For anyone seeking more info, there are quite a few forums online dedicated to "manufactured spending," which offer news of specific offers, and discuss the advantages -- and also the risks -- involved. When it comes to Southwest specifically, keep in mind that using a Southwest gift card comes with some limitations worth considering. Never use one to buy a "refundable" fare, since you can't get a refund to a gift card (even if within the first 24 hours on a WGA fare) -- all "refunds" become travel funds. Also, gift cards themselves are non-refundable, can't be replaced if lost or stolen, it's impossible to combine gift card amounts together, and the Southwest payment system limits gift cards to a maximum of three per passenger on each reservation, or two if you need to also apply a credit card. If you're able to reduce the "cost" of a Southwest gift card through manufactured spending they can be worth using, but only if the limitations won't affect you. Otherwise, I generally do not recommend using them. Here are the full terms and conditions.
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