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)
Dec 8, 2016, 7:13 am
#736
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Dec 8, 2016, 7:42 am
#737
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 54
Did you set up southwest as your airline of choice BEFORE you purchased the gift cards?
Dec 8, 2016, 9:54 am
#738
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
PRG datapoint:
12/4: Set airline to WN
12/4: (~5 minutes later) Purchased 1 $64 e-gift card and 1 $36 e-gift card
12/4: Used $64 e-gift card + CSR for plane ticket
12/6: Gift card charges posted
12/8: Airline credits posted
12/4: Set airline to WN
12/4: (~5 minutes later) Purchased 1 $64 e-gift card and 1 $36 e-gift card
12/4: Used $64 e-gift card + CSR for plane ticket
12/6: Gift card charges posted
12/8: Airline credits posted
Dec 8, 2016, 11:54 am
#739
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 17
AMEX PLAT DP:
11/24: Applied for card - accepted
12/5: Set airline to WN
12/5: Purchased $100 e-gift card (1 hour later), purchased $50 e-gift card (1 hour 5 minutes later)
12/7: Gift card charges posted
12/8: Airline credits posted
11/24: Applied for card - accepted
12/5: Set airline to WN
12/5: Purchased $100 e-gift card (1 hour later), purchased $50 e-gift card (1 hour 5 minutes later)
12/7: Gift card charges posted
12/8: Airline credits posted
Dec 9, 2016, 8:16 am
#740
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 28
What is "WN" and how does that relate to Southwest gift card purchase?
Thanks
Dec 10, 2016, 11:22 am
#743
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1
12/5: Set airline to WN
12/5: Immediately purchased $100 e-gift card
12/6: Gift card charges showed as pending
12/7: Charge posted
No credit as of today 12/12.
Any suggestions? Should I try again with a smaller amount?
12/5: Immediately purchased $100 e-gift card
12/6: Gift card charges showed as pending
12/7: Charge posted
No credit as of today 12/12.
Any suggestions? Should I try again with a smaller amount?
Dec 11, 2016, 11:14 am
#744
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 8
DP success
Dec 5: changed airline from UA to WN via phone (denied via chat), week after opened the card
Dec 6: bought 2x$100 SW EGC back to back (a mistake actually, meant to break them apart by a day)
Dec 8: transactions posted as SW AIR DALLAS TX
Dec 10: both reimbursed
Dec 6: bought 2x$100 SW EGC back to back (a mistake actually, meant to break them apart by a day)
Dec 8: transactions posted as SW AIR DALLAS TX
Dec 10: both reimbursed
Dec 11, 2016, 3:33 pm
#745
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: AS,AA,JB, HH Gold, Starriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Explorist, Global Entry
Posts: 1,933
Give it a few more days, and reset your calendar, today's the 11th, Monday is the 12th.
Dec 12, 2016, 8:37 am
#746
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 17
Hi all - just wanted to throw another DP.
Applied on 11/23 via 100k leak.
Tried UA GR $200 on 12/03, $200 charge posted 12/05, waited til 12/09 w/o credit., doesn't look like it coded correctly to trigger reimbursement (via Plat's benefits tab, still shows $200 credit for 2016).
On 12/09, via chat, changed Carrier to WN. 12/10 purchased 2 SWA $100 GC via link in wiki. Charges posted as of 12/12 (dated 12/10/16). Will report back this week if 2x100 gets refunded. Thanks for this thread - very useful.
LATE EDIT 12/25/16: Travel Credit POSTED on 12/12. It's still alive! Definitely recommend doing the charges as two separate $100 tx's.
Applied on 11/23 via 100k leak.
Tried UA GR $200 on 12/03, $200 charge posted 12/05, waited til 12/09 w/o credit., doesn't look like it coded correctly to trigger reimbursement (via Plat's benefits tab, still shows $200 credit for 2016).
On 12/09, via chat, changed Carrier to WN. 12/10 purchased 2 SWA $100 GC via link in wiki. Charges posted as of 12/12 (dated 12/10/16). Will report back this week if 2x100 gets refunded. Thanks for this thread - very useful.
LATE EDIT 12/25/16: Travel Credit POSTED on 12/12. It's still alive! Definitely recommend doing the charges as two separate $100 tx's.
Last edited by outasflyguy; Dec 24, 2016 at 8:39 pm Reason: Card used was AmEx Plat.
Dec 13, 2016, 7:59 am
#747
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 54
DP: (Amex Plat - Leaked November application)
$25 SW GC posted on 12/7. No reimbursement.
$50 SW GC posted on 12/10. $50 credit posted 12/12.
$25 SW GC posted on 12/7. No reimbursement.
$50 SW GC posted on 12/10. $50 credit posted 12/12.
Last edited by travelin_lite; Dec 13, 2016 at 9:47 am Reason: Clarification
Dec 13, 2016, 8:15 am
#748
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1
DP:
Amex Plat newbie (not leaked link; targeted invite) trial $15 Early Bird posted and reimbursed so I bought $185 email gift card on 12/9; posted on 12/10 and reimbursement posted on 12/12.
Amex Plat newbie (not leaked link; targeted invite) trial $15 Early Bird posted and reimbursed so I bought $185 email gift card on 12/9; posted on 12/10 and reimbursement posted on 12/12.
Dec 14, 2016, 8:55 am
#749
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 4
Another DP:
Activated perk 12/12
Bought one $100 GC on 12/12
Posted 12/13, no reimbursement yet, but will update tomorrow.
EDIT: Finally took after I gave up, posted on the 20th.
Activated perk 12/12
Bought one $100 GC on 12/12
Posted 12/13, no reimbursement yet, but will update tomorrow.
EDIT: Finally took after I gave up, posted on the 20th.
Last edited by Niff441; Dec 23, 2016 at 10:25 am
Dec 15, 2016, 11:57 am
#750
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 60
12/11: posted $100 SW GC
12/15: no credit as of yet. Will keep updated.
12/15: no credit as of yet. Will keep updated.