Costco offering $70 discount on Southwest gift card

Thanks, Mardee, I fly Southwest enough each year that this might be worth it.

Ok, so I read a bunch of negative reviews, which is my normal practice, to consider whether those negatives matter to me.

Caution #1: third party

Costco becomes a third party to your airline purchase. If there's a problem with the card you deal with Costco. But unlike other third party airfare situations, you're still buying your ticket directly from the airline, subject to their policies.

Which brings us to...

Caution #2: airline refund policy

Now you've used the Southwest gift card to buy a ticket to fly Aunt Mildred to graduation. But then Aunt Mildred can't go... or her fight is canceled due to a storm. The ticket is refunded as a credit that only Aunt Mildred can use. As of 2022, the credit will not expire, but Aunt Mildred isn't likely to fly anywhere else and you can't use her credit for anyone else.

Caution #3: travel insurance

If you rely on your credit card for some aspects of travel insurance, then tickets bought wholly with the gift card wouldn't be covered.

These don't concern me because I would use the cards for my own domestic trips, and I fly Southwest several times each year. But they might concern others.