I realize that some might read my comment as judgmental because they assume that I don't feel sympathy for them but scorn. You seemed to be one of those people, and your response read as your trying to be diplomatic about what you thought I meant, which, along with your sharing your wife's thoughts, I appreciate.

I use airline gift cards all the time. Costco has southwest on sale and they regularly also have Alaska. Target has Delta and Southwest, probably United too.

I believe you can also get a visa gift card, and edit the billing address directly through Visa so you can process it through the airlines website. I haven't done this.

I have purchased flights using my Cash app card, which does not have my legal name associated to it but my address. You can deposit cash onto it, or just have subs pay for it.

I don't think it's smart collecting numerous cards over the course of a couple of months. Just get the $500 card(s) when it's time to book?

This is interesting, Mistress Zaida. Thanks for sharing.



I agree. It seems like something they might regard with suspicion.

Thank you that is helpful information.

As for buying $500 worth of cards at once I would not want a big charge like that on a charge card. It’s easier or better for me to buy $25 or $50 cards mixed in with other purchases over time and hide the cards. My wife is not going near my hockey gear or similar stuff.

Everyone's situation is different, but I don't understand why you wouldn't do the same with squirreling away cash with your hockey stuff then either paying that to the airline at an airport or buying a single card with that saved cash when you are ready to book (if you can find a place that sells variable denomination airline cards, then you can buy one for the exact amount of the flight when you are ready to book... This is something I do with Amazon cards to buy a gift for someone on my Asp account).

Is it that your method is buying the $25 airline card when you are already buying stuff at Target (for example) so the $83.43 credit card charge your wife sees looks "normal" & the only risk is if she actually sees the itemized receipt (or finds the stash of 15 physical airline cards)?

If you are buying airline gift cards then that locks you in to using a specific airline (which may be totally ok in your situation.. but not what you want according to other parts in this thread). But, if you go this way then why keep them at all since they have no value outside of that airline and the physical cards are a risk even if they are in a place she generally doesn't look? Why not buy them and immediately deposit them with the airline when you get them (unless you plan on booking without using an airline account)?

If anyone sees and questions this (including the airline), then you can say it's your own personal savings/travel account and that "this is how I do it to insure I will travel instead of that money being used for other stuff". It seems to me that this is a better and less suspicious way of doing it than storing a bunch of $25 cards and trying to apply and use them against a single flight when you book it.

Here is a decent reference for you for working around things: https://wallethub.com/edu/cc/book-flight-without-credit-card/25851

I’ll try to answer your questions.

It’s difficult for me to squirrel away cash and I need the cash for the session

I throw the itemised receipts away and the way our house is setup I’m not too worried about her finding hidden gift cards or cash. There’s just stuff we each have that we don’t go near the others. Not that it’s private but zero reason to go there and even reasons to avoid.

I am planning to book without using an airline account. I have an idea of which airline I am going to use but the date is months off so I’m going to wait to buy the cards.

Thanks for the link. Good article