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 5, 2013, 10:01 pm
#106
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 173
Please report back if you try the WN gift certs this year.
Jan 7, 2013, 2:16 am
#107
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 769
If you call in, the rep will often credit the fee manually. Did this for flight purchases around ~$75 a couple times. Hassle, but I was $80 away from hitting the $200, so it was the only way this past year
Jan 7, 2013, 10:27 pm
#108
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Posts: 2,731
To follow up on my earlier post, I did ultimately get credited for my egift card purchases. I figured if they were denying the charges because of what they were for, then they could just come right out and say so. So after the three weeks were up, I sent another message. I got a very brief, polite response from a rep apologizing for the credit not clearing already and that he would go ahead and credit my account.
Because of the language used in the messages, I got the feeling that they knew I was trying to get away with something, and that they'd let it go this time, but the jig is up. It's possible I'm being paranoid.
I am planning to switch to another airline with more options for using the credit.
Because of the language used in the messages, I got the feeling that they knew I was trying to get away with something, and that they'd let it go this time, but the jig is up. It's possible I'm being paranoid.
I am planning to switch to another airline with more options for using the credit.
Jan 9, 2013, 2:06 pm
#109
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1
GC reimbursement for Southwest
Trying to pick between Southwest and US Air. Would prefer Southwest GC's - but they seem to be hit/miss as compared to USAir. Would love hear other opinions b4 I pick an airline and commit. TIA.
Last edited by oviedo1352; Jan 9, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Jan 10, 2013, 2:55 pm
#110
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Laguna Beach, CA
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 363
Purchased $50 GC on 1/4, still nothing posted yet. From other threads, credits generally post within 5 days or so.
Maybe I could call and talk my way into a credit but I'm not going to bother. I'll give it a couple days and if nothing posts, I'll just switch to another airline.
Maybe I could call and talk my way into a credit but I'm not going to bother. I'll give it a couple days and if nothing posts, I'll just switch to another airline.
Jan 10, 2013, 6:17 pm
#111
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
Jan 8 purchase for me and I'll report back. Nothing yet. $25 charge only
Jan 10, 2013, 8:28 pm
#112
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AmEx Platinum MR, Delta, Southwest, UA, AA
Posts: 16
Just enrolled in Southwest and my plan is to purchase four $50 gift cards, one each month, for the next four months. Hope this .... works.
Jan 11, 2013, 4:42 am
#113
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Delta Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 363
I purchased a $50 GC in November and was not reimbursed.
Jan 12, 2013, 9:31 am
#114
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AmEx Platinum MR, Delta, Southwest, UA, AA
Posts: 16
Would someone please help to compile a list of all officially ELIGIBLE Southwest fees? I am very hopeful that purchasing gift cards will be reimbursed, but if it isn't, I still want to take advantage of this by paying for things and having them be reimbursed. If I remember, they don't take credit cards for drinks/etc during flights at all, right? So what is actually eligible given that fees are few and far between on Southwest?
Jan 12, 2013, 11:41 am
#115
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: CO, UA, AA, WN, DL Gold
Posts: 2,981
It is explicit in the TOS you can change airlines in January of the new year.
Jan 12, 2013, 4:29 pm
#116
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AmEx Platinum MR, Delta, Southwest, UA, AA
Posts: 16
Jan 13, 2013, 2:18 am
#117
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Laguna Beach, CA
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 363
@flytoski, WN only takes credit cards and vouchers for drinks. I would think that drinks and Wifi, which I think is charged by Southwest, would qualify. Personally, with no baggage or change fees I would find it hard to spend $200 on incidentals.
Jan 13, 2013, 12:00 pm
#118
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AmEx Platinum MR, Delta, Southwest, UA, AA
Posts: 16
I know, I meant that I could have a free test to see if my gift card purchase would be reimbursed since I was defaulted to WN from the year before. I bought a GC while still linked to WN but since Amex no longer reimburses gift cards, I haven't used my benefit. Based on that I went ahead and switched to UA and got a GC from them.
@flytoski, WN only takes credit cards and vouchers for drinks. I would think that drinks and Wifi, which I think is charged by Southwest, would qualify. Personally, with no baggage or change fees I would find it hard to spend $200 on incidentals.
@flytoski, WN only takes credit cards and vouchers for drinks. I would think that drinks and Wifi, which I think is charged by Southwest, would qualify. Personally, with no baggage or change fees I would find it hard to spend $200 on incidentals.
Last edited by flytoski; Jan 13, 2013 at 12:56 pm
Jan 15, 2013, 12:33 pm
#119
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 24
I charged $50 for a Southwest Gift Card which posted on 1/12 and a credit showed up on 1/14. I just realized you can only use 3 gift cards per ticket, so I am just tried a $75 purchase and hope that gets reimbursed as well.
Jan 16, 2013, 2:10 am
#120
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Laguna Beach, CA
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 363
Interesting. My $50 WN gift card didn't get reimbursed for a week, so I switched my carrier to UA and got a $200 card which was reimbursed in 2 days.