Apr 22, 2015, 10:57 am
Last edit by: mia
Effective June 2017 the USA Business Platinum airfare Pay-with-Points refund was reduced to 35%. This brings the net value to $0.0153 per point, essentially the same as Chase Sapphire Reserve's Pay-with-Points redemption rate.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
- $1,000 charged to American Express card [Day 1]
- 100,000 Membership Rewards points redeemed [Day 1]
- $1,000 credited to American Express card [Day 2]
- _35,000 Membership Rewards points returned [~a month later]
- Net: $1,000 ticket for 65,000 points = $0.0154/point
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
Pay-with-Points flights. BUSINESS Centurion 50% refund, Plat 35%, Gold 25% (2015-23)
May 25, 2017, 12:07 pm
#586
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: Whatever's Cheapest, Accruing Miles, Redeeming for Premium Cabins, Not Chasing Status Unnecessarily
Posts: 2,264
What is the latest thoughts on this (sorry if basic question):
assuming your MR pts are all in one account:
Are all your MR pts eligible for 50% pts back?
Does it matter which card you charge the airfare on as long?
assuming your MR pts are all in one account:
Are all your MR pts eligible for 50% pts back?
Does it matter which card you charge the airfare on as long?
May 25, 2017, 2:50 pm
#587
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DFW
Posts: 246
Based on my personal experience so far, the answers are yes and no as long as the airlines matchs what is selected on the biz plat.
May 25, 2017, 3:59 pm
#588
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
What would be the benefit of paying with any card other than Business Platinum?
May 25, 2017, 5:08 pm
#590
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: New York City
Posts: 801
As long as the subject MR account has a Biz Plat attached to it, you can use any card also tied to that MR account and receive rebate.
May 25, 2017, 5:14 pm
#591
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
May 25, 2017, 5:24 pm
#592
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: New York City
Posts: 801
I can't speak to how the system will see it, but "opened" isn't the barometer. It's clear from the T&C that the operative trigger is one year from the date on which the Biz Plat "was issued," so if one fails to get the points within 31 days (or 6-10 weeks) after June 1 on a card that was upgraded from BGR to BP (and therefore issued) post-October, it should be manually credited.
May 29, 2017, 7:19 am
#593
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 371
I can't speak to how the system will see it, but "opened" isn't the barometer. It's clear from the T&C that the operative trigger is one year from the date on which the Biz Plat "was issued," so if one fails to get the points within 31 days (or 6-10 weeks) after June 1 on a card that was upgraded from BGR to BP (and therefore issued) post-October, it should be manually credited.
If I applied the Business Platinum today on05/29/2017, but was approved (issued) on 06/02/2017, will I be qualified for the 50% rebate or not?
May 29, 2017, 7:25 am
#594
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 371
This is confirmed by blogs and multiple Amex Chats.
May 29, 2017, 8:03 am
#595
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
May 30, 2017, 12:02 pm
#596
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,836
Any last-minute strategies being utilized? I'm buying a couple of refundable tickets to burn MR and get the 50% back, hopefully giving me some flexibility in the future. Others?
May 30, 2017, 12:12 pm
#597
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,198
It took awhile, but I was able to find LAX-YYZ in refundable F that almost zero'd out my MR balance before the 50% rebate, and after ticketing I confirmed with the airline that I could rebook to a restricted ticket that I really wanted and then take back the difference in a electronic travel certificate to use up within one year...and I will get 150k points back from Amex.
May 30, 2017, 12:20 pm
#598
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,836
Your strategy is the same as mine, however I did discover that neither Platinum travel nor Amex online travel will book refundable fares specifically, so you need to do your homework and go on your airline's website to check for random itineraries and dates until you find a flight that only has refundable/full fare available in the class you selected.
It took awhile, but I was able to find LAX-YYZ in refundable F that almost zero'd out my MR balance before the 50% rebate, and after ticketing I confirmed with the airline that I could rebook to a restricted ticket that I really wanted and then take back the difference in a electronic travel certificate to use up within one year...and I will get 150k points back from Amex.
It took awhile, but I was able to find LAX-YYZ in refundable F that almost zero'd out my MR balance before the 50% rebate, and after ticketing I confirmed with the airline that I could rebook to a restricted ticket that I really wanted and then take back the difference in a electronic travel certificate to use up within one year...and I will get 150k points back from Amex.
May 30, 2017, 12:24 pm
#599
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
If you cancel a refundable ticket wouldn't the carrier automatically refund the cost to your card rather than issue a voucher?