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)
Sep 6, 2019, 3:59 pm
#2191
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 7
Update: Received $100 credit on September 5th
Sep 8, 2019, 5:13 am
#2192
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2
Another DP to add
9/4 - Added SW as my preferred airline
*waited a few minutes until I got the confirmation email*
9/4 - Booked two one-way tickets ($85) + ($90)
9/7 - Got credit for both of them.
9/4 - Added SW as my preferred airline
*waited a few minutes until I got the confirmation email*
9/4 - Booked two one-way tickets ($85) + ($90)
9/7 - Got credit for both of them.
Sep 8, 2019, 9:38 pm
#2193
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 4
I read several pages but want to be 100% sure: buying a <$100 one way ticket on WN while logged in to RR will trigger a credit? No need to split payment or any other tricks?
I'm sorry for asking info that's out there, a wiki on the current status of GCs, split payment, etc. would be nice. I'm just now active enough to do it.
I'm sorry for asking info that's out there, a wiki on the current status of GCs, split payment, etc. would be nice. I'm just now active enough to do it.
Sep 9, 2019, 6:12 pm
#2195
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
Aug 26 - Get the email from Amex confirming 'Southwest is selected for incidentals fee credit'
Sep 1 - Booked 2 x $148 fare, apply 2 WN GC for $65 on each, residual of $83 is billed to Amex Plat for each (done as two separate bookings)
EDIT/UPDATE: on 9/6 two separate $83 credits posted backdated to 9/5 ! No email from Amex and meter never moved ahead of time, until 9/6, when credits arrived.
Sep 1 - Booked 2 x $148 fare, apply 2 WN GC for $65 on each, residual of $83 is billed to Amex Plat for each (done as two separate bookings)
EDIT/UPDATE: on 9/6 two separate $83 credits posted backdated to 9/5 ! No email from Amex and meter never moved ahead of time, until 9/6, when credits arrived.
anyway, appreciate the DP and glad the trick works. i was confused since you had mentioned "not enough time between selection of airline and transaction". thats plenty of time from Aug 26th to Sept 1st.
Sep 9, 2019, 10:23 pm
#2196
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 83
Schwab Platinum - Selected Airline: Southwest.
Booked a Hawaii inter-island flight for $58.80 9/4. It posted Friday, 9/6 and it's now 9/9 and counter still says $200. I guess I should have partially paid with a gift card.
Booked a Hawaii inter-island flight for $58.80 9/4. It posted Friday, 9/6 and it's now 9/9 and counter still says $200. I guess I should have partially paid with a gift card.
Sep 9, 2019, 11:56 pm
#2197
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
no. too soon. give it a week and come back to us.
Sep 10, 2019, 12:56 am
#2198
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 354
Btw ST_Hawaii are you from the 808?
Sep 10, 2019, 9:39 am
#2199
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
wait. just to be clear, you did not select and charge airfare on the same day right? looks like you booked on Sept 1st? and you didnt get credit until almost a week later? back when GCs worked, credits only took a few days.
anyway, appreciate the DP and glad the trick works. i was confused since you had mentioned "not enough time between selection of airline and transaction". thats plenty of time from Aug 26th to Sept 1st.
anyway, appreciate the DP and glad the trick works. i was confused since you had mentioned "not enough time between selection of airline and transaction". thats plenty of time from Aug 26th to Sept 1st.
Then it did credit, so I updated the post with an edit in bold, clarifying that the work around had worked.
There was maybe 4-5 days between selecting WN as incidental credit benefit and the transactions.
Sadly the airfares went up, and my original plan to use up all $200 was waylaid.
Sep 10, 2019, 3:56 pm
#2200
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
I had made the original post (all the part not in bold) after a few days when I thought the purchase was not being reimbursed, and was trying to speculate on reasons why it was not crediting.
Then it did credit, so I updated the post with an edit in bold, clarifying that the work around had worked.
There was maybe 4-5 days between selecting WN as incidental credit benefit and the transactions.
Sadly the airfares went up, and my original plan to use up all $200 was waylaid.
Then it did credit, so I updated the post with an edit in bold, clarifying that the work around had worked.
There was maybe 4-5 days between selecting WN as incidental credit benefit and the transactions.
Sadly the airfares went up, and my original plan to use up all $200 was waylaid.
