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Gift card to buy points

johnjam101
Explorer A

Can you purchase points using SW Air gift cards?

6 REPLIES 6

Re: Gift card to buy points

dfwskier
Aviator A

Hello.

 

Gift cards my only be used to buy flights.

 

Even if you could use them to buy points, why would you want to do that? Points are worth about 1.7cents each (includes the elimination of taxes you would pay if you were paying cash). But it costs more than 1.7 cents/point to buy points.

Re: Gift card to buy points

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Without knowing more details about what you are trying to accomplish, that sounds like a HORRIBLE idea which will result in you paying much more for a flight. Don't buy points!

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Gift card to buy points

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

You got a motion, a second, and now a third.  You don't get the same return on your value to buy points with a gift card if it can be done.  

Re: Gift card to buy points

rich1954
Adventurer A

I know someone that purchased a flight with a gift, covid hit and they cancelled and never rebooked later. Travel funds expired, money lost.

Never would have happened booking with points.

Re: Gift card to buy points

dfwskier
Aviator A

@rich1954 wrote:

I know someone that purchased a flight with a gift, covid hit and they cancelled and never rebooked later. Travel funds expired, money lost.

Never would have happened booking with points.


 

An expired travel fund can b e converted to a voucher for the current fee of $100.

That could extend the expiration date of the fund  out to more than 11 months.

 

Two other points:

 

1) Purchased points normally cost more than they are worth when used to buy tickets.

So a point is worth about 1.6 cents plus or minus when using that point to buy a ticket. How much are you paying per point to buy that point? Likely a lot more than 1.6 cents.

 

2) Points don't earn points, but $ fares do.

Re: Gift card to buy points

jksobonya
Aviator A

Here are the Southwest Gift Card Terms and Conditions: 

 

https://www.southwest.com/html/air/products/gift-card-terms-and-conditions.html 

 

Some key points (see what I did there ;)) -- 

 

  • A Southwest gift card can be used for Passenger travel only on Southwest Airlines, excluding Southwest Airlines group tickets.
  • A Southwest gift card may only be redeemed at southwest.com, on the Southwest Airlines Mobile Apps and Mobile Website (only for initial flight booking), by calling Southwest Airlines at 1-800-435-9792 (1-800 I FLY SWA), or at Southwest Airlines ticket counter locations.
  • A Southwest gift card is not valid for the purchase of Southwest Airlines Vacation Packages, cargo, hotel, rental car, Southwest Airlines merchandise, Southwest Airlines group tickets, EarlyBird Check-In, oversized and excess baggage fees, upgraded boarding at the airport, Pet Fare, unaccompanied minor service charge, additional Southwest gift cards, or inflight purchases. Sales tax, security fees, and passenger facilities charges may be paid for with a Southwest gift card.

 

Ironically, bullet #3 does not say anything about purchasing points, however, bullet #1 says that gift cards can only be used for passenger travel, so it would seem that gift cards cannot be used to purchase points.

 

--Jessica