Sep 17, 2014, 10:44 am
Last edit by: mia
Reminder: you must enroll and select UA as your airline BEFORE making a reimbursable purchase (this includes MPX). Click HERE.
Caution: As of December 2016, it appears that American Express no longer reimburses MPX transactions.
Credits generally appear 3-4 days after making the transaction. No need to worry unless they don't appear after a week.
TravelBank funds can only be used on United and United Express flights. Partner flights are not eligible.
Gift Registry and Gift Cards
The consensus is that United gift registry contributions will be reimbursed and gift card purchases will not. So
There seems to be no downside to contributing in sub-200 dollar chunks since the gift registry creates a single pool of cash. However there are lots of reports of successful fee credits from a single $200 donation. Whether done as on $200 transaction or eight $25 transactions, the result is that one will have $200 in ones TravelBank.
PLEASE NOTE: When you establish a gift registry for the first time, it will take 24 hours before the funds in the registry are available to use toward payment of a flight.
Do I have to join the united.com Club ($25 annual fee) to use my TravelBank?
Apparently not.
Does spending TravelBank credit count towards PQD?
Yes-for revenue flights only
Airline Taxes on Award Tickets- Log into united.com
- Set up a gift registry for yourself
- Use the link in your gift registry web page to send an announcement to your email address. This better, faster, and more reliable than searching for your gift registry, especially if you have a common name. Even someone with an unusual surname like mre5765 has could not find his registry after creating it.
- Log out of united.com
- Follow the Make Contribution in your gift registry email
- Contribute using your Amex platinum card
There seems to be no downside to contributing in sub-200 dollar chunks since the gift registry creates a single pool of cash. However there are lots of reports of successful fee credits from a single $200 donation. Whether done as on $200 transaction or eight $25 transactions, the result is that one will have $200 in ones TravelBank.
PLEASE NOTE: When you establish a gift registry for the first time, it will take 24 hours before the funds in the registry are available to use toward payment of a flight.
Do I have to join the united.com Club ($25 annual fee) to use my TravelBank?
Apparently not.
Does spending TravelBank credit count towards PQD?
Yes-for revenue flights only
Doesn't seem to work anymore; see post 179 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25297196-post179.html and #391
MPX (MileagePlus X)It appears that this is no longer working. See this post: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27589581-post1496.html.
Economy Plus feesThere are recent reports of this working on a per ticket basis. No recent report of an Economy Plus annual subscription being reimbursed.
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: UA only. [2010 - 2016]
Oct 23, 2013, 10:33 am
#601
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: AA Exec Plat
Posts: 105
Purchased $200 United GC on 10/18 with my Amex Plat MB, reimbursed on 10/22
Oct 23, 2013, 1:50 pm
#602
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 747
Has anyone successfully used a Chase Ritz Carlton and got the reimbursement on United gift cards?
Oct 28, 2013, 3:16 pm
#603
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 3
Purchased 100 gift card 10/23 reimbursed 10/26. Just bought a second 100 gc on 10/27. Amex Platinum.
Nov 1, 2013, 1:39 pm
#604
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: LAX
Posts: 298
The Chase reimbursements are purportedly even more "generous" than AMEX reimbursements. I do not have a link to support this statement, but there is anecdotal evidence out there, including, I believe, on either TPG's blog of View From The Wing.
Nov 5, 2013, 10:07 am
#605
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4
gift certificate same as gift card?
Is a gift certificate the same as gift card? I don't see anything on their site referred to specifically as a gift card.
Nov 5, 2013, 10:13 pm
#606
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CMH
Programs: Delta Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 52
Purchased a $293 United flight on 11/2. I paid $100 of the flight with a United gift certificate I purchased last year using last year's credit. The remaining $193 was charged to the amex platinum and was reimbursed on 11/4! It shows it was for a special services flight.
Nov 8, 2013, 8:54 am
#608
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: Volaris, UA Nothing
Posts: 276
Purchased $200 gift card on 11/04; credit posted 11/07.
Nov 12, 2013, 8:28 am
#609
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 3
Thought I would contribute since it was this forum was how I found out about this credit! Thank You!
Signed up on 11/5, purchased $200 GC on 11/6, reimbursement posted on 11/11.
Signed up on 11/5, purchased $200 GC on 11/6, reimbursement posted on 11/11.
Nov 15, 2013, 8:41 pm
#610
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 6
Purchased $200 Gift Certificate on Amex Personal Platinum 11/11/13, reimbursed on 11/14/13
Nov 25, 2013, 6:15 am
#611
Formerly known as James Flannery
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Alameda CA
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Platinum, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 30
I have an AMEX platinum and I added my wife to my account (paid the extra yearly fee). Do we both get the $200 credit?
Nov 25, 2013, 7:07 am
#612
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Anywhere
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 674
If it's a US-based AmEx platinum then yes, airlines charges made to either card get reimbursed for a $200 total for the account. So you don't get $400 total if that's what you're asking.
Nov 25, 2013, 7:59 am
#613
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: XNA
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 57
I registered my card with United on 11/21 and purchased a $200 United gift card later that day. I just received my $200 credit from AmEx this morning. Very quick and painless.
Nov 25, 2013, 9:47 am
#614
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA 2P, SPG Gold
Posts: 17
$200 GC bought on 11/20. Reimbursement posted on 11/23, although I had to sweat it a bit since the charges are across two billing cycles and I didn't see it initially.
Nov 25, 2013, 10:19 am
#615
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Programs: All major programs
Posts: 1,403