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)
#586
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Kansas City - MCI
Programs: AA Platinum-to-be, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 107
Bought 2 x $50 GC on southwest.com on Jan 2.
Reimbursed on Jan 7
Reimbursed on Jan 7
#587
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: FL, but want to Expatriate to SE Asia ASAP
Programs: WN,DL,AA,UA,B6,more!
Posts: 810
Bought 1x $200 eGift card at SW website on Jan 4. Credit posted Jan 6. All $200 in one shot.
#588
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 20
Bought one $100 ecard on Jan 2, reimbursement posted on Jan 4. Doing one more $100 purchase today (7th), will report back.
Edit: Second purchase (The one on the 7th) was reimbursed on Jan 10.
Edit: Second purchase (The one on the 7th) was reimbursed on Jan 10.
Last edited by burnedpixel; Jan 21, 2016 at 12:02 am
#590
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 27
Is the benefit for Amex Platinum each calendar year or every 12 months having the card? I signed up last summer and used my $200 successfully for SW, but I'm wondering whether I can do it again or if I have to wait another 6 months or so?
#591
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
#592
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: DL Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 37
Does anyone know if paying award taxes (especially for international awards) still counts? In previous years this was a great way to get a full $200 credit directly to the card by simply purchasing international award tickets, paying taxes with the platinum card, then redepositing the miles (requires sufficient status for free redeposits on the appropriate airline).
#593
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1
I don't know if its just the amount or if that was some sort of down time. I bought a $100 GC a few days after yours and still haven't had it reimbursed while another one that I bought on 12/26 was reimbursed on 12/29. I'll try chatting with them in a few days since it doesn't like its coming through.
#594
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: SW Prem&Plus, AMEX PLAT, CHASE Sap, Citi Prem
Posts: 5
Just Purchased 2 $99 on GCs today (1/8), hopefully i'll be able to give an update with good news in about a week!
#595
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: ONT/LAX
Programs: IHG Plat
Posts: 496
JAN 6
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 4
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 4
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
#596
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 191
Success! It took a while to show on the account (even though it shows Jan 9 for the credit, I didn't see it until today)
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
#597
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 43
Reporting the same as most others.
On three separate accounts.
JAN 10 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement -$200.00
JAN 7 SW AIR DALLAS TX $200.00
JAN 10 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement -$100.00
JAN 7 SW AIR DALLAS TX $100.00
JAN 10 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement -$100.00
JAN 7 SW AIR DALLAS TX $100.00
Even though it says the 10th, it didn't show up until the 12th.
On three separate accounts.
JAN 10 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement -$200.00
JAN 7 SW AIR DALLAS TX $200.00
JAN 10 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement -$100.00
JAN 7 SW AIR DALLAS TX $100.00
JAN 10 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement -$100.00
JAN 7 SW AIR DALLAS TX $100.00
Even though it says the 10th, it didn't show up until the 12th.
#598
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 6
Success for me as well:
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 9
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement
-$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
JAN 6
SW AIR DALLAS TX
$100.00
#599
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 731
Purchased $100 Southwest gift card on our two AMEX PRG cards on January 5th, by January 7th, received the $100 credit on both cards.
#600
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: DFW
Programs: Chase Sapphire Preferred, AMEX PRG
Posts: 24
New Amex PRG - First Transaction - Southwest Airlines
Jan 6.
SW AIR DALLAS
EarlyBird Check-in $12.50 x 4 = $50.00
Jan 9.
AMEX Airline Fee Credit - $12.50 x 4 = $50.00
Jan 6.
SW AIR DALLAS
EarlyBird Check-in $12.50 x 4 = $50.00
Jan 9.
AMEX Airline Fee Credit - $12.50 x 4 = $50.00