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 10, 2018, 3:58 pm
#1111
Join Date: Jul 1999
Posts: 196
1/7 Purchased 1 $200 WN GC (Biz Plat)
1/9 Charge posted
1/10 $200 credit posted
1/9 Charge posted
1/10 $200 credit posted
Jan 11, 2018, 8:10 am
#1112
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PDX
Posts: 469
1/8 - Purchased 1 $200 WN E-gift card on my Amex Platinum
1/10 - $200 credit posted
1/10 - $200 credit posted
Jan 12, 2018, 9:42 am
#1113
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: BOS/PVD/BDL
Programs: PC Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold,HHonors Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite
Posts: 726
1/9- Purchased $200 E-gift card
1/11- $200 credit posted.
1/11- $200 credit posted.
Jan 13, 2018, 11:07 am
#1114
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4
I forgot to switch the airline credit benefit to SW before purchasing the gift cards. Is there any data point on people getting the reimbursement if they bought the gift cards first, and then switching the airline?
Jan 13, 2018, 5:10 pm
#1115
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 60
I am really worried. Switched my Amex Plat Biz card to Southwest for Airline Incidentals. Then, I purchase $200 e-gift card on 1/10 (same day as switch). Purchase posted. But still no credit. :-(
Jan 14, 2018, 10:48 am
#1116
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
1/10 - $200 e-gift card using both personal and biz plat
1/13 - $200 reimbursement on both
1/13 - $200 reimbursement on both
Jan 14, 2018, 2:55 pm
#1117
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: DTW-VOHS/HYD
Programs: AMEX Platinum, SPG Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 14
1/12 - Switched Platinum card to Southwest.
1/12 - Bought $200 e-gift card (After receiving a confirmation email from AMEX).
1/12 - Purchased Southwest airline tickets for $275 ($200 e-gift card + $75 AMEX Platinum).
1/12 - $200 credit posted + $75 credit posted.
1/13 - Received $75 credit and nothing for the $200.
Technically speaking, I should not have received credit for $75 as it clearly shows on the AMEX website that it is towards my ticket with my name and flight details. The $200 e-gift card also got posted as a ticket but no flight info. It shows up as: Ticket Number: 526XXXXXXXXXX; Document Type: SPD/AIR FREIGHT
Jan 14, 2018, 8:13 pm
#1118
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Denver
Posts: 21
1/10 - purchased 1 x $200 WN e-gift card on my standard AMEX Platinum
1/13 - $200 credit posted
1/13 - $200 credit posted
Jan 15, 2018, 7:19 am
#1119
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,267
New Platinum card holder
1/12: Selected WN
1/12: Purchased 1x $200 GC from Southwest.com
1/14: GC purchase posted
1/15: $200 credit appeared in my account
1/12: Selected WN
1/12: Purchased 1x $200 GC from Southwest.com
1/14: GC purchase posted
1/15: $200 credit appeared in my account
Jan 16, 2018, 11:59 am
#1120
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Orchard Field
Posts: 1,421
1/12 Bought 1 of $200 WN giftcard
1/14 Reimbursement posted
1/14 Reimbursement posted
Jan 16, 2018, 10:41 pm
#1121
Join Date: May 2016
Location: NYC
Posts: 265
I also booked a flight that same day using the GC I purchased, a ~$32 regular charge was posted as airfare as expected, but my $200 charge posted as "Travel - Airline, Document Type: SPD/AIR FREIGHT" and I got 5x MR on it since it didn't get reimbursed.
As mentioned in this thread in the past, sometimes it takes longer for the reimbursement to appear if you book a flight on the same day. Mine didn't show up at all though and it's been about 12 days. I messaged a customer rep about this a week ago and they asked that I wait the full 14 days. If it still does not appear they will manually reimburse me. So I am waiting until the 18th to message them again to credit me. If all else fails I'll probably just buy another GC
Jan 17, 2018, 9:35 am
#1122
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: MCO
Posts: 92
1/9 Changed airline from DL to WN
1/13 Bought 1 x $200 gift card per link in the Wiki
1/15 Reimbursement posted
1/13 Bought 1 x $200 gift card per link in the Wiki
1/15 Reimbursement posted
Jan 18, 2018, 9:55 am
#1124
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,267
My 1x $200 GC also shows as SPD/Air Freight and has a ticket number listed but the credit posted without issue.
Jan 18, 2018, 5:12 pm
#1125
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 26
Damn that was a long 4 days. Purchased a $50 Southwest eGift Card on 1/14, took until 1/18 until the credit appeared. I switched my airline to Southwest on 1/5.