Target now sells Southwest gift cards - use RedCard for 5%?

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

I used this method to purchase airline tickets for the way down to Disney yesterday (our return ticket dates haven't been released yet) and thought I would share my experience here in case it was helpful to anyone else.

I purchased a $800 Target gift e-card from Raise for $760 (they do sometimes have them listed for steeper discounts. I have seen some of the bigger ones up to 7.3% off but, alas, this was the best available at the time). I purchased the card at 1:43p and at 2:50p the ecard was delivered to my Raise account.

I then used that $800 gift card to buy $800 worth of Southwest $100 gift e-cards from Target. I had my RedCard as my default form of payment so the cards only cost $760. I still have $40 left on my target gift card which I will use towards buying more SouthWest gift cards when it is time to buy our return tickets or to get Disney gift cards. Target only allows you to buy 6 SouthWest gift cards per order but I was able to make two separate orders pretty much back-to-back. I purchased the SW gift cards at 3:35p and the ecards where delivered at 4:18p.

Each $100 southwest e-card is separate, so it can be kind of confusing. I guess you could print off each one but I had followed someone else's advice and saved each as a pdf, numbering them (SW1, SW2, SW3, etc.). From the southwest website I searched for a flight for six people (I wanted to make sure to buy tickets from a plane that still had six seats left so we were all on the same flight). Since SW only allows you to use four forms of payment (each individual gift card counts as a separate form of payment) Once I found the flight, I changed the order to two people. The total for the two tickets was $260.20. I used three of my $100. I then repeated the process, the next time using four gift cards (the small gift card with only $31.80 from my last order and then three of the $100) and then again using my last three gift cards (my giftcard that had $63.60 on it from the last order + two $100 gift cards) and then my credit card for the remaining $4.60.

By doing this, I saved $80 off our airline tickets. If I can do about the same for our return flight, that will be at least another $80. Definitely worth it, IMO.

Good job We usually have enough SWA RR points to travel with, however we are one person short for the WDW trip this Oct. As I mentioned previously I also did the Raise at 7-8% off Target, then turned around and purchased 2x$100 SWA gift cards online and plan to use them with the next released date. Also for the Raise purchase, my SWA RR card is my method of payment so I'm also earning RR points while doing this

Heather

 

[nalajms]

Totally wished I purchased our summer tickets separately. I had used 4 GC to pay for the flight there, then 3 GC + rest of CC for the return flight, just to make things easier at checkin. The price for our return trip went down for the first 2 adults.... but there's no way for me to "change my flight" to get that lower price because we're all on the same reservation. Also, it's listed at $241 for 3+ adults, but when I go into change my flight the price jumps up to $247! Weird!

 

[ThisIsJason]

There is a way to use more than 4 SW gift cards per transaction. Kinda. What you do is enter 3 or 4 of them and book a fight. Any flight. Within 24 hours, cancel the fight. That money is then placed on your account as a credit for one total amount (3 $100 GC are now 1 $300 credit). Rinse and repeat as many times as needed. Then book the flight(s) you need. I haven't done this (didn't know about it at the time, I book each way separate) but a co-worker has done it two or three times.

 

[nalajms]

Any flight. Within 24 hours, cancel the fight. That money is then placed on your account as a credit for one total amount (3 $100 GC are now 1 $300 credit).

Are you sure it's 24 hr? I've canceled flights booked on a CC within 24 hr and they are refunded to the CC.

Also, it warns you that there's no guarantee the credits will be immediately in your account. Anyone know how quickly you can use the credit?

 

[ThisIsJason]

Are you sure it's 24 hr? I've canceled flights booked on a CC within 24 hr and they are refunded to the CC.

Also, it warns you that there's no guarantee the credits will be immediately in your account. Anyone know how quickly you can use the credit?

Pretty sure Southwest policy is 24 hours to cancel without penalty. They are going to refund a CC charge to a CC. GC stay on your account for whatever reason. They become ticketless funds, which then expire 1 year from the original booking date. The credit isn't immediate, but shows up within 24 hours. This isn't something you would do the day of. You would have to do it over a period of a week or even weeks.

EDIT: Just got a email reply from her. Said she did this within the past 2 months to book flights for July. In total she applied 12 gift cards to her account.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Pretty sure Southwest policy is 24 hours to cancel without penalty. They are going to refund a CC charge to a CC. GC stay on your account for whatever reason. They become ticketless funds, which then expire 1 year from the original booking date. The credit isn't immediate, but shows up within 24 hours. This isn't something you would do the day of. You would have to do it over a period of a week or even weeks.

EDIT: Just got a email reply from her. Said she did this within the past 2 months to book flights for July. In total she applied 12 gift cards to her account.

I can vouch this is not the first time I've read of this "workaround". I'm honestly just too chicken to try it but again we usually use our SWA points and don't often have to buy tickets.

Heather

 

[newdeal]

I always book each way separately. Then if the fare drops, it's easier to change that part of the flight.

Its just as easy to rebook if the price changes one one leg even if you book it as a round trip.

 

[ThisIsJason]

I can vouch this is not the first time I've read of this "workaround". I'm honestly just too chicken to try it but again we usually use our SWA points and don't often have to buy tickets.

