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)
Jan 15, 2015, 9:52 am
#316
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 6
Bought two $100 cards with Southwest on Monday, and then immediately realized that I hadn't changed my airline from Delta to Southwest.
In a panic, I rushed over to the AmEx site to change my airline since the charges were still "pending" on my Platinum card. The charges posted to my card yesterday, and the credits posted today!
I wouldn't recommend anyone doing it but if it happens, change your airline as soon as possible!
In a panic, I rushed over to the AmEx site to change my airline since the charges were still "pending" on my Platinum card. The charges posted to my card yesterday, and the credits posted today!
I wouldn't recommend anyone doing it but if it happens, change your airline as soon as possible!
Jan 15, 2015, 11:44 am
#317
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 7
Two $100 gift card charges reimbursed within two days
I bought a $100 gift card on Jan. 7 and was credited automatically on Jan. 9.
And then bought another $100 gift card on Jan. 12 and was credited on Jan. 14. LOVE this benefit. Last year, I used United but switched to SWA this year because I have a couple of flights soon on Southwest.
^
And then bought another $100 gift card on Jan. 12 and was credited on Jan. 14. LOVE this benefit. Last year, I used United but switched to SWA this year because I have a couple of flights soon on Southwest.
^
Jan 16, 2015, 1:30 pm
#318
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,966
$25 test charge 1/7; credit 1/10. $175 remainder 1/11; credit 1/14.
Jan 16, 2015, 6:54 pm
#319
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: MR, SPG
Posts: 5
Bought 2 gift cards for $100 each on Jan 7, got reimbursed Jan 10.
Still working
Still working
Jan 24, 2015, 11:23 am
#320
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Denver
Posts: 21
Bought 1 x $100 Southwest e-gift card on Jan 20. It was reimbursed on Jan 23.
Jan 27, 2015, 11:02 am
#321
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
Hmm, I purchased a $100 gift card on 1/19 and a $50 on 1/24 because I had to buy a SW flight anyway. Neither of them have been reimbursed to my Amex Small Business Platinum card yet.
They both showed up as "Category: Travel - Airline" and "Document Type: SPD/AIR FREIGHT" which appears to be okay, according to this thread. I have verified that Southwest is selected as my credit airline with Amex.
This is a new card that I activated on 1/16, so perhaps that is the delay?
They both showed up as "Category: Travel - Airline" and "Document Type: SPD/AIR FREIGHT" which appears to be okay, according to this thread. I have verified that Southwest is selected as my credit airline with Amex.
This is a new card that I activated on 1/16, so perhaps that is the delay?
Jan 28, 2015, 9:34 am
#322
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 68
Yeah... This happened to me too. It seems that Amex now updated their airline transaction details... I hope SW gift card would still be reimbursed.... I also made the transaction couple days ago... I guess time will tell...
Jan 28, 2015, 4:15 pm
#323
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 512
bought two $100 GC's both were reimbursed within two business days after the transactions posted.
Jan 29, 2015, 11:35 am
#324
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
Hmm, I purchased a $100 gift card on 1/19 and a $50 on 1/24 because I had to buy a SW flight anyway. Neither of them have been reimbursed to my Amex Small Business Platinum card yet.
They both showed up as "Category: Travel - Airline" and "Document Type: SPD/AIR FREIGHT" which appears to be okay, according to this thread. I have verified that Southwest is selected as my credit airline with Amex.
This is a new card that I activated on 1/16, so perhaps that is the delay?
They both showed up as "Category: Travel - Airline" and "Document Type: SPD/AIR FREIGHT" which appears to be okay, according to this thread. I have verified that Southwest is selected as my credit airline with Amex.
This is a new card that I activated on 1/16, so perhaps that is the delay?
The $100 that I purchased on 1/19 has not been credited so far. I think probably because I purchased it too soon after making the airline selection. Who knows! They were both identically coded on the Amex statement.
Jan 30, 2015, 8:08 am
#325
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
Some additional datapoints (involves multiple Plat cards):
Tue., 1/20 - $100 GC purchased; reimbursement posted 1/24 (with 1/23 effective date)
Wed., 1/21 - $100 GC purchased; reimbursement posted 1/25 (with 1/24 effective date)
Wed., 1/25 - $200 GC purchased; reimbursement posted 1/30 (with 1/29 effective date)
Tue., 1/20 - $100 GC purchased; reimbursement posted 1/24 (with 1/23 effective date)
Wed., 1/21 - $100 GC purchased; reimbursement posted 1/25 (with 1/24 effective date)
Wed., 1/25 - $200 GC purchased; reimbursement posted 1/30 (with 1/29 effective date)
Feb 1, 2015, 7:30 am
#326
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: MR, UR, AA, AS, HH Gold, SPG Gold, HGP, RR
Posts: 708
Call in and simply request your credit. Don't explain what was purchased.
Feb 2, 2015, 12:04 am
#327
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 67
Purchased $100 GC on 1/25. Purchase posted 1/27, credited automatically 1/30
Feb 2, 2015, 10:17 am
#328
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
My two $75 purchases were credited within 4 days. So I'm all good for 2015.
The only problem that I can think of for my first $100 purchase was that I did it too soon after selecting the airline for the first time. So, in case anybody else wants to be cautious, maybe choose the airline and then wait a couple of days before making the gift card purchase?
Feb 2, 2015, 11:13 am
#329
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1
Maybe this is a silly question, but what is FL and WN? I have Southwest as my airline. I should be able to just buy (4) $50 gift cards and get the $200 credit, right?
Feb 2, 2015, 11:27 am
#330
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
FL is the IATA code for Airtran.
IATA codes for older airlines are typically obvious (AA, CO, DL, NW, UA), but airlines which started later had to choose what was available.