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)
Aug 28, 2011, 12:53 pm
#16
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Berkeley, California
Programs: Starwood Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 560
Originally Posted by EmoryFlyer
After reading that Southwest gift cards would work, I designated Southwest as my airline choice for the benefit, waited 3 days, then bought a $100 e-gift card to test it out. I noticed the charge in my "pending charges" area and thought nothing of it. It remained in "pending" for about a week then just dropped off. When I review the other charges on my account, I don't see the southwest charge anywhere...neither the initial $100 charge, nor the $100 credit back. I repeated the same thing again more recently, bought another $100 e-gift card and experienced the same thing again (in "pending" for about a week, then it dropped off, actual charge nowhere to be seen).
I just made a dummy booking on southwest.com to make sure the e-gift card numbers that were sent my way were valid, and indeed, each one is loaded with $100 of value.
I just made a dummy booking on southwest.com to make sure the e-gift card numbers that were sent my way were valid, and indeed, each one is loaded with $100 of value.
I'm experiencing something similar. I made a gift certificate purchase on 8/19 for $50, and it's been stuck in pending charges ever since. I've had other charges come and go through the pending status, so I don't know why it's stuck. I just used the $50 gift certificate to purchase a flight, so I know the purchase is good.
I'm going to take this as a good sign on blind faith, and get $150 more in gift cards.
Aug 29, 2011, 7:00 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Nashville
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Omni Plat, Southwest A+ Pref
Posts: 31
My $50 pending charge for the Southwest Gift Certificate just disappeared from the pending queue, but didn't show up in the charges. It just disappeared. Made the charge on 8/19 and it disappeared this morning on 8/28.
I'm going to take this as a good sign on blind faith, and get $150 more in gift cards.
I'm going to take this as a good sign on blind faith, and get $150 more in gift cards.
So mid August, I did another $75 and a $50. Same thing, sat in pending then disappeared. Except this time, when it did reappear in confirmed charges, I did NOT get the reversal. Looks exactly like the reversed charge, except these didn't get reversed.
The takeaway is these charges are not gone or lost...just in limbo for around 10-14 days. And apparently YMMV (even my mileage varied) when it comes to getting the reversal.
Aug 29, 2011, 9:03 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL 1MM Diamond, UA Silver, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Spire, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 594
My two southwest gift card charges finally did post (about 2-3 weeks after date of purchase). They show up sort of oddly as "999998 Dallas TX". Only when you click the button for additional detail do you see the name "Southwest Airlines" referenced anywhere...odd. I have not been credited back for either one yet...and based on the way they posted, I have a feeling I'll need to call Amex. I'll give it a few more days.
FYI, I bought a $75 dollar SW gift card end of July and it did the same thing; sat in pending for about a week then disappeared. However, it did reappear a couple weeks(ish) later as a confirmed charge. I did get a $75 reversal at the same time.
So mid August, I did another $75 and a $50. Same thing, sat in pending then disappeared. Except this time, when it did reappear in confirmed charges, I did NOT get the reversal. Looks exactly like the reversed charge, except these didn't get reversed.
The takeaway is these charges are not gone or lost...just in limbo for around 10-14 days. And apparently YMMV (even my mileage varied) when it comes to getting the reversal.
So mid August, I did another $75 and a $50. Same thing, sat in pending then disappeared. Except this time, when it did reappear in confirmed charges, I did NOT get the reversal. Looks exactly like the reversed charge, except these didn't get reversed.
The takeaway is these charges are not gone or lost...just in limbo for around 10-14 days. And apparently YMMV (even my mileage varied) when it comes to getting the reversal.
Sep 13, 2011, 4:54 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Berkeley, California
Programs: Starwood Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 560
Just to follow up with my experience with Southwest.
I designated Southwest on 8/14, purchased $50 Southwest Gift Card on 8/19, and then subsequent $50 gift cards - all on different days to total $200. These charges stayed at pending for a week or two, then disappeared. Then the charges popped up again as regular charges a week ago. Just today, I got reimbursed for them.
So, Southwest definitely works - it just takes a few weeks to go through the whole process.
I designated Southwest on 8/14, purchased $50 Southwest Gift Card on 8/19, and then subsequent $50 gift cards - all on different days to total $200. These charges stayed at pending for a week or two, then disappeared. Then the charges popped up again as regular charges a week ago. Just today, I got reimbursed for them.
