Amex travel booking site: bonus points, fees, and limitations [Consolidated]
Aug 17, 2018, 11:03 am
#421
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
I haven't had the opportunity to use Amex Travel much, but when I have tried to use it, it's a bit of a let down. E.g. I wanted two cheap return tickets LHR - ZRH and Amex Travel quotes Ł113 pp for Swiss Air flights. Not too bad. Then I check the Swiss website and the same flights are available for Ł100 pp...
A bit of digging with ITA Matrix and it seems Amex Travel add on an extra fuel surcharge...
A bit of digging with ITA Matrix and it seems Amex Travel add on an extra fuel surcharge...
Aug 17, 2018, 12:36 pm
#422
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Amex Platinum
Posts: 57
The fact that the LH group adds a 16 Euro surcharge to every GDS booking is an interesting thing to try to blame Amex for.
I don't blame Amex, merely pointing out that they won't be able to drive cardholders to use it for all their travel bookings if the same itinerary can be obtained elsewhere for cheaper. Thanks for posting the link - I wondered exactly what the fee was for.
Another poster pointed out FHR, which is something where I have found value, particularly the independent hotels where I have no status.
Aug 18, 2018, 1:31 pm
#423
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,223
Is it a known issue with the site that it double-books you for flights? Pretty annoying that I booked a single one way flight for two people and the AMEXTravel.com site booked the flight twice and charged me twice. I also paid with MR points but I didn't have enough points for the second booking. AMEX has said they canceled the second, duplicated booking...I've setup watches on the transactions to ensure it doesn't post.
Pretty annoying to say the least that I had to call after making a simple booking and spend 30 minutes on the phone trying to get the right person to fix their own mistake...
Pretty annoying to say the least that I had to call after making a simple booking and spend 30 minutes on the phone trying to get the right person to fix their own mistake...
Aug 18, 2018, 2:50 pm
#424
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
I don't know if this will explain any of what you see, but when you Pay with Points, the full cost of the ticket is billed to your card, and points are redeemed to offset (all or some) of the transaction. If you buy tickets for more than one person, there would normally be separate transactions for each individual.
Aug 18, 2018, 3:59 pm
#425
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,223
I don't know if this will explain any of what you see, but when you Pay with Points, the full cost of the ticket is billed to your card, and points are redeemed to offset (all or some) of the transaction. If you buy tickets for more than one person, there would normally be separate transactions for each individual.
AMEX Travel sent me two unique trip IDs for some reason...its been resolved as they canceled the Trip that wasn't going to be offset by points
Aug 18, 2018, 4:08 pm
#426
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
Aug 22, 2018, 4:15 am
#428
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: NW 1MM, BD Gold, BA Gold, AA 1MM, LM, VX eleVAte, Hyatt D6, SPG Plat, Hertz President's
Posts: 304
Multi City for Tier Point Runs - Tips?
Is there any trick to getting the website to allow multi city bookings for valid advertised fares, or must we always phone it in and wait on hold while they "find a supervisor" to "make a one time exception" to waive the booking fee? 
Aug 22, 2018, 3:03 pm
#429
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 67
Is it a known issue with the site that it double-books you for flights? Pretty annoying that I booked a single one way flight for two people and the AMEXTravel.com site booked the flight twice and charged me twice. I also paid with MR points but I didn't have enough points for the second booking. AMEX has said they canceled the second, duplicated booking...I've setup watches on the transactions to ensure it doesn't post.
Pretty annoying to say the least that I had to call after making a simple booking and spend 30 minutes on the phone trying to get the right person to fix their own mistake...
Pretty annoying to say the least that I had to call after making a simple booking and spend 30 minutes on the phone trying to get the right person to fix their own mistake...
Aug 22, 2018, 6:41 pm
#430
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,223
After reading this forum (due to making a hotel booking using Amex Platinum for 5x points), and calling the hotel (as suggested by many), AmexTravel screwed it up. The hotel believes I have booked 4 rooms for 3 nights. They just told me they cannot fix it as it's 3rd party, and I'll have to contact AmexTravel. Wonderful! /s
Aug 22, 2018, 9:34 pm
#431
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: California
Programs: Amex
Posts: 2
Amex travel portal and first class availability
I have 3 amex platinum business cards. Was lucky enough to get 50% bonus points last year. This year it’s down to 35% when booking first class tickets or from my selected airline. I have noticed no or very limited availability of first class tickets when using the Amex travel site. All other travel sites and the airline sites show plenty availability for the exact same flights. Is amex trying to stiff me out of getting my first class ticket at a discounted price?
Jan 2, 2019, 10:49 am
#433
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 354
Extra miles
Wife got some unexpected miles by booking with amextravel. Booked with Hawaiian airlines for myself and son 1 to take advantage of companion fare. My wife booked with amextravel for herself and son 2 (same flights as ours). She paid with her amex biz plat. We all included our hawaiian miles loyalty numbers. When we got our miles after the travel, all the rest of us (including son 2) got 100 miles for the interisland flights, but my wife got 500 miles (each way), so she got 800 more total. None of us have any elite status. Some extra hidden benefit for her booking with amextravel and holding the biz plat?
Jan 2, 2019, 12:59 pm
#434
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952