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]
Jan 4, 2016, 12:07 pm
#1756
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 65
I can also confirm. So you all should be good to go.
Made 5 $100 amazon giftcard purchases on two amex platinums and one gold on Jan 1st through the MPX ios app.
All posted as MPX*AMAZON.COM 1-800-421-4655 TX
Received $100 statement credit for all 5 automatically on Jan 3.
***Make sure to set your airlines to United before doing this*****
Made 5 $100 amazon giftcard purchases on two amex platinums and one gold on Jan 1st through the MPX ios app.
All posted as MPX*AMAZON.COM 1-800-421-4655 TX
Received $100 statement credit for all 5 automatically on Jan 3.
***Make sure to set your airlines to United before doing this*****
Jan 4, 2016, 1:43 pm
#1757
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Houston
Posts: 282
I Had the following charges:
Dec-28 $189 Eco+ (Not sure if this was going to be reimbursed)
Dec-30 $50 GR
Dec-30 $50 GR
Dec-30 $100 GR
Amex reimbursed the Eco+ in full and $11 from one of the gift registry charges... I have not hear from many reimbursements on Seat upgrades but they do happen.
Dec-28 $189 Eco+ (Not sure if this was going to be reimbursed)
Dec-30 $50 GR
Dec-30 $50 GR
Dec-30 $100 GR
Amex reimbursed the Eco+ in full and $11 from one of the gift registry charges... I have not hear from many reimbursements on Seat upgrades but they do happen.
Jan 4, 2016, 1:48 pm
#1758
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 12
Data Point:
12/1/2015 registered United as my airline of choice for Amex PRG
12/3/2015 purchased $100 Amazon GC on MPX iPhone app.
Leaving for international trip, got impatient for fee credit to post.
12/11/2015 paid off $100 card balance.
12/13/2015 Amex Airline fee reimbursement posted.
12/3/2015 purchased $100 Amazon GC on MPX iPhone app.
Leaving for international trip, got impatient for fee credit to post.
12/11/2015 paid off $100 card balance.
12/13/2015 Amex Airline fee reimbursement posted.
Jan 4, 2016, 6:12 pm
#1759
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: LA
Programs: AA Plat Pro, SPG/Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,192
Jan 4, 2016, 6:45 pm
#1760
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 26
$100 Amazon GC thru MPX on 1/1; reimbursed today.
Jan 4, 2016, 7:16 pm
#1761
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: NYC, SEA, TPE
Programs: BR Diamond, B6 Mosaic
Posts: 436
Jan 4, 2016, 8:37 pm
#1762
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 174
Personal Platinum
1/1/16 - UA Gift Registry purchase of $200
1/3/16 - $200 credit posted
1/4/16 - cancelled card as it was drop dead date for getting the year 2 $450 AF refunded in full
Managed to squeeze 3 x $200 credit (Dec '14, Jan '15, Jan '16) for airfare out of the deal, various AMEX offers, and the 100K MR points for $450 annual fee. Via con dios AMEX Platinum, it was a good run.
1/1/16 - UA Gift Registry purchase of $200
1/3/16 - $200 credit posted
1/4/16 - cancelled card as it was drop dead date for getting the year 2 $450 AF refunded in full
Managed to squeeze 3 x $200 credit (Dec '14, Jan '15, Jan '16) for airfare out of the deal, various AMEX offers, and the 100K MR points for $450 annual fee. Via con dios AMEX Platinum, it was a good run.
Last edited by dgilligan02; Jan 5, 2016 at 11:59 am
Jan 4, 2016, 9:32 pm
#1763
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 3
Personal Platinum
1/1/16 - UA Gift Registry purchase of $200
1/3/16 - $200 credit posted
1/4/16 - cancelled card as it was drop dead date for getting the $450 AF refunded in full
Managed to squeeze 3 x $200 credit (Dec '14, Jan '15, Jan '16) for airfare out of the deal, various AMEX offers, and the 100K MR points for $0 annual fee. Via con dios AMEX Platinum, it was a good run.
1/1/16 - UA Gift Registry purchase of $200
1/3/16 - $200 credit posted
1/4/16 - cancelled card as it was drop dead date for getting the $450 AF refunded in full
Managed to squeeze 3 x $200 credit (Dec '14, Jan '15, Jan '16) for airfare out of the deal, various AMEX offers, and the 100K MR points for $0 annual fee. Via con dios AMEX Platinum, it was a good run.
Jan 4, 2016, 10:39 pm
#1764
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 174
When the AF posted, I did an online chat and found out when was the last day I could cancel for full refund. Cancelled today via online chat. A check will be mailed at some point down the road by AMEX. I feel like it was within the 45 day range but don't recall exactly.
Jan 5, 2016, 6:58 am
#1765
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
Business platinum
1/1: bought $200 gift for someone else's registry.
1/2 am: forgot that I was still on DL, changed from DL to UA.
1/2 pm: bought $200 gift for someone else's registry.
1/5: reimbursed $200.
1/1: bought $200 gift for someone else's registry.
1/2 am: forgot that I was still on DL, changed from DL to UA.
1/2 pm: bought $200 gift for someone else's registry.
1/5: reimbursed $200.
Jan 5, 2016, 7:55 am
#1766
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
2016 UA Gift Registry
$200 Charged (Gifted to myself) and promptly refunded 2 days later. The UA Gift Registry worked like a charm for this AMEX Platinum Member..
So yes, the UA Gift Registry is a applicable Reimbursement Vehicle for 2016. Thanks AMEX!
So yes, the UA Gift Registry is a applicable Reimbursement Vehicle for 2016. Thanks AMEX!
Jan 5, 2016, 11:01 am
#1767
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: PetCo Pals Rewards
Posts: 531
When the AF posted, I did an online chat and found out when was the last day I could cancel for full refund. Cancelled today via online chat. A check will be mailed at some point down the road by AMEX. I feel like it was within the 45 day range but don't recall exactly.
Jan 5, 2016, 1:29 pm
#1769
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 192
Bought an Amazon gift card with United Mileage Plus X app (Android) for $200 on 1/2, was reimbursed by Amex (Platinum) today.
Last edited by CMH1k; Jan 5, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Jan 5, 2016, 3:03 pm
#1770
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Houston
Posts: 282
a good question and feedback for others doing the gift registry too, is what you have done / bought with the money at your gift registry account... Any hints I have $400 and no clue were to put them yet.