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 24, 2018, 8:47 am
#1141
Join Date: May 2008
Location: DEN
Posts: 184
Jan 19 - changed from UA to WN
Jan 20 - purchased $100 WN gift card
Jan 22 - posted on AMEX
Jan 24 - $100 reimbursement posted
Jan 20 - purchased $100 WN gift card
Jan 22 - posted on AMEX
Jan 24 - $100 reimbursement posted
Jan 24, 2018, 8:53 am
#1142
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 258
Jan 22- changed to WN
Jan 22- purchased $200 GC (hours after switch/email confirmation)
Today (Jan 24th) charge moved from pending to posted with a Jan 22 date
No reimbursement yet :/
Jan 22- purchased $200 GC (hours after switch/email confirmation)
Today (Jan 24th) charge moved from pending to posted with a Jan 22 date
No reimbursement yet :/
Jan 24, 2018, 11:56 am
#1143
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2
check with amex if you don't see credit in a few weeks...but I'm sure you'll see it in a few days!
Jan 24, 2018, 12:03 pm
#1144
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2
Jan 18 - switched to WN
Jan 21 - bought $50 GC
Jan 23 - charge posted with date of Jan 21
Jan 24 - credit posted
Jan 21 - bought $50 GC
Jan 23 - charge posted with date of Jan 21
Jan 24 - credit posted
Jan 24, 2018, 8:53 pm
#1145
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 33
Aspire $250 GC
I just set up Southwest for my choice airline and received the confirmation email. Should I wait a day or so before I purchase a $200 gift card? Also I will be using my Aspire which is the new Amex card that has this as a benefit. Is there any reason to think that this sort of transaction would be different for different Amex cards with this benefit or do they all pretty much have the same end result since they are all Amex?
Jan 25, 2018, 7:30 am
#1146
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 258
I went ahead and just bought one for $200 later the same day. The charge posted 1-22 and the reimbursement hit this morning with a posted date of 1-24. Whoop Whoop!
Jan 25, 2018, 12:19 pm
#1147
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 1
Some good news to report if you are having one of those "I need more coffee" days --
I opened an AmEx Platinum in January (new to this -- wish I would have done so in Dec to double dip but oh well).
Jan 22 - bought a SW $50 electronic gc
Jan 22 (approx 5 min later) - doh! did not select my airline partner at AmEx
Jan 22 (1 min later) - selected SW as my airline at AmEx
Jan 22 (after confirmation email from AmEx) - purchased a 2nd SW $50 electronic gc
Jan 25 - account credited for BOTH $50 charges
meaning that if you act quickly you might be able to still get reimbursed if you muck up the proper order here!
(Sure, doing it right the first time is probably preferable, but worth a go if you're already past that point)
I opened an AmEx Platinum in January (new to this -- wish I would have done so in Dec to double dip but oh well).
Jan 22 - bought a SW $50 electronic gc
Jan 22 (approx 5 min later) - doh! did not select my airline partner at AmEx
Jan 22 (1 min later) - selected SW as my airline at AmEx
Jan 22 (after confirmation email from AmEx) - purchased a 2nd SW $50 electronic gc
Jan 25 - account credited for BOTH $50 charges
meaning that if you act quickly you might be able to still get reimbursed if you muck up the proper order here!
(Sure, doing it right the first time is probably preferable, but worth a go if you're already past that point)
Jan 25, 2018, 1:30 pm
#1148
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,948
Jan 20: changed airline to WN
Jan 20: Purchased 2x $100 GC
Jan 21: posted to plat
Jan 23: credits posted
Jan 20: Purchased 2x $100 GC
Jan 21: posted to plat
Jan 23: credits posted
Jan 26, 2018, 5:57 pm
#1150
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 258
I did not go the whole $250 (I didn't want to chance messing anything up and I have not seen any reports of anyone doing anything over $200) so I went with $200 using my Aspire and no issues at all with it going though and being reimbursed.
Jan 26, 2018, 6:04 pm
#1151
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: MSY
Programs: DL
Posts: 50
I'll be the guinea pig.
1/26 - $250 GC purchased...will report back.
1/26 - $250 GC purchased...will report back.
Jan 30, 2018, 5:58 am
#1153
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: MSY
Programs: DL
Posts: 50
The $250 credit for the Aspire posted.
1/26 purchased $250 SW GC
1/26 purchased $250 SW GC
1/29 transaction posted
1/30 $250 reimbursement
1/30 $250 reimbursement
Feb 1, 2018, 6:24 am
#1155
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 3
Amex Platinum, set to WN on 1/29, $200 Southwest GC purchased on 1/29, $200 Fee reimbursed on 2/1.