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/$100 reimbursement reports: WN (2011-2019)
Jun 14, 2018, 11:57 am
#1216
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 6
6/11 100$/100$/100$/250$/50$ Southwest GC Purchase, 4 different CCs
6/14 No disbursement on any of the cards used
Will update if this changes.
6/14 No disbursement on any of the cards used
Will update if this changes.
Jun 16, 2018, 8:57 am
#1218
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1
Amex Gold
06/12 2x$50 Gift Cards
06/15 $100 Airline Fee Reimbursement
06/12 2x$50 Gift Cards
06/15 $100 Airline Fee Reimbursement
Jun 18, 2018, 4:33 pm
#1219
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 24
AMEX Platinum YASSSSS!!!
06/18 Set airline to Southwest
06/19 $100 GC
06/23 $100 Reimbursement
06/23 $100 GC
06/18 Set airline to Southwest
06/19 $100 GC
06/23 $100 Reimbursement
06/23 $100 GC
Last edited by cueball73; Jun 23, 2018 at 12:09 pm
Jun 21, 2018, 11:42 am
#1220
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: hhonors gold, priority club plat
Posts: 20
Amex Hilton Aspire
6/4 Set airline to Southwest
6/4 $50 GC
6/7 $50 reimbursement
6/7 $100 GC
6/7 $100 GC
6/10 $100 reimbursement
6/10 $100 reimbursement
6/4 Set airline to Southwest
6/4 $50 GC
6/7 $50 reimbursement
6/7 $100 GC
6/7 $100 GC
6/10 $100 reimbursement
6/10 $100 reimbursement
Jun 23, 2018, 4:02 pm
#1221
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K on final to 2MM
Posts: 144
Retained Value of Gift Card
If i purchase a $200 gift card and subsequently buy a ticket that cost less than $200 will I be able to use the remaining balance in the future? thanks.
Jun 25, 2018, 8:49 am
#1222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
Jun 26, 2018, 10:59 am
#1223
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1
Airline credit fee reimbursement for SW tickets purchases
caveat: long-time lurker + points aficionado - first time poster - please be gentle 
On 6/20, I called Amex to change the registered airline for my Business Platinum airline credit from United (because their gift registry is still broken) to Southwest. I know you can only change officially in January, but they were very accommodating. Then, I purchased a $200 gift from the SW website. I also purchased one SW ticket for $295 (using the gift card + $95 on the Amex Bus Plat card) and a second SW ticket for $295 (using a $200 SW refund credit + $95 on the Amex Bus Plat card) . Each purchase (200+95+95) coded on the Amex website as Southwest Airlines Dallas TX. I worried that the gift card would not be reimbursed as my airline fee credit.
Imagine my surprise, when two days later, I saw three "AMEX AIRLINE FEE REIMBURSEMENT" posts for 95 + 95 + 10. From my perspective, Amex actually gave me credit for the direct SW ticket purchases. I can't wait to try this again without any other credits as a test. I'm loving the value I get from my Amex cards.
On 6/20, I called Amex to change the registered airline for my Business Platinum airline credit from United (because their gift registry is still broken) to Southwest. I know you can only change officially in January, but they were very accommodating. Then, I purchased a $200 gift from the SW website. I also purchased one SW ticket for $295 (using the gift card + $95 on the Amex Bus Plat card) and a second SW ticket for $295 (using a $200 SW refund credit + $95 on the Amex Bus Plat card) . Each purchase (200+95+95) coded on the Amex website as Southwest Airlines Dallas TX. I worried that the gift card would not be reimbursed as my airline fee credit.
Imagine my surprise, when two days later, I saw three "AMEX AIRLINE FEE REIMBURSEMENT" posts for 95 + 95 + 10. From my perspective, Amex actually gave me credit for the direct SW ticket purchases. I can't wait to try this again without any other credits as a test. I'm loving the value I get from my Amex cards.
Jun 29, 2018, 6:16 pm
#1224
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Fly out of SFO...Fly into your heart..aww
Programs: DL Plat, Marriott Plat, Hertz Pres. Circle
Posts: 9
06/24 Set airline to Southwest
06/25 $200 GC
06/29 $200 Reimbursement
06/25 $200 GC
06/29 $200 Reimbursement
Jul 6, 2018, 6:03 pm
#1225
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 9
Deleted
Last edited by chart006; Jul 7, 2018 at 8:09 am
Jul 6, 2018, 6:30 pm
#1226
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
Welcome to Flyertalk. 09 JUL 19 is in the future. When did you register Southwest as your carrier, and when did you buy the giftcard?
Jul 6, 2018, 6:31 pm
#1227
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
Seriously, though, did you select Southwest Airlines as your airline of choice prior to making the purchase?
Jul 6, 2018, 6:34 pm
#1228
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 9
I got the 200 Dollar Southwest Gift Card on 30 JUN 18, now it is 06 JUL 18, still nothing. May not work or they are taking longer for me than the others.
Last edited by chart006; Jul 6, 2018 at 6:43 pm Reason: I'm sorry I was full of typos.
Jul 6, 2018, 6:41 pm
#1229
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
When did the transaction change from pending to posted? That's when the clock starts running.