Heather

Same with me. When she first told me about it I really thought about doing it but in the end chickened out. Just did two one-way trips instead.

 

[achang2001]

I got the Chase Ink Bold card 2 years ago. It came w/ 50,000pts which I deposited into SW Rapid Rewards but you get 5x the points for office store purchases so I go and buy Disney GCs and SW GCs and get 5x the pts! I purchased $3000 worth to pay my DVC dues and $1000 per trip this year (& we have taken 3 one week trips in the last 8 mths). This is my main CC I use and pay off every month. I have 182,000 pts and we redeemed points for 8 RT TIX FROM Austin TX this year. Though it's not as great as the companion pass, it is a good way to get free airline travel! I also buy Home Depot, Nordstrom, Macy's, Bath and body works, and bed, bath and beyond GCs if I am planning on going to those stores anyways...

 

[mjallemand]

It didn't even occur to me that Target would sell Southwest e-gift cards online. Looks like I'll start a file folder in my desk and purchase and print up $100 e-gift cards as my perk points hit the right amount.

 

[mjallemand]

So here's a (possibly stupid) question, since I don't fly very often:

What's the easiest scenario to deal with logistically? (Dealing with tickets, Magical Express, etc.)

We always go for the cheap seats, so ballpark price on flights is usually $140 per ticket per person, but let's bump that up to $150 to take into account taxes and whatnot. It's only going to be my girlfriend and I, and With a maximum of three usable gift cards in one transactions, it's a maximum possible $300 off each transaction, so here's the booking arrangement possibilities:

Option 1:
Book departure and return flights at the same time; one transaction for the entire trip.
Departing Flight: ($150 + $150) $300
Returning Flight ($150 + $150) $300
Total: $600
- $300
$300 out of Pocket

Option 2:
Book departure flights and return flights separately on two transactions.
Transaction One:
Departing Flight: ($150 + $150) $300
Total: $300
-$300
$0 out of Pocket

Transaction Two:
Returning Flight: ($150 + $150) $300
Total: $300
-$300
$0 out of Pocket

Option 3:
Book departure and return flights at the same time, separately for each passenger.
Transaction One, Passenger One:
Departing Flight: $150
Returning Flight $150
Total: $300
- $300
$0 out of Pocket

Transaction Two, Passenger Two:
Departing Flight: $150
Returning Flight $150
Total: $300
- $300
$0 out of Pocket

Hopefully that's easier to read and understand than it was to write out.

Is there any reason one option is preferable to the other in regards to paperwork and keeping track of things? Will Magical Express be able to print up our boarding passes if our departing and returning flights are book separately or individually without issue?

 

[msquoted]

We went ahead and did a version of Option 2 for ourselves (except we were booking for 6 people so we did three transactions for our departing flights and then, when our returning dates are released, we will do three transactions for the return flight). Now, the main reason I did it this way is because I couldn't do option 3 yet. But also, I thought it may be easier to make changes to one part of the trip without effecting the other part. I may be wrong, it may not make any difference. I do think options 2 and 3 are better than #1. Good luck!

 

[supersnoop]

Is there any reason one option is preferable to the other in regards to paperwork and keeping track of things? Will Magical Express be able to print up our boarding passes if our departing and returning flights are book separately or individually without issue?

Option 2 seems to save you the most money and will be easier to get both of you checked in with sequential boarding numbers.

 

[mjallemand]

Well, I'm ready to buy the Southwest gift cards for our trip and Target's site is currently out of stock on the $100 flavor.

****. Here's hoping they restock between now and May 14th.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Well, I'm ready to buy the Southwest gift cards for our trip and Target's site is currently out of stock on the $100 flavor.

****. Here's hoping they restock between now and May 14th.

I've been checking for at least the last 2 weeks and nothing yet!

 

[mjallemand]

I've been checking for at least the last 2 weeks and nothing yet!

Well this isn't good. I've got $200 worth of Target cards waiting to be converted into Southwest cards, and I'm working my way towards $300 (Though I probably won't make that by the 14th of May)

 

[mjallemand]

I guess worst-case scenario I'll nab three $50 Southwest Cards to apply to my flight and get the remaining in Disney gift cards. Better than nothing I suppose.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I guess worst-case scenario I'll nab three $50 Southwest Cards to apply to my flight and get the remaining in Disney gift cards. Better than nothing I suppose.

I was almost thinking of doing 4 different purchases but ehhhh... each flight for my husband and I is $117 each way. We'll see.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

$100 Southwest gift cards have been unavailable for about a month. Is this normal? How difficult is it to restock e-cards?

 

[mjallemand]

Looks like they have a $200 Gift Card in stock now.

http://www.target.com/p/southwest-airlines-200-email-delivery/-/A-17313531

This complicates things, as I've been planning on using Perk & Swagbucks points for Target cards and then put that into Southwest Cards. I've got $200 in gift cards now to convert to southwest, and I'm about halfway to that last $100, which would have made it simple: 3 $100 gift cards and the remainder paid on my credit card.

Now I can feasibly apply up to $600 in gift cards easily on one transaction, which will pay for almost the entire flight, but I 'm afraid to wait until I get to $600 worth of Perk/Swagbucks points because the flight I want will probably be sold out by then.