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 1, 2012, 11:17 am
#31
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL SM, AT Elite, SW A-List, PC Platinum Ambassador, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: WN/FL only
A few data points for Southwest and Delta -
My wife and I each got a Platinum Amex recently (separate accounts). One of us chose Southwest and one chose Delta.
We wanted to max out the benefit for 2011.
Southwest, we bought $200 worth of online gift certs ($50 each time, 4 separate transactions, waiting until the previous one posted until doing the next one). The credit posts 3-4 days after the transaction posts.
Delta, we bought 2 x $99 SkyClub 5 visit passes in the SkyClub. Asked them to process it as two separate transactions, just to be sure (based on feedback in this thread). Credit posted the next day.
An interesting, possibly helpful note - we just recently booked award travel on AirTran. The charge showed up as "LOCATION MERCHANTL ATLANTA GA". Then "Doing Business As: AIRTRAN AIRWAYS ", but also "Document Type: MISCELLANEOUS TAX(S)/FEE(S) ". Not sure if that would automatically post for those of you who chose AirTran, but it would seem you could make an argument for it.
I've been lurking on here a while but finally signed up and wanted to hopefully help out some other folks, as this thread has been helpful in planning my strategy!
My wife and I each got a Platinum Amex recently (separate accounts). One of us chose Southwest and one chose Delta.
We wanted to max out the benefit for 2011.
Southwest, we bought $200 worth of online gift certs ($50 each time, 4 separate transactions, waiting until the previous one posted until doing the next one). The credit posts 3-4 days after the transaction posts.
Delta, we bought 2 x $99 SkyClub 5 visit passes in the SkyClub. Asked them to process it as two separate transactions, just to be sure (based on feedback in this thread). Credit posted the next day.
An interesting, possibly helpful note - we just recently booked award travel on AirTran. The charge showed up as "LOCATION MERCHANTL ATLANTA GA". Then "Doing Business As: AIRTRAN AIRWAYS ", but also "Document Type: MISCELLANEOUS TAX(S)/FEE(S) ". Not sure if that would automatically post for those of you who chose AirTran, but it would seem you could make an argument for it.
I've been lurking on here a while but finally signed up and wanted to hopefully help out some other folks, as this thread has been helpful in planning my strategy!
Jan 2, 2012, 2:29 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Spam; SPG Gold; other randoms
Posts: 198
No more Airtran GC
Was planning to purchase gift certs on Airtran for my 2012 credits only to find that Airtran no longer issues them (part of their integration with SW, I guess). I'm already holding $200 worth of Airtran, and wanted to get another shot. Not sure if I will be able to use Southwest certs on Airtran. I guess I'll have to poke around for another way to use this benefit...
Jan 7, 2012, 1:22 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 8
Bought 2 $100 Southwest travel cards a few days back. Got reimbursed the total amount. Awesome benefit!
Jan 9, 2012, 1:41 pm
#34
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: WN/FL only
USA Centurion and Platinum cardholder reports of Southwest and AirTran expenses which were reimbursed.
Jan 9, 2012, 2:53 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 178
Purchase 2 - $100 WN gift cards late 2011, and 2 - $100 WN gift cards early Jan 2012; a total of 4 transactions of $100 each. Each time a matching credit was issued within 3 days.
Jan 9, 2012, 2:56 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Shanghai
Programs: BAEC (Gold), PC (Plat), HH (Gold), MR (Gold)
Posts: 2,729
+1 for WN (reimbursed yesterday).
Jan 10, 2012, 8:34 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Disney World
Programs: Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 321
purchased a $100 gift card on southwest 3 days ago. reimbursed yesterday.
Jan 10, 2012, 1:22 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Boston
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum, AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, JetBlue Mosaic (sometimes)
Posts: 138
$99 gift card purchases still getting reimbursed as of early Jan 2012.
Thank you Amex!
Thank you Amex!
Jan 12, 2012, 10:49 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,621
I called MR and chose US Airways as my 2012 airline of choice January 1. On January 4, I booked a US Airways award ticket. The $50 US Airways award processing fee was reimbursed on January 7.
So I had $150 left. On January 8, I called MR again and switched my 2012 airline to Southwest. On January 9, I bought 3 $50 Southwest gift certificates in a single transaction. Today that $150 charge was reimbursed.
So I had $150 left. On January 8, I called MR again and switched my 2012 airline to Southwest. On January 9, I bought 3 $50 Southwest gift certificates in a single transaction. Today that $150 charge was reimbursed.
Jan 12, 2012, 11:30 am
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: IND
Programs: SPG Plat, WN CP, Many Others
Posts: 538
4x $50 WN gift cards purchased separate all reimbursed within 48 hours this year as well.
Jan 12, 2012, 2:06 pm
#41
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
2x$75 + 1x$50 gift cards; separate purchases; re-imbursed within about 2 days.
Now we have to decide whether or not to renew wife's Plat card.
Now we have to decide whether or not to renew wife's Plat card.
Jan 16, 2012, 12:22 am
#42
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 21
$100 x 2 SouthWest online giftcards purchased 1/11/12
Reimbursed -100 x 2 1/13/12
Reimbursed -100 x 2 1/13/12
Jan 16, 2012, 8:37 am
#43
Join Date: May 2011
Location: RTP, NC
Programs: Delta GM, Marriott Gold, SPG Platinum
Posts: 87
2 x $100 WN gift cards all reimbursed within 3 days of purchase.
1/9/2012 - Purchase $100 WN Gift Card
1/11/2012 - $100 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
1/12/2012 Purchase $100 WN Gift Card
1/14/2012 - $100 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
Thanks!
1/9/2012 - Purchase $100 WN Gift Card
1/11/2012 - $100 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
1/12/2012 Purchase $100 WN Gift Card
1/14/2012 - $100 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
Thanks!
Jan 16, 2012, 6:59 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 119
Hey guys.. the sticky thread on this forum was closed, but I am about to get the platinum card.. to confirm, I can purchase $200 of gift cards on southwest.com and Amex will reimburse the amount?
Jan 16, 2012, 7:21 pm
#45
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
$200 Airline Fee reimbursement reports WN/FL only.