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)
Sep 8, 2018, 12:53 pm
#1261
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: HSV
Posts: 9
AmEx Plat
Sep 5 - Southwest 1 x $200
Sep 7 - Amex $200 reimbursement
Sep 5 - Southwest 1 x $200
Sep 7 - Amex $200 reimbursement
Sep 9, 2018, 9:56 am
#1262
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Boston
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 272
Hi all, tried to find this in the thread but couldn't find this here. If I buy $200 gift card from Southwest after designating Southwest in Amex, I understand that I will get reimbursed for the amount. I also wanted to know if the $200 purchase will code as 5X MR points?
PS: never mind I did find that GC purchases do code as 5X MR.
PS: never mind I did find that GC purchases do code as 5X MR.
Last edited by ksingh0311; Sep 9, 2018 at 10:04 am
Sep 12, 2018, 11:16 am
#1263
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO
Posts: 266
hi everyone. I know that buying e-gift cards is the slam dunk way of redeeming for the credit at WN. Does anyone know if I purchase points on WN whether it'll code correctly and provide for reimbursement? I got a targeted offer for a 40% points bonus when I purchase a certain amount and I figure it's a good value for me to buy points instead of cards.
Sep 12, 2018, 2:50 pm
#1264
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 288
You would still come out ahead buying gift cards, and using them for flights. They charge you an insane markup for points vs what they are worth. Even giving you 40% bonus points still makes points more expensive than using a gift card to purchase a flight.
Sep 15, 2018, 4:15 pm
#1265
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, JB Mosaic, SW AList + CP
Posts: 383
aspire card, picked southwest on sept 9th
bought 1x200, 1x50 posted sept 10
reimbursed 2 days later
bought 1x200, 1x50 posted sept 10
reimbursed 2 days later
Sep 16, 2018, 8:10 am
#1266
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: American Express Platinum Rewards
Posts: 3
Southwest Airlines GC Purchase
Has anyone purchased SW GC lately and get credited from AX? if so, how long did it take to get the credit?
Sep 16, 2018, 3:25 pm
#1267
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
Not if you tell them it was a for a gift card as those are technically not reimbursable expenses. If you do call in, better get creative when characterizing the expense.
Sep 17, 2018, 7:55 am
#1268
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 4
Amex Biz Plat
Sept 10 - Designated Southwest as airline
Sept 10 - Purchased $200 gift card with link in original post
Sept 13 - Credited $200 for "airline fee reimbursement"
Sept 10 - Designated Southwest as airline
Sept 10 - Purchased $200 gift card with link in original post
Sept 13 - Credited $200 for "airline fee reimbursement"
Sep 17, 2018, 11:46 am
#1269
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: American Express Platinum Rewards
Posts: 3
Sep 19, 2018, 4:56 am
#1270
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 133
Amex Hilton Aspire
9/14: Enrolled as Southwest
9/14: Purchased $250 Southwest e-giftcard an hour after enrolling
9/17: Credited: $250
9/14: Enrolled as Southwest
9/14: Purchased $250 Southwest e-giftcard an hour after enrolling
9/17: Credited: $250
Sep 21, 2018, 8:45 pm
#1271
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Boston
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 272
Platinum Card.
9/10: Enrolled as Southwest
9/10: A few hours later purchased two $100 e-giftcards
9/14: Benefit meter indicated that I had used my airline credit for this calendar year
9/15: Received $200 statement credit.
9/10: Enrolled as Southwest
9/10: A few hours later purchased two $100 e-giftcards
9/14: Benefit meter indicated that I had used my airline credit for this calendar year
9/15: Received $200 statement credit.
Sep 21, 2018, 8:48 pm
#1272
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,963
Sep 22, 2018, 3:45 pm
#1274
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,963