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 14, 2014, 3:01 pm
#196
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: DL/UA/AA
Posts: 40
$200 GC
Bought one $200 GC on Jan 10, and got credited for $200 on Jan 14.
Jan 15, 2014, 1:59 pm
#197
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 3
I'm so stupid. I hadn't enrolled my card. Enrolled it for SWA then bought a couple more gift cards and I received credit 2 days later.
Jan 15, 2014, 2:03 pm
#198
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 25
Purchased 2 $100 GC and was credited 3 days later.
Jan 17, 2014, 10:01 pm
#199
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 82
Data point
Purchased $60, $60, $80 gift cards, separate transactions on 1/10/14, reimbursed 1/13/2014 
Jan 20, 2014, 3:43 am
#200
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1
Purchase Review
Purchased two separate $100 e-gc on 1/15, credited full amount 1/19.
Jan 20, 2014, 4:18 pm
#201
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: ATL
Posts: 186
Just another data point for the good:
2x $100 gift cards purchased 1/14 (separate transactions); reimbursed 1/20.
A little longer than some reports, but no big deal.
2x $100 gift cards purchased 1/14 (separate transactions); reimbursed 1/20.
A little longer than some reports, but no big deal.
Jan 27, 2014, 11:16 am
#202
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1
My recent experience:
1/22/14: Purchased one $200 GC
1/25/14: Reimbursed $200
Hope everyone gets the same great result.
1/22/14: Purchased one $200 GC
1/25/14: Reimbursed $200
Hope everyone gets the same great result.
Jan 30, 2014, 7:01 pm
#203
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: PHL - Go Flyers!
Programs: EMT-P
Posts: 564
Purchased $200GC on 1/26.
Credited 1/28.
Easy peasy. TY Amex
Credited 1/28.
Easy peasy. TY Amex
Feb 5, 2014, 1:56 pm
#204
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Far too many
Posts: 315
1 $200 GC purchased & reimbursed, Feb 2014.
Feb 25, 2014, 5:36 pm
#206
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SAN
Posts: 20
Purchased 1 $200 gc on 2/22. Still waiting with crossed fingers for it to get refunded.
UPDATE: 2/27- reimbursement posted to my account. Success!
UPDATE: 2/27- reimbursement posted to my account. Success!
Last edited by trinifawk; Feb 27, 2014 at 9:23 am
Feb 25, 2014, 5:47 pm
#207
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,967
$205 GC purchased <sometime this month>, $200 refunded <a few days later>.
(... why are we posting these? Is it not a guaranteed benefit?)
(... why are we posting these? Is it not a guaranteed benefit?)
Feb 25, 2014, 6:43 pm
#208
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Feb 25, 2014, 11:14 pm
#209
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,084
Mar 5, 2014, 8:52 am
#210
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SMF, SNA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite, IHG Diamond
Posts: 175
Purchased two $100 Southwest GC's on Feb 27. Received Amex full credit on 3/4. Thanks, Amex! 