Gift Flights?: A Review of Airline Gift Cards

Starbucks, McDonalds, Target, and hundreds of other conventional retailers have created successful gift card programs, providing easy present options for birthdays, weddings, graduations, and holidays. It was only a matter of time before airlines bought in to the declining balance boom by offering the updated version of a gift certificate for air travel. Airline gift cards, in particular, are a little sleeker and more attractive than conventional gift certificates, though both are clearly useful when they’re loaded with $500 of airfare. But something about the shiny plastic of a gift card makes the recipient feel more empowered than a piece of paper would. After all, gift cards resemble credit cards, an American symbol of purchasing power that has a resonant mental effect - whether we want it to or not. Several major airlines offer debit-like gift cards, while the others are developing similar programs and selling gift certificates by email.

1. Southwest Airlines
www.southwest.com  

Leave it to Southwest to create commercial success out of existing trends. A few years ago, they latched onto reality TV by allowing their employees to be filmed in action for the popular show “Airline.” Now they’re proving that they’ve got their finger on the gift card pulse. The “southwestgiftcard” (apparently, they like it written as one word) is a new brand loyalty tool, spiffy-looking and sexier than a paper gift certificate. Although it’s also available in email format, you can send the plastic southwestgiftcard in the mail for $2.95 plus your gift amount. The card is capped at $1000 for most gift-givers; however, if you are a business and want to purchase multiple southwestgiftcards for your employees (which would likely total more than $1000), they will simply ask you to fill out an additional form for the bulk purchase. Recognizing that travel makes a great reward for employees, this airline is doing everything it can to tap into the business market. Those savvy Southwest corporate types know what they’re doing!