Southwest Airlines unpacked the big news last week that it will soon end its signature “Bags Fly Free” policy. Customers — with a few exceptions — will pay for each and every checked bag.
That got me thinking: could it now be worth selecting Southwest as your preferred carrier for incidental statement credits?
(Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.)
$200 Airline Incidental Reimbursement
Holders of two classic travel rewards cards can earn up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year for eligible incidental purchases.
The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (and their cobranded corporate versions) members may select one eligible airline each year. Certain charges made to their cards will be reimbursed in the form of statement credits.
Eligible airlines include:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Spirit Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
Per Amex, the below charges should credit back:
- Airline fee charge billed after airline selection
- Airport lounge day passes and annual memberships
- Change fees
- Checked baggage fees
- Early check-in fees
- In-flight amenity fees (beverages, food, pillows/blankets, and so on)
- In-flight entertainment fees (excluding wireless Internet)
- Overweight/oversize baggage fees
- Pet flight fees
- Phone reservation fees
- Seat assignment fees
- Unaccompanied minor fees
Here’s what is explicitly prohibited:
- Airline tickets
- Award tickets
- Duty–free purchases
- Gift cards
- Mileage points purchases
- Mileage points transfer fees
- Upgrades
Card members also earn applicable Membership Rewards points for their purchase. (The Amex Platinum is particularly generous here, as it earns 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). In my experience, most charges made directly with any airlines — not just flights booked — earn the 5X.
Great. What’s the Big Whoop About Southwest and the Amex Platinums?
Checked bag fees are a big sell for recouping the $200 airline incidental credit (assuming you don’t have an airline’s cobranded credit card and/or elite status).
Southwest, of course, famously waived fees on passengers’ first and second checked bags. (Flights booked on or after May 27, 2025, will be subject to the new rules.) Southwest doesn’t offer premium food or amenities on board. Their wireless internet isn’t an eligible charge. They have open seating (for now). There aren’t any Southwest Airlines airport club lounges.
The only major reasons you’d choose Southwest as your Platinum card’s airline is for purchases of Early Bird check-in or (many, many) adult beverages.
I never met anyone who picked Southwest for their $200 reimbursement. I’d snicker when I saw Southwest offered as an eligible airline.
But it’ll soon make sense.
We know Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card holders (and up to eight others on their reservation) will get one free checked bag. So, a Platinum Card’s reimbursement credit could be handy there.
Plus, Southwest is moving from open seating to an assigned seating model featuring extra-legroom seats for an additional cost. (Again, we don’t know when. It’s simply been announced.) Who knows if an “upgrade” will code as a seat assignment fee?
Plenty of airports have Southwest Airlines and lounges that Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cardholders can access, too, via Centurion Lounges, Escape Suites, or Priority Pass Select. Las Vegas, JFK, Chicago Midway, Oakland, and Los Angeles instantly coming to mind.
Could the Amex Platinum make sense for Southwest flyers?
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
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LAS and LAX Centurion are huge hikes to get to from WN terminal. LAX it’s on the other side of the airport and LAS completely separate terminal. Did lax last year because a company paid to fly me on WN took about 20 minutes it was airside though.
The C gates at LAS aren’t too bad. The B gates (shades of old LAX T3, gross) is definitely a schlep.
I guess you never read the thread in the AMEX forum on FlyerTalk about what AMEX reimbursed for “miscellaneous charges” on Southwest, huh?
(Protip: cheap fares under about $100.)
Another blogger wrote about that once and FlyerTalkers savaged him for printing it. Ain’t no pleasing the FTers.
Using the credit assumes you’re actually going to fly Southwest, and given the product compared to the competition, why would you? No seatback IFE, no power outlets (they encourage you to bring your own device for your IFE needs, but then don’t provide in seat power?), no lounges, no partners, and also a smaller booking window for scheduling, and yet, they want to charge the same prices as the competition.
There are people who fly Southwest because they can take advantage of the Companion Pass. Also, Southwest has some routes (or better flight frequencies) that other airlines don’t have. For example, some of the smaller airports in Southern California have frequent Southwest flights to Vegas, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Jose, Chicago, Austin, etc. Other airlines either have 1X frequency or none at all. I can survive just fine for hours without IFE and always bring power with me, regardless of where I’m traveling and on which carrier.
I thought I saw an announcement from Southwest that everyone (up to 8 people) on your reservation made with a Southwest credit card would get 1 bag free?
Thank you for the reminder! (I still have vacation brain from a recent trip)