Rover75

A few months ago I purchased an airline ticket from American Airlines using my Citibank AAdvantage Platinum Level MasterCard and received double AAdvantage miles based on the card's terms. A couple of weeks ago I canceled this reservation (it was a later billing cycle) and Citibank deducted miles equal to the dollar value of the purchase, NOT double the original purchase price. In other words, the bonus miles that were originally issued in connection with this purchase appear to be mine to keep.

I actually wrote a contact in Citibank's executive office to report this error and provided them with a full range of screenshots illustrating what had happened. They haven't yet gotten back to me so I have to assume that this is an error they don't care very much about. As a result, I thought I would share the details of my experience here.

(Please note: This only happened once, it happened on the refund of an award ticket that only cost me $5, the adjustment down of five miles instead of ten happened in a month where none of the purchases on my card qualified for double miles, and even after the deduction of five miles for the refund, I still had a positive balance for miles earned last month when the credit was processed. YMMV.)

dfwgolfer1

So you got 5 extra miles?

rgAAFT

I applaud your honesty but what were you hoping to achieve by reporting this error? I honestly wouldn't have reported something this small
Honestly, to me it's almost like getting a 100k miles with exec signup via MS, then once getting the miles you call the the bank and say " you know, I MSed 10k to get my miles therefore feel free to take the miles back." Why on earth would you do that? (it just seems counter productive)

Rover75

I've had a fairly broad range of problems with Citibank's online account management systems and their telephone support so I figured I would try and find out if they care about an error which -- if systemic -- could actually cost them some real money. Yes, I got 5 extra miles and no, it obviously doesn't mean diddly squat. But assuming my experience wasn't some freakish fluke, and assuming also that Citibank is seriously indifferent to this error (as they are to several others I have documented with them in the past), it probably will convince me to stop using the AAdvantage MasterCard (think of it as the last straw). I posted the report here primarily to see if anyone else had had the same experience-- in other words, was this some strange one off event or does their software get it wrong consistently? I also assume folks from Citibank read this website so maybe this will get their attention more effectively than the email I sent to their executive office a while back.

FTR 787

dont worry, they will be taken back in the next 1-2 billing cycles. assuming you have no other purchases or no other purchases that qualify for double bonus miles.

rgAAFT

To each is own I guess but I for one will continue to patronize citi AA cards , so long as they continue to faithfully and so graciously keep funding the travel that my family and I take multiple times a year thanks to citi. I think no bank is more generous on the issue of rewarding large portions of AA miles than citi, therefore if you think they suck than you should probably get out of the points and miles hobby all together

skibum7732

LMFAO

rgAAFT

Thats what I thought when I first read this guys post I still dont get what this guy is going on about. [xxxx]

mia

Last Autumn I cancelled a BA award ticket. I had paid the taxes and fees with a Chase BA VISA. Chase deducted no miles when they processed the refund. This year I used the card to pay the fees on another BA award ticket, and this triggered the adjustment for the refund of the previous ticket. Citi and Chase do not have the identical system, but the lesson is that the bank's accounting system may work differently than we expect, and just because something did not occur promptly does not necessarily mean that an error has occurred.

mrkymark

To each his own. Cant blame him for being honest but I dont think it is as much an issue of honesty as it is one of priorities. I think most of the population wouldn't spend their energy and effort into detailing a miniscule potential loophole writing the headquarters of a major corporation to right a wrong that is probably classified as quite insignificant to them. My initial thoughts were that the poster is probably the type to immediately call the airlines and report a mistake fare. There exists people who right a wrong no matter what the situation. In this case one assumes that he is supporting and protecting major large corporations by watching their backs. For that I have no comment. But i do agree with the last post that banks and IT work in mysterious ways both for you and against you in many situations. If the poster is happier having his miles deducted then all the power to him. I think for Citi, they probably similarly have more important things on their priority list like not replying to this "complaint. "