AA and pay for Premium Econ to Kauai in October or get (a lot) of drinks on the flight. I've heard they let you do that sometimes. But the only thing that's "safe to say" is that these things should no longer be surprises and you should always calculate the worst case scenarios when you are weighing options. In this case worst case being actually using the $200 credit for incidentals and not flights. Not ideal, but works for me. Especially when you take into consideration the 100,000 points, half of which paid for 2 RTs to LIH
Sep 11, 2015, 1:41 pm
#446
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 8
I agree with you here. I had purchased on 8/23 and still waiting on reimbursement. I got in contact with an agent on chat and they said that I should expect to get the reimbursement within 4-6 weeks of purchase. I had him place notes onto my account to refer back to if/when I have to get in contact again regarding this. I am just going to ride out the 4-6 week and see what happens. At least I know I can use the GCs no problem.
If I don't get the reimbursement I will just request them to let me change airline to AA and pay for Premium Econ to Kauai in October or get (a lot) of drinks on the flight. I've heard they let you do that sometimes. But the only thing that's "safe to say" is that these things should no longer be surprises and you should always calculate the worst case scenarios when you are weighing options. In this case worst case being actually using the $200 credit for incidentals and not flights. Not ideal, but works for me. Especially when you take into consideration the 100,000 points, half of which paid for 2 RTs to LIH
If I don't get the reimbursement I will just request them to let me change airline to AA and pay for Premium Econ to Kauai in October or get (a lot) of drinks on the flight. I've heard they let you do that sometimes. But the only thing that's "safe to say" is that these things should no longer be surprises and you should always calculate the worst case scenarios when you are weighing options. In this case worst case being actually using the $200 credit for incidentals and not flights. Not ideal, but works for me. Especially when you take into consideration the 100,000 points, half of which paid for 2 RTs to LIH
I'm traveling in Nov and need to purchase.
Sep 11, 2015, 4:32 pm
#448
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 375
I disagree. You are under no obligation to "ride it out" for a year. If you're unhappy with the card, you cancel it. This is a business relationship, pure and simple. You aren't under any moral or ethical obligation to keep it.
I'd say use it until the end of the year, take advantage of SBS, then cancel and get a pro-rated refund. You'll be about where you would have been financially if you had been able to redeem the airline fee credit.
You won't be added to some nebulous "blacklist" because you decided 3-4 months into having a card that the cost just wasn't worth it. Personal circumstances change all the time.
I'd say use it until the end of the year, take advantage of SBS, then cancel and get a pro-rated refund. You'll be about where you would have been financially if you had been able to redeem the airline fee credit.
You won't be added to some nebulous "blacklist" because you decided 3-4 months into having a card that the cost just wasn't worth it. Personal circumstances change all the time.
Sep 12, 2015, 12:28 pm
#449
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA Silver, HHDmd, MBvLTPLT, PCAmb/Dmd, HYT Dis
Posts: 1,579
Has anyone tried purchasing something from Southwest The Store (aka Freedom Shop) on their Amex?
Sep 13, 2015, 8:00 am
#450
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 493
yes. But you should call or chat with Amex, tell them you are thinking of canceling the card because it is too expensive and how much would they reimburse you. You can also downgrade the card to green; I think it's $75 a year instead of $450. If you do that you keep your miles and can still use the cards for the Amex Offers.
Unless you already have an Amex Card that gives you membership miles and they are linked together. They also have other cards that have no fee...
Unless you already have an Amex Card that gives you membership miles and they are linked together. They also have other cards that have no fee...