Sep 12, 2019, 3:26 am
#2201
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: South Florida
Posts: 3
Hi all! I'm new here but wanted to contribute since the thread has been a great resource. Additional data point (trying to stick with the formatting I'm seeing):
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$101 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$91 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Both purchased back to back via the Southwest Airlines website (desktop). I had Southwest set as my airline of choice from earlier in the year so I didn't make any recent changes to my preferred airline.
Will manage the refund with Southwest for Travel Credits, per the guidance in this thread. Everything went smoothly as hoped.
GL all and hopefully this is helpful.
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$101 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$91 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Both purchased back to back via the Southwest Airlines website (desktop). I had Southwest set as my airline of choice from earlier in the year so I didn't make any recent changes to my preferred airline.
Will manage the refund with Southwest for Travel Credits, per the guidance in this thread. Everything went smoothly as hoped.
GL all and hopefully this is helpful.
Sep 12, 2019, 3:42 am
#2202
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
Hi all! I'm new here but wanted to contribute since the thread has been a great resource. Additional data point (trying to stick with the formatting I'm seeing):
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$101 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$91 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Both purchased back to back via the Southwest Airlines website (desktop). I had Southwest set as my airline of choice from earlier in the year so I didn't make any recent changes to my preferred airline.
Will manage the refund with Southwest for Travel Credits, per the guidance in this thread. Everything went smoothly as hoped.
GL all and hopefully this is helpful.
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$101 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$91 on AMEX PLT.
Purchased: 09/08/19
Reimbursed: 09/10/19
Both purchased back to back via the Southwest Airlines website (desktop). I had Southwest set as my airline of choice from earlier in the year so I didn't make any recent changes to my preferred airline.
Will manage the refund with Southwest for Travel Credits, per the guidance in this thread. Everything went smoothly as hoped.
GL all and hopefully this is helpful.
also, your credits posted ridiculously fast in line with old GC loophole speed. im very surprised, but glad actual WN flight fares are working so consistently. thats a huge win for us. not as good as GC, but actual fares under $100 or travel credit is the next best thing. i view this similar to the CSR $300 travel credit.
Last edited by GundamWing01; Sep 12, 2019 at 3:48 am
Sep 12, 2019, 5:50 pm
#2203
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: AC 75k, WN CP, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 11
Southwest Airlines one way ticket for ~$82 on AMEX Biz Plat. x 2, purchases made back to back for identical amounts.
Purchased: 09/09/19
Posted: 09/10/19
Reimbursed: 09/11/19
Both purchased back to back via the Southwest Airlines website (desktop). I had Southwest set as my airline of choice immediately prior to this and made the purchases after receiving email confirmation from Amex of my airline choice. Did NOT get an email from Amex confirming I had used the Airline credit, just showed on my home page under recent activity.
Purchased: 09/09/19
Posted: 09/10/19
Reimbursed: 09/11/19
Both purchased back to back via the Southwest Airlines website (desktop). I had Southwest set as my airline of choice immediately prior to this and made the purchases after receiving email confirmation from Amex of my airline choice. Did NOT get an email from Amex confirming I had used the Airline credit, just showed on my home page under recent activity.
Sep 12, 2019, 11:49 pm
#2204
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: South Florida
Posts: 3
welcome to the club interstellar astronaut. glad Dorian didnt hit you, but Humberto might. stay safe and thank you for the DP. just to confirm, no partial pay with travel credit or GC right?
also, your credits posted ridiculously fast in line with old GC loophole speed. im very surprised, but glad actual WN flight fares are working so consistently. thats a huge win for us. not as good as GC, but actual fares under $100 or travel credit is the next best thing. i view this similar to the CSR $300 travel credit.
also, your credits posted ridiculously fast in line with old GC loophole speed. im very surprised, but glad actual WN flight fares are working so consistently. thats a huge win for us. not as good as GC, but actual fares under $100 or travel credit is the next best thing. i view this similar to the CSR $300 travel credit.
And yes that's correct: No partial pay of any kind.
I just bought the 2 tickets in separate transactions at their full prices with my Amex Plat. I was initially concerned because it shows the all flight details in the AmEx activities page, but the next day after I noticed that I got the full reimbursement for both tickets.
Sep 13, 2019, 8:10 am
#2205
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
Hilton Aspire?
Any data point for the Hilton Aspire card using the $100-ticket trick?