So, Southwest definitely works - it just takes a few weeks to go through the whole process.
Sep 16, 2011, 1:07 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 100
My two southwest gift card charges finally did post (about 2-3 weeks after date of purchase). They show up sort of oddly as "999998 Dallas TX". Only when you click the button for additional detail do you see the name "Southwest Airlines" referenced anywhere...odd. I have not been credited back for either one yet...and based on the way they posted, I have a feeling I'll need to call Amex. I'll give it a few more days.
Sep 20, 2011, 10:40 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
Needed to do a last minute trip to LAS. Hadn't signed up for an airline so I opted for WN (eh, it's only an hour flight and WN had best scheduling for this trip) on 9/13. Purchased 2 WN $100 GCs on 9/14 (2 separate transactions about 12 hours apart); got reimbursed for both on 9/17.
Oct 3, 2011, 4:11 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Spam; SPG Gold; other randoms
Posts: 198
Airtran GC
Successfully reimbursed for a $100 GC on Airtran. Will try again in a few days.
Nov 14, 2011, 12:03 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 8
Just a note regarding Southwest. I bought (a week apart) 2 $100 giftcards off their website. I received a credit for each card w/n 2 days of each purchase.
Nov 15, 2011, 1:17 am
#24
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Boston
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum, AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, JetBlue Mosaic (sometimes)
Posts: 138
More datapoints: I have received 5 credits (2 cards) from Southwest giftcards (from Southwest website) in amounts of $50 or $75 within a few days.
Nov 20, 2011, 5:56 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2011
Location: RTP, NC
Programs: Delta GM, Marriott Gold, SPG Platinum
Posts: 87
Opted for Southwest since I am a DL gold and generally have no incidentals. Glad to see it work out!
Dec 7, 2011, 9:11 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: LAX
Posts: 194
Bought a Southwest giftcard of $50 and got this listed in my transaction history. Since the Document Type is "SPD/AIR FREIGHT", will I get reimbursed?
Southwest Airlines (Maste
From : To : Carrier : Class :
N/A
N/A YY
N/A YY
N/A YY
N/A YY
Ticket Number : 526000XXXXXXX Date of Departure : 1231
Passenger Name :
Document Type : SPD/AIR FREIGHT
Doing Business As: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Merchant Address: PO BOX 36611
DALLAS
TX
75235
UNITED STATES
Southwest Airlines (Maste
From : To : Carrier : Class :
N/A
N/A YY
N/A YY
N/A YY
N/A YY
Ticket Number : 526000XXXXXXX Date of Departure : 1231
Passenger Name :
Document Type : SPD/AIR FREIGHT
Doing Business As: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Merchant Address: PO BOX 36611
DALLAS
TX
75235
UNITED STATES
Dec 7, 2011, 10:55 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 692
Does the airline credit still work for Southwest GCs?
and what is this information about purchasing GCs at Costco for the airline credit? Costco sells Airline GC?
and what is this information about purchasing GCs at Costco for the airline credit? Costco sells Airline GC?
Dec 14, 2011, 11:55 pm
#29
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: LAX
Posts: 194
Has anyone successfully gotten AMEX to reimburse a gift card purchase manually? The credit did not post for my Southwest purchase, but I wonder if they will credit me for it if I call in..
Dec 23, 2011, 9:26 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Spam; SPG Gold; other randoms
Posts: 198
I will be cancelling my Plat card in February, but I'd like to use it to get 2 tix RDU-LGA with my 2012 fee credit. Most tix are in the $85-$105 range, so it's doable.
The problem is...
DL appears not to reimburse gift cards. I spoke with the agent at the airport and he said they are coded as tickets, with a standard 13-digit ticket number. Other FTers have reported not getting reimbursed for DL.
US doesn't sell gift cards.
AA does, but the tickets from RDU are unusually expensive.
Those are the only three airlines with nonstops on the route.
Ideas?
The problem is...
DL appears not to reimburse gift cards. I spoke with the agent at the airport and he said they are coded as tickets, with a standard 13-digit ticket number. Other FTers have reported not getting reimbursed for DL.
US doesn't sell gift cards.
AA does, but the tickets from RDU are unusually expensive.
Those are the only three airlines with nonstops on the route.
Ideas?