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)
Jul 27, 2018, 10:17 am
#1246
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Amex and Chase
Posts: 5
Interestingly I just checked my benefits page to make sure that I selected southwest for the credit and it shows $50 being used on a meter of the $200 even though the credit has not been posted in my statements.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but make sure to check the benefit page and then the $200 credit as it looks to appear first there before the statement page although I will report later.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but make sure to check the benefit page and then the $200 credit as it looks to appear first there before the statement page although I will report later.
Aug 2, 2018, 5:25 pm
#1247
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,363
Aug 3, 2018, 12:42 pm
#1248
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 1
8/3/18 Still works!
AMEX Platinum
$50 GC Bought on 6/29, credit posted 7/2
$150 GC Bought on 7/30, credit posted 8/3
$50 GC Bought on 6/29, credit posted 7/2
$150 GC Bought on 7/30, credit posted 8/3
Aug 3, 2018, 2:56 pm
#1249
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Spokane Valley, Wa
Posts: 17
AmEx Hilton Aspire
$50 GC bought on July 14th , credit posted July 17th
$100 GC bought on July 19th, credit posted July 22nd
$100 GC bought on July 28th, credit posted July 31st
$50 GC bought on July 14th , credit posted July 17th
$100 GC bought on July 19th, credit posted July 22nd
$100 GC bought on July 28th, credit posted July 31st
Aug 7, 2018, 11:06 am
#1250
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nashville
Posts: 76
No problems
Bought 2 $100 certificates a few days apart reimbursed quickly Amex Plat
Aug 9, 2018, 4:14 pm
#1251
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 7
8/5 - $100 gift cards
8/8 - $100 Airline Fee Reimbursement
8/8 - $100 Airline Fee Reimbursement
Aug 10, 2018, 1:22 am
#1252
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: LAX/SFO
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Fortune Wings Club Gold
Posts: 356
Amex Biz Plat
8/5 - $200 egift via link
8/8 - $200 Airline Fee Reimbursement
8/5 - $200 egift via link
8/8 - $200 Airline Fee Reimbursement
Aug 16, 2018, 8:27 am
#1253
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 1
AMEX Hilton Aspire
8/11 - Set Southwest for reimbursement benefit
8/13 - $250 e-gift card Southwest
8/16 - $250 Airline Fee Reimbursement
8/11 - Set Southwest for reimbursement benefit
8/13 - $250 e-gift card Southwest
8/16 - $250 Airline Fee Reimbursement
Aug 18, 2018, 10:58 am
#1254
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 1,752
Amex Platinum
2x Early Bird Check In reimbursed $30
More interesting is that you have to pay $5.60 on a companion pass ticket. I had 4x companion pass fees reimbursed.
2x Early Bird Check In reimbursed $30
More interesting is that you have to pay $5.60 on a companion pass ticket. I had 4x companion pass fees reimbursed.
Aug 18, 2018, 3:34 pm
#1255
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 62
I have the Apire card and have previously purchased gift cards, which were reimbursed without any issues. However, I thought it might be helpful to point a few things out.
-When you go to purchase tickets with those gift cards, the $5.60/per person each way fees are not able to be paid with the gift card. My assumption is that if you had remaining credit available, those would be reimbursed if you paid them with the Aspire card. So, next year I won't put the full $250 on gift cards and will save some room to cover those fees. Same thing applies to EarlyBird CheckIn.
-On a recent flight, I purchased an inflight movie as well as a cocktail. The drink was reimbursed a couple days later. The movie was not reimbursed. Seems funny that the credit works great on gift cards but when you use it on incidentals like it is intended, it doesn't work (for the movies).
-A tip for families: if you are like me booking a trip for a family with a combination of airline miles and these newly acquired gift cards, make sure you use the miles on your younger children (where accruing miles doesn't matter) then use the gift cards to purchase tickets for you and your spouse so that you earn miles for the trip.
-When you go to purchase tickets with those gift cards, the $5.60/per person each way fees are not able to be paid with the gift card. My assumption is that if you had remaining credit available, those would be reimbursed if you paid them with the Aspire card. So, next year I won't put the full $250 on gift cards and will save some room to cover those fees. Same thing applies to EarlyBird CheckIn.
-On a recent flight, I purchased an inflight movie as well as a cocktail. The drink was reimbursed a couple days later. The movie was not reimbursed. Seems funny that the credit works great on gift cards but when you use it on incidentals like it is intended, it doesn't work (for the movies).
-A tip for families: if you are like me booking a trip for a family with a combination of airline miles and these newly acquired gift cards, make sure you use the miles on your younger children (where accruing miles doesn't matter) then use the gift cards to purchase tickets for you and your spouse so that you earn miles for the trip.
Aug 18, 2018, 3:41 pm
#1256
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
Aug 21, 2018, 7:49 am
#1257
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 1,752
Amex Platinum. I bought 2 one ways SFO-LAX and LAX-SFO on August 15.
August 18 both were fully reimbursed.
So, awesome.
August 18 both were fully reimbursed.
So, awesome.
Aug 23, 2018, 8:32 am
#1258
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 31
MS Platinum
Aug 19 - Southewst 1 x $200
Aug 21 - Amex fee reimbursement 1 x $200
Aug 19 - Southewst 1 x $200
Aug 21 - Amex fee reimbursement 1 x $200
Sep 2, 2018, 1:30 pm
#1259
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 254
Hello,
A couple months ago I upgraded my Amex Green card to a Premier Rewards Gold card (PRG) that has the $100 airline credit. I just wanted to make sure that Southwest is still working for the PRG card (I assume so, but mostly see Platinum notes here) and that there wouldn't be any issues just because I upgraded from the Green card? I'm guessing not.
Also, it's still once per calendar year, right? So I could get $100 WN GC this week and then another in January?
And the emailed GC from Southwest.com is what I should get, right? Thanks,
--Kyle
A couple months ago I upgraded my Amex Green card to a Premier Rewards Gold card (PRG) that has the $100 airline credit. I just wanted to make sure that Southwest is still working for the PRG card (I assume so, but mostly see Platinum notes here) and that there wouldn't be any issues just because I upgraded from the Green card? I'm guessing not.
Also, it's still once per calendar year, right? So I could get $100 WN GC this week and then another in January?
And the emailed GC from Southwest.com is what I should get, right? Thanks,
--Kyle
Sep 5, 2018, 4:44 pm
#1260
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 28
AmEx Biz Plat
Aug 30 - Southwest 1 x $200
Sep 1 - Amex fee reimbursement 1 x $200
Aug 30 - Southwest 1 x $200
Sep 1 - Amex fee reimbursement 1 x $200