Best Airline Gift Cards to buy?
Nov 6, 2015, 11:57 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 25
Best Airline Gift Cards to buy?
Hi All,
If you had/could buy some airline gift cards, which one would you get (assuming that you would be willing to travel any airline)?
The reason I am asking is that some airlines have specific rules on GC redemption, for example:
- Southwest: cannot redeem more than 1 GC per reservation
- AA: cannot pay taxes with GC.
So, which airline is the best? United? Delta? Jetblue? Other?
Thanks!
If you had/could buy some airline gift cards, which one would you get (assuming that you would be willing to travel any airline)?
The reason I am asking is that some airlines have specific rules on GC redemption, for example:
- Southwest: cannot redeem more than 1 GC per reservation
- AA: cannot pay taxes with GC.
So, which airline is the best? United? Delta? Jetblue? Other?
Thanks!
Nov 6, 2015, 12:22 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,574
I'd only buy a card for an airline on which I was immediately going to purchase a ticket.
And then only if there's some sort of discount on the GC.
An unused gift card in my possession for any length of time is risk and cost. There has to be a good discount to make me want to do that.
I don't personally see it often in the airline world, but I occasionally buy $1000 Marriott gift cards if there's a 10% discount (in the form of actual cash or bonus points/miles) for doing so. But only when I know exactly when and where I'm doing the $1000 hotel stay, preferably with the physical GC Fedexed directly to the front desk of the hotel.
And then only if there's some sort of discount on the GC.
An unused gift card in my possession for any length of time is risk and cost. There has to be a good discount to make me want to do that.
I don't personally see it often in the airline world, but I occasionally buy $1000 Marriott gift cards if there's a 10% discount (in the form of actual cash or bonus points/miles) for doing so. But only when I know exactly when and where I'm doing the $1000 hotel stay, preferably with the physical GC Fedexed directly to the front desk of the hotel.
Nov 6, 2015, 1:24 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,266
Southwest actually allows three GCs redeemed for a domestic purchase (or combinations of GCs and unused travel funds) but you can't use the GC to pay for early bird check-in.
If you're talking Christmas presents, cash or close to it in the form of a prepaid Visa or AmEx card is probably the best as it's a universal gift card. I do rewards programs to help pay for vacations and finally just went to getting paid by PayPal (taken by many airlines these days directly or easy enough to move into a bank account to cover tickets purchased with a credit card) because I was sick of playing the game of what is and isn't covered by airline GCs.
If you're talking Christmas presents, cash or close to it in the form of a prepaid Visa or AmEx card is probably the best as it's a universal gift card. I do rewards programs to help pay for vacations and finally just went to getting paid by PayPal (taken by many airlines these days directly or easy enough to move into a bank account to cover tickets purchased with a credit card) because I was sick of playing the game of what is and isn't covered by airline GCs.
Nov 6, 2015, 2:40 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: WN, DL, UA, AA, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 1,303
I chose AA gift cards over DL gift cards when deciding what to spend my Airline Credit Allowance from Amex on. IIRC, there were two reasons: 1. DL more severely limits the number of cards on a reservation. 2. AA gift cards never expire.
Nov 6, 2015, 4:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: USA
Programs: SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold, Sixt Plat, Avis Prez Club, Hertz Prez Circ, Nat'l EE
Posts: 58
I think AA gift cards are the best, myself. Second is SW. Several reasons, including above, but depending on the state of your CC churning, it may be easier for you to replenish miles into your RR account than your AA account. Or the opposite may be true. To me, its all about what are currently the hardest miles for me to get -- then I want access to gift cards. Perhaps I should say this is most relevant if you have a travel companion and want one person on miles and the other on cash.
Nov 6, 2015, 11:46 pm
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
I've used AS gift cards before- one can use 4 per reservation, and can also deposit into mywallet. AFAIK you can also use them for taxes. There might be a restriction from using them for changing a ticket; mywallet funds can't be applied to changes, only new tickets.
We'll relocate this into TravelBuzz for now as it touches several programs.
~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk
We'll relocate this into TravelBuzz for now as it touches several programs.
~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk
Nov 8, 2015, 6:45 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Spirit Airlines Gift cards are the best. See http://www.giftcards.com/spirit-airl...-lauderdale-fl for a description. Wait-a-second, what in the heck are they really selling there? 
Nov 8, 2015, 11:39 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
I agree that a gc is not something I or anyone should keep for more than a few months at most.
I tend to fly AA, so I'd pick AA---however, by doing this not only am I tying some money but also forfeiting the option to buy from Expedia/Orbitz etc, sio I'd only do it if there was a very good discount and I don't see those often.
If meant as a gift, then my preferences don't matter, I'd pick the company the recipient favors.
I tend to fly AA, so I'd pick AA---however, by doing this not only am I tying some money but also forfeiting the option to buy from Expedia/Orbitz etc, sio I'd only do it if there was a very good discount and I don't see those often.
If meant as a gift, then my preferences don't matter, I'd pick the company the recipient favors.
Nov 11, 2015, 3:48 am
#10
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,363
Why pay for a gift card to an airline? As a recent poll showed that over 80% of flyers are flying maybe once a year or less. If you need to purchase gift cards, buy the generic Visa/MC/Amex ones that can be used anywhere. If you want the points/miles for your airline, then you are doing it for you, not the recipient.