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)
#2086
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5
July 23 - Used Plat to pay for SW fees and taxes on a flight purchased by points
July 25 - Reimbursed $5.60
July 26 - Purchased SW flight on Plat from BWI to EWR
July 29 - Reimbursed $83.98
$110.42 Left on the meter.
July 25 - Reimbursed $5.60
July 26 - Purchased SW flight on Plat from BWI to EWR
July 29 - Reimbursed $83.98
$110.42 Left on the meter.
#2087
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1K, BA
Posts: 6
Gift card plus charge on card below $100 worked for me.
Jul 22 - bought a one-way $128.95 flight with a $30 gift card bought with some other card and charged the rest to the Platinum.
Jul 24 - meter went down
Jul 25 - airline fee reimbursement of $98.95.
Jul 22 - bought a one-way $128.95 flight with a $30 gift card bought with some other card and charged the rest to the Platinum.
Jul 24 - meter went down
Jul 25 - airline fee reimbursement of $98.95.
#2088
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1
does buying gift cards trigger the travel credits?
does buying gift cards with Amex Gold trigger the travel credits now?
#2089
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: TX, USA
Programs: Bonvoy Plat, Hilton Diamond, IHG SA
Posts: 139
#2090
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1
Amex Platinum
7/26 Selected SW as airline
7/27 Purchased two $79 tickets, two transactions
7/30 Meter went down to $42
Expecting get reimbursed in the next few days.
7/26 Selected SW as airline
7/27 Purchased two $79 tickets, two transactions
7/30 Meter went down to $42
Expecting get reimbursed in the next few days.
#2091
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 41
I don't think it is dependent on the card issuer, I think it's more how the airline does it. I usually purchase 2 tickets at a time and most of the time it posts as two separate transactions. However, this WN ticket showed it pending as only one charge. That's all I'm asking, is if SW will split out the charges into two transactions or leave it as one. I guess I'll find out in a couple days.
Any information would be greatly appreciated. And, from recent comments, it looks like there are other people who are also trying to figure out whether a multi-ticket purchase will be split up for purposes of the Amex credit.
I have a situation where it will be one adult and one child on the eventual use of this, so I don't think I can do two separate tickets - because you run into "child traveling alone" issues and fees when you try to separately book a child's ticket.
#2092
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: UA gold; WN A; PC plat; Marriott Gold
Posts: 425
I would think in general adult+child on two separate reservation but on same flight situation would be allowed, e.g. one is a paid ticket and the other is an award ticket. you can try booking this as two separate paid reservations and see what happens when you are booking the child's reservation. worst case you can cancel within 24hours.
#2093
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: CO, UA, AA, WN, DL Gold
Posts: 2,981
How did this turn out? Did the two tickets post separately? And, if so, was each one reimbursed separately (with an independent $100 cap)?
Any information would be greatly appreciated. And, from recent comments, it looks like there are other people who are also trying to figure out whether a multi-ticket purchase will be split up for purposes of the Amex credit.
I have a situation where it will be one adult and one child on the eventual use of this, so I don't think I can do two separate tickets - because you run into "child traveling alone" issues and fees when you try to separately book a child's ticket.
Any information would be greatly appreciated. And, from recent comments, it looks like there are other people who are also trying to figure out whether a multi-ticket purchase will be split up for purposes of the Amex credit.
I have a situation where it will be one adult and one child on the eventual use of this, so I don't think I can do two separate tickets - because you run into "child traveling alone" issues and fees when you try to separately book a child's ticket.
#2094
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5
7/30 - Bought flight, BWI to BOS
8/1 - Reimbursed $102.98
$7.44 left on Meter.
Glad this worked, otherwise that $550 yearly card fee is just way too much to recoup.
#2096
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 8
7/29 Purchased SW flight with Platinum, BWI-MSP $99.98 Passenger Ticket
8/1 Reimbursed $99.98
8/1 Reimbursed $99.98
#2097
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 41
The preferred alternative is to be able to book them together and refund - if someone can confirm that Southwest splits the total fare (on a multi-person reservation) up by person for billing purposes (and Amex will credit up to $100 for each individual person/charge on the same reservation).
#2098
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 41
I would think in general adult+child on two separate reservation but on same flight situation would be allowed, e.g. one is a paid ticket and the other is an award ticket. you can try booking this as two separate paid reservations and see what happens when you are booking the child's reservation. worst case you can cancel within 24hours.
#2099
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Programs: United MM, Alaska MVP, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Plat
Posts: 560
7/30 purchased four separate one ways all less than $100. All reimbursed 8/2. Meter is now zero. Used Hilton Amex Aspire.
Purchased a $250 gift card in June and was not reimbursed so I guess I'll be flying Southwest more next year!
Purchased a $250 gift card in June and was not reimbursed so I guess I'll be flying Southwest more next year!