American Express Membership Rewards - MR Online Booking

Has anyone booked travel online using MR points. Everytime I try it says it is unavailable.

Also, is it a good deal or should I transfer points to the individual airlines?

Has anyone booked travel online using MR points. Everytime I try it says it is unavailable.

Also, is it a good deal or should I transfer points to the individual airlines?

I tried it and found myself royally screwed two weeks ago--kept saying it was unavailable and then finally sent the purchase through (without my permission) WITHOUT using my points (i.e., charged it to my credit card).

When I called immediately to cancel, they told me to send the tickets in and they would refund--they now say it was a non-refundable ticket, so I'm probably going to have to go to the BBB to fight them on this (it's to the tune of $850!).

Off-topic slightly but: if anyone knows the next person and/or address I should appeal this to with AmEx Travel, can you share their address? My original letter--which did not help--was addressed to:

American Express Travel
11603 Crosswinds Way
Suite 125
San Antonio, TX 78233

So, in sum: I would NOT recommend you use them, as--if you keep trying--you may end up PURCHASING (with money) a ticket.

P.S.: I just called them and you get a call center in India--perfectly nice folks there but keep in mind if you have a problem and need to call that they outsource it.

<<is it a good deal or should I transfer points to the individual airlines?>>

When you redeem points through this option you are simply substituting them for cash at $0.01 per point. You should be able to do better by transferring the points to an airline program and redeeming for an award ticket. The specifics will depend on the carrier, route and class of service.

dennis

<<sent the purchase through (without my permission) WITHOUT using my points (i.e., charged it to my credit card).>>

This isn't necessarily wrong. American Express does charge your account for the full cost of the ticket, but then there should be a credit funded by the number of MR points you chose to redeem. Why are you requesting a refund rather than asking them to redeem the points and issue the credit?

dennis

<<sent the purchase through (without my permission) WITHOUT using my points (i.e., charged it to my credit card).>>

This isn't necessarily wrong. American Express does charge your account for the full cost of the ticket, but then there should be a credit funded by the number of MR points you chose to redeem. Why are you requesting a refund rather than asking them to redeem the points and issue the credit?

dennis

Process is that they charge your account for ticket, then refund by number of MR points you redeem. However, the ticket purchase went through as a straight purchase (not per the usual, where it goes through as a points purchase on the screen but is then charged to account as you and I just discussed), so I called immediately and was told they could do nothing (!!) to help (by customer service at 800 # provided on screen after purchase went through incorrectly). I therefore cancelled tix (was told that was fine, since I had called right away and they could not help me use points to purchase the tix) and bought them on my own directly through airline. Now they say they cannot credit me back as tix were non-refundable...not what they told me on the phone.

Another thing to note re: screwy customer service: as I mentioned above, I was told at the call immediately after the purchase that they could NOT help me by deducting points--that it had gone through as a straight purchase and it was too late. When I called the next day to confirm the address to return the tix (they had already been sent out in the computer, so had to be returned), the woman on the phone told me she COULD have deducted the points for me--despite the fact that it went through incorrectly as a straight purchase. I suspect she is right and that, quite simply, the first person I got on the phone didn't know any better.

At any rate, if anyone has a good address to get in touch with them (letter to San Antonio office not responded to), let me know--otherwise I'll go the BBB route.

<<bought them on my own directly through airline>>

Ah yes, this does make a difference. Have you "disputed" the charge online? The American Express travel service is actually operated by Travelocity. The card operation should process a dispute the same as any other merchant.

dennis

<<bought them on my own directly through airline>>

Ah yes, this does make a difference. Have you "disputed" the charge online? The American Express travel service is actually operated by Travelocity. The card operation should process a dispute the same as any other merchant.

dennis

I have disputed it online, yes, as of yesterday. However, it's not going to work properly because: 1. They charge two fees--one service fee, from AmEx, 2. One fee for the tix, directly from Maxjet. So, Maxjet has now called and said, "ticket non refundable--not our problem." The charge shows as being from Maxjet! (Essentially, I now have two Maxjet charges, as--as mentioned above--I went and then immediately bought the same itinerary directly from Maxjet!)

So, if the answer is that I have to write to Travelocity, I'll do that, but for now, I doubt the AmEx dispute resolution is going to work in the way it normally does, it LOOKS like the dispute is between me and Maxjet, when it's kinda not. I hope that makes sense.

Still looking for a good address to write to, if anyone has one...

Has anyone booked travel online using MR points. Everytime I try it says it is unavailable.

Also, is it a good deal or should I transfer points to the individual airlines?


Just returned yesterday from a spring break trip to the Bahamas using tickets purchased, at: www.americanexpress-travel.com. For 5 of us, no tickets were available on any airline using miles (except double miles). They charge your AX credit card then reimburse your credit card using points from membershiprewards. This method is not as cheap as a saver reward but is less than double miles rewards. A benefit if you choose this method is you do get the mileage from the airline. Bottom line, not my first choice, but worked great.

Just returned yesterday from a spring break trip to the Bahamas using tickets purchased, at: www.americanexpress-travel.com. For 5 of us, no tickets were available on any airline using miles (except double miles). They charge your AX credit card then reimburse your credit card using points from membershiprewards. This method is not as cheap as a saver reward but is less than double miles rewards. A benefit if you choose this method is you do get the mileage from the airline. Bottom line, not my first choice, but worked great.

Yes--this is the real/only reason to use it, isn't it? Less than double miles rewards so good for those kinds of trips...or for airlines that don't take MR points!

Thanks for the update.

btw, has anyone figured out how to specify business class in the initial search when booking travel this way? i've found ways to change the search after you do it, but can't do it from the "get go."

i also can't, at this point, book nyc-mad in biz class at all on their tool...