By Vamsi, RewardsGuru.club. Published October 20, 2026.
This offer ended on October 23, 2026. Southwest's up to 40% off sale ended October 22, 2026, and the sale fares below are gone. The Amex airline fee credit sections are as of October 20, 2026.
Checked October 20, 2026 on Amex's and Southwest's own benefit pages and on southwest.com's fare search: one way, one adult, prices exactly as the search showed them, taxes and fees included. The charges below are from our own Amex Platinum statement. Figures are as of October 20, 2026.
The Platinum Card's $200 Airline Fee Credit is meant for the small stuff. Amex's terms say it covers "incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments," and they rule out the big one in plain words: "Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed to be incidental fees." Most cardholders read that, spend the credit on bag fees, and stop there.
Our statement shows two Southwest flights. On September 29, 2026, we paid Southwest $95.20 and $98.20 for two one-way flights on our Platinum Card. On October 2, both charges came back as "AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement," $193.40 of the year's $200.
TL;DR
- Amex's terms exclude airline tickets from the $200 Airline Fee Credit. On our card, two Southwest one-way flights still came back as airline fee credits three days after we paid for them.
- Both charges were under $100. That's what we saw on two charges, not a rule Amex publishes, and Amex can change how these post at any time.
- Southwest's up to 40% off sale, booked by October 22, has fares under $100. On our October 20 searches for Tuesday, November 10: Las Vegas to Los Angeles was $72 and Houston Hobby to New Orleans $95, both nonstop.
- We later cancelled both flights and took Southwest flight credits, not refunds to the card. Amex's terms say its credits "may be reversed if the purchase is cancelled, modified, or returned."
- The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card adds a free seat pick: Preferred or Standard at booking, and Extra Legroom within 48 hours of departure, when available.
What Amex's terms say
The credit is "up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year" for fees charged "by their one selected qualifying airline." Southwest is on the list, with Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue and United. You pick the airline online or by calling the number on the back of the card. The first pick can happen any time; after that, Amex allows a change "one time each year in January."
Amex says the credit is "typically received within a few days but can take up to 6-8 weeks." Two lines in the terms matter for anything you might cancel later:
- "Statement credits may not be received or may be reversed if the purchase is cancelled, modified, or returned."
- Amex may also reverse credits for "abuse, misuse, or gaming."
Because the credit runs per calendar year, 2026's runs through December 31.
What our statement shows
| Date | Line | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 29 | Southwest flight | $95.20 |
| Sep 29 | Southwest flight | $98.20 |
| Oct 2 | Airline fee credit | -$98.20 |
| Oct 2 | Airline fee credit | -$95.20 |
Southwest was the airline selected on that card. Both flights were one-way fares, and both came in under $100. Two charges aren't a rule, and the terms above still say tickets don't count, so treat this as what happened on our card, not something Amex promises.
Southwest's sale has fares under $100
Southwest's up to 40% off sale is open for bookings through October 22, for travel on select flights November 9, 2026 to March 3, 2027, with blackout dates. Our breakdown of the sale has every route by departure city and the days that qualify.
We searched three short routes on October 20 for Tuesday, November 10:
| Route | Basic fare | Southwest's crossed-out price |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas to Los Angeles, nonstop | $72 | $109 |
| Houston Hobby to New Orleans, nonstop | $95 | $148 |
| Dallas Love Field to Houston Hobby, nonstop | $102 | $159 |
Southwest notes that "all fares are rounded up to the nearest dollar," and the fares include taxes and fees. Dallas to Houston sits just over $100 at $102. Sale fares move with every search, so the price on your screen when you book is the one that counts. Our record of every Southwest sale we priced in 2026 has the fares from earlier sales.
If you cancel
Southwest charges no cancel fees, as long as you cancel "at least 10 minutes prior to the flight's original scheduled departure time." What you get back depends on the fare:
- Basic and Choice are non-refundable. Cancelling gives a flight credit. "Basic fare flight credits expire 6 months from the date the fare was booked and ticketed." Choice credits last 12 months and can be moved to another Rapid Rewards member once.
- Choice Preferred and Choice Extra are refundable "as a refund to your original form of payment."
- The 24-hour rule: Southwest gives a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of booking a flight that's a week or more away. Refunds go "back to the same credit card."
We later cancelled both flights and took Southwest flight credits, not refunds to the card.
Whether to book a flight you might cancel is your call. Amex's terms allow it to take the credit back when a purchase is cancelled, and that's the risk to weigh.
The Southwest Priority card's seat pick
Southwest moved to assigned seats for flights from January 27, 2026, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card now comes with a seat benefit. Chase's page for the card: "Select a Preferred or Standard seat at booking, at no additional charge, when available," plus "unlimited upgrades to Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure at no additional charge, when available."
On one of our own bookings, Southwest's seat page said: "As a benefit of your Priority Credit Card, you may select an Extra Legroom, Preferred, or Standard seat for free, when available." The benefit covers up to 8 more passengers on the same reservation. Authorized users on the card aren't eligible.
How to check your own
- Pick Southwest as your Platinum's airline. Do it online in your Amex account or by phone. You can change it once a year, in January.
- Pay Southwest with the Platinum and watch the statement for "Airline Fee Reimbursement." Amex says a few days, up to 6 to 8 weeks.
- Read Amex's reversal line before you cancel anything. Its terms say a cancelled, modified or returned purchase can lose its credit. What Southwest gives back depends on the fare, as above.
If you're weighing the card itself, the Platinum Card from American Express page has its full list of credits.
This is educational content, not financial advice. Program terms change often, so check the current terms on each program's site before you rely on them.
Related articles
- Card Credits That Reset October 1: What to Use by September 30, 2026
- If You Think You Missed Southwest's $59 Holiday Fares on October 12, You May Be Wrong: The Same Sale Is Back Through October 29, and 5,555 of 6,424 Routes Are Within $10
- If You Think the Amex Business Platinum Is Only a Travel Card, You May Be Wrong: It Now Comes With a Free ZO Membership
- If You Think Southwest's Up to 40% Off Sale Always Gets You the Cheapest Seat, You May Be Wrong: On Los Angeles to Honolulu, the Regular Nonstop Was Cheaper
Do this with your own numbers
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- Bonus tracker — today's welcome bonuses, verified on the issuer's page