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)
Dec 4, 2016, 4:21 pm
#721
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 400
Another data point:
Applied 11/23/16
Set WN as my airline 11/27/16 (didn't even have card yet)
Bought two $100 gift cards on 11/30/16 (2 separate transactions about 15 minutes apart)
Reimbursed credit showing 12/4/16 - two $100 statement credits
Applied 11/23/16
Set WN as my airline 11/27/16 (didn't even have card yet)
Bought two $100 gift cards on 11/30/16 (2 separate transactions about 15 minutes apart)
Reimbursed credit showing 12/4/16 - two $100 statement credits
Last edited by JWEMTX; Dec 4, 2016 at 6:22 pm
Dec 4, 2016, 7:45 pm
#722
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 93
Platinum
11/30 Changed from UA to WN as my airlines via chat
12/1 Bought a $100 EGC
12/2 Transaction posted
12/4 $100 statement credit posted
11/30 Changed from UA to WN as my airlines via chat
12/1 Bought a $100 EGC
12/2 Transaction posted
12/4 $100 statement credit posted
Dec 5, 2016, 10:37 am
#724
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Louis, MO
Programs: AA L.T. PLT
Posts: 3,265
Dec 5, 2016, 10:39 am
#725
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 873
Platinum, had ~$149 of reimbursement left
12/1 Bought $150 EGC
12/1 Transaction posted
12/3 $149 statement credit posted
12/1 Bought $150 EGC
12/1 Transaction posted
12/3 $149 statement credit posted
Dec 5, 2016, 10:39 am
#726
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
Dec 5, 2016, 10:49 am
#727
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,949
Welcome to Flyertalk. WN is the IATA code for Southwest Airlines, and is useful as a search term. Older airlines tend to have intuitive codes (AA, BA, DL, UA), but airlines started later had to pick from what was unassigned. Help is available here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/glossary/
http://www.flyertalk.com/glossary/
Dec 6, 2016, 5:51 pm
#728
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: CT
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 429
WN
$100.00 bought 12/1
posted 12/3
credited 12/5
did another one tonight for the remaining $100
expecting the same results
$100.00 bought 12/1
posted 12/3
credited 12/5
did another one tonight for the remaining $100
expecting the same results
Dec 6, 2016, 8:16 pm
#729
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 8
Tried to change my airline via chat (been a week since I opened the card and chose). Was denied saying "You can change in January". Should I try again? This was the late night staff. Maybe a phone call?
Dec 6, 2016, 10:20 pm
#730
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
If you haven't used any credit or any benefit of it yet, then yes try again.
Dec 7, 2016, 6:39 am
#731
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: Chase UR, MR, RR
Posts: 22
Datapoint:
Had flights booked for a family vaca so booked 8 Early birds
Rest of the $80 left, I just bought an e-gift card for $80
Purchased on 12/4, posted on 12/5, credit reimbursement posted on 12/6
Had flights booked for a family vaca so booked 8 Early birds
Rest of the $80 left, I just bought an e-gift card for $80
Purchased on 12/4, posted on 12/5, credit reimbursement posted on 12/6
Dec 7, 2016, 11:41 am
#732
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 93
I applied for this card in Mid Nov and chose UA as my airline right away after receiving it.
Dec 7, 2016, 1:00 pm
#733
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 119
Just changed my airline choice from UA to Southwest via chat.
Dec 7, 2016, 6:32 pm
#734
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,219
Registered WN as airline on 12/4
Bought $100 x 2 back to back 10 minutes after registering on 12/4
$100 credit x 2 credited on 12/6
Bought $100 x 2 back to back 10 minutes after registering on 12/4
$100 credit x 2 credited on 12/6
Dec 8, 2016, 7:10 am
#735
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1
I made 2x$100 Southwest gift card purchases on mine and 2x$100 on my wife's about 2 weeks ago and still no refund... Did I screw something up or should I contact Amex?
