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)
Feb 12, 2019, 11:23 am
#1606
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Dallas, TX, USA
Posts: 937
So is this only a 1/31 problem, or a problem going forward with gift cards?
No posts regarding February anything here.
Well, I guess I'll test it out and buy a small denomination gift card and report back in a few days!
Agree no one should be calling AMEX to draw attention. I feel like it's already bad IT that they can't figure it out right now...
No posts regarding February anything here.
Well, I guess I'll test it out and buy a small denomination gift card and report back in a few days!
Agree no one should be calling AMEX to draw attention. I feel like it's already bad IT that they can't figure it out right now...
Feb 12, 2019, 7:01 pm
#1607
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 345
$200 gift card purchased 2/8/19. $200 reimbursement posted today 2/11/19. This is on biz plat
Feb 12, 2019, 11:23 pm
#1608
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 2,272
Are SW GCs still working with amex credit or have there been changes the way there were with AA?
Feb 13, 2019, 8:46 am
#1610
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 11
reimbursed 1/31
I bought 100 southwest giftcard on 1/31. i just messaged amex over online chat and told them i had not been credited. agent fixed it immediately and showed up on my blue bar. was credited on statement 2 days later
Feb 13, 2019, 9:42 am
#1611
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
You got lucky, or an agent which didn't care/know their own terms & conditions.
Feb 13, 2019, 10:00 am
#1613
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 1
I also made purchases for SW GC's for my gold and plat on 1.31. Still have not received a credit.
Feb 13, 2019, 10:27 am
#1614
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 11
I simply posted to let ppl who didnt get their credit to ask amex customer service.
Feb 13, 2019, 10:55 am
#1615
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 9
You completely missed the point on what Tanic was trying to express. By reaching out to Amex customer service, you're letting them know how we take advantage of a loophole. What do you think will happen when they realize we skirt the airline credit with gift cards? They will take it away and everyone loses...
Feb 13, 2019, 11:08 am
#1616
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Amex and Chase
Posts: 5
What are peoples general thoughts on using the whole $200 or should I try like a test $100 and then do another $100?
Last year I did (2) $50 and (1) $100. It worked but it just stinks when I try to apply it to a purchase. Only could use two of them and my card to cover the rest
Last year I did (2) $50 and (1) $100. It worked but it just stinks when I try to apply it to a purchase. Only could use two of them and my card to cover the rest
Feb 13, 2019, 11:23 am
#1618
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
As AmEx just did this week by killing the AA gift card credit.
Feb 13, 2019, 11:42 am
#1619
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,073
You completely missed the point on what Tanic was trying to express. By reaching out to Amex customer service, you're letting them know how we take advantage of a loophole. What do you think will happen when they realize we skirt the airline credit with gift cards? They will take it away and everyone loses...Telling a CSR that it's a gift card is a bad idea since that works against the cardholder's effort to get the statement credit, but it's not going to blow the deal for the rest of us.
Feb 13, 2019, 2:17 pm
#1620
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 155
Purchased a $200 gc for SW using AMX business plat on 2/9. Reimbursed 2/13.