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Do Gift Cards Qualify for the AMEX Business Platinum $200 Annual Airline Credit?

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    A great perk of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN is the $200 in statement credits per calendar year for airline incidentals.

    The annual Business Platinum airline credit works with purchases like luggage fees and lounge day passes.

    I selected Southwest as my airline for the Business Platinum card.  But with Southwest, you get 2 free checked bags.  And there are no Southwest lounges.

    So I wanted to see if purchasing Southwest gift cards would trigger the $200 airline credit.  And, it worked!

    Purchasing Southwest Gift Cards With the AMEX Business Platinum Card Got Me the $200 Airline Credit

    Here’s how I did it!

    American Express Business Platinum Airline Credit

    Link:   The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN 

    I used my AMEX Business Platinum card to purchase Southwest gift cards to get the $200 statement credit.  I’ll use the gift cards to pay for flights in the future!

    Keep in mind, this might not work with every airline.  So only do what you’re comfortable with.  Or do a test with a small amount before you spend $200.

    Here’s how I purchased the Southwest gift cards.

    Step 1.   Visit Southwest Gift Card Website

    First, I navigated to the Southwest gift card website.  Click “Continue” in the bottom left corner to get started with your purchase.

    Click Continue to Begin Your Southwest Gift Card Purchase

    Step 2.   Enter Gift Card Details

    Then, you can enter the details of your gift card purchase order.

    You can select to have the gift card emailed or shipped.  Email is easiest and you won’t pay extra shipping fees.

    Enter Your Email Information to Get Your Southwest Gift Card

    I purchased 2 separate $100 Southwest gift cards.  If you purchase one $200 gift card, it might not trigger the AMEX Business Platinum airline credit.

    Step 3.   Wait for the AMEX Statement Credit

    I received a credit on my AMEX statement 2 days after purchasing the $100 Southwest gift cards.

    Credits Were Applied to My AMEX Statement 2 Days After Purchasing the Southwest Gift Cards

    AMEX says qualifying airline incidental purchases will be reimbursed within 2 to 4 weeks.  But in my experience, it’s much faster!

    Bottom Line

    After you select an airline on the AMEX Business Platinum card, you can receive $200 in statement credits for airline incidental fees.   

    I selected Southwest as my airline with the Business Platinum card.  Then, I purchased two $100 Southwest gift cards to get the $200 AMEX Business Platinum airline credit.  And the credit posted in 2 days!

    Keep in mind, this might not work with every airline.

    Did purchasing airline gift cards work to get you the Business Platinum airline credit?  I’d love to hear in the comments below!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)