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)
#1036
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 2
PRG
12/4 - selected airline
12/5 - purchased $50 southwest e gift card
12/8 - $50 credit
12/9 - purchased $50 southwest e gift card
Still waiting on the 2nd credit to post...will update when it does
12/4 - selected airline
12/5 - purchased $50 southwest e gift card
12/8 - $50 credit
12/9 - purchased $50 southwest e gift card
Still waiting on the 2nd credit to post...will update when it does
#1037
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 12
Applied two platinum cards at the same time (one Ameriprise with no fee).
12/5 - Received first card, selected WN, bought $200 gift card
12/6 - Received second card, selected WN, bought $200 gift card
12/8 - $200 credit posted on first card
as of 12/14, still no credit on second card. Looking at DP from #1036 , looks like Amex is taking longer to process credit again.
12/5 - Received first card, selected WN, bought $200 gift card
12/6 - Received second card, selected WN, bought $200 gift card
12/8 - $200 credit posted on first card
as of 12/14, still no credit on second card. Looking at DP from #1036 , looks like Amex is taking longer to process credit again.
#1038
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BOS
Posts: 588
The 2017 selection carries over to 2018. If you buy more Southwest giftcards in early January they should be automatically reimbursed, but you will still probably be able to change the selection later in January. I would review posts in the other thread from Jan/Feb 2017 because I have a vague tickle that someone did something similar last year.
Seems like last year people were able to use airline fee credit and then switch to a different airline.
#1039
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 16
Purchased $125 evening of 12/10 - Posted sometime today on 12/14
#1040
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Orance County, CA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Gold, IHG Platinum,
Posts: 8
American Express Personal Platinum (Ameriprise)
12/11: Set Southwest for airline fee credit.
12/11: Bought one $200 Southwest (e)gift card.
12/14: American Express $200 airline fee credit processed.
12/11: Set Southwest for airline fee credit.
12/11: Bought one $200 Southwest (e)gift card.
12/14: American Express $200 airline fee credit processed.
#1041
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 171
12/5 opened new MB Plat
12/11 8 am chose Southwest as my selected airline
12/11 3 pm purchased one $200 physical SW gift card ($202.95 including shipping fee)
12/12 charge posted to my account
12/15 $200 credit posted (plus 5x MR bonus that I hadn't even thought about)
Will repeat again in two weeks
12/11 8 am chose Southwest as my selected airline
12/11 3 pm purchased one $200 physical SW gift card ($202.95 including shipping fee)
12/12 charge posted to my account
12/15 $200 credit posted (plus 5x MR bonus that I hadn't even thought about)
Will repeat again in two weeks
#1042
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1
Southwest Gift Card App
12/17: Selected SW Airlines
12/17: Purchased $100 gift card
standing by...
12/17: Purchased $100 gift card
standing by...
#1043
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
Just switched my airline from United to Southwest, even though I spent $25 on united baggage, earlier this year.
Just bought $175 gift card from Southwest 12/18/17
We will see what happens!
UPDATE:
Amex reimbursement $175 dated 12/20 received on 12/21
Just bought $175 gift card from Southwest 12/18/17
We will see what happens!
UPDATE:
Amex reimbursement $175 dated 12/20 received on 12/21
Last edited by hamburgl4r; Dec 21, 2017 at 6:14 am Reason: updated:
#1044
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 10
100$ Southwest gift card posted Dec 13th
100$ AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement posted Dec 16th
Planning to buy another 100$ tomorrow.
100$ AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement posted Dec 16th
Planning to buy another 100$ tomorrow.
#1045
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,566
early in the thread history there were reports that early bird boarding access was a qualifying purchase for reimbursement. is that still true?
#1047
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1
12/14/17 - 11am - selected SW as preferred airline
12/14/17 - 12 pm - purchased $100 SW e-gift card
12/16/17 - purchased another $100 SW e-gift card
12/18/17 - $100 Reimbursement from AMEX
12/19/17 - $100 Reimbursement from AMEX
12/14/17 - 12 pm - purchased $100 SW e-gift card
12/16/17 - purchased another $100 SW e-gift card
12/18/17 - $100 Reimbursement from AMEX
12/19/17 - $100 Reimbursement from AMEX
#1048
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1
PRG
12/13 selected SW as preferred airline
12/13 purchase 100 e-gift card
Still not got any reimbursement.
12/13 selected SW as preferred airline
12/13 purchase 100 e-gift card
Still not got any reimbursement.
#1049
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Diners Club
Posts: 35
I'm the same as WeiCheng Hsu.
PRG
12/12 Selected SW as airline
12/12 Purchased 100 e-gift card
Nothing yet, it usually has posted by now...
PRG
12/12 Selected SW as airline
12/12 Purchased 100 e-gift card
Nothing yet, it usually has posted by now...
#1050
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: DSM
Programs: HH Gold / WN CP
Posts: 32
12/15 applied and approved for Amex platinum
12/18 received card, selected WN for $200 Airline Fee Credit
12/18 ordered 2 x $100 WN e-giftcards
12/21 $200 Fee Credit posts with date of 12/20
12/18 received card, selected WN for $200 Airline Fee Credit
12/18 ordered 2 x $100 WN e-giftcards
12/21 $200 Fee Credit posts with date of 12/20