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)
Sep 30, 2017, 3:09 pm
#781
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Right. My initial post was a bit unclear... it's an account-specific "drop dead" (last chance) date. I too got the last-chance e-mail on 27 Sep, but my end date happens to be a few days later (and was indicated as such). So these are tailored "heads-up's."
Oct 1, 2017, 4:55 pm
#782
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,004
Does anyone have a list of airlines that we selected for our preferred choice?
I'm debating whether to keep this card (assuming I still get the 50% rebate after canceling). Is this the only card now that provides 35% pay-with-points rebate?
I'm debating whether to keep this card (assuming I still get the 50% rebate after canceling). Is this the only card now that provides 35% pay-with-points rebate?
Oct 1, 2017, 5:37 pm
#783
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,546
Chase Sapphire Reserve provides the same $0.015 valuation, with the added benefit of not having to hold 50% more points than ultimately needed.
Oct 1, 2017, 5:37 pm
#784
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Oct 2, 2017, 7:09 pm
#785
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,004
Oct 2, 2017, 8:27 pm
#786
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Oct 3, 2017, 8:16 am
#787
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Oct 3, 2017, 8:28 am
#788
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...west-only.html
Oct 3, 2017, 9:31 am
#789
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Are we discussing gift cards or the point rebate?
Oct 3, 2017, 9:37 am
#790
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Sorry, my mistake, the list of eligible airlines is the same. I do not know the correct process to Pay with Points on those airlines because (in the case of Southwest) American Express has published conflicting instructions.
Last edited by mia; Oct 3, 2017 at 9:44 am
Oct 7, 2017, 8:45 am
#791
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Another data point that balance of airfare charged to Biz Platinum and offset by MR points earns 5x MR point:
9/3/2017: Purchased 2x biz tickets on amextravel.com for $366 each and used 60,000 MR points to partially pay for the tickets.
9/3/2017: Two $366 charges and one $600 credit posted to my Biz Plat card, 60,000 MR points deducted from my MR account.
10/4/2017: 31 days later, 21,000 MR points credited back as the 35% rebate, 532 MR points posted to my MR accounts as "5 X TLS". This equals to 5 * $133, which was the net balance after the MR-funded $600 credit from the airfare purchase.
Overall, my $732 biz airfare purchase cost me $133 and 38,468 MR points, about 1.6c/pt -- not the best redemption but I'll take it for when I'd rather spend points than cash. Plus I will earn elite-qualifying and redeemable miles on the flights.
9/3/2017: Purchased 2x biz tickets on amextravel.com for $366 each and used 60,000 MR points to partially pay for the tickets.
9/3/2017: Two $366 charges and one $600 credit posted to my Biz Plat card, 60,000 MR points deducted from my MR account.
10/4/2017: 31 days later, 21,000 MR points credited back as the 35% rebate, 532 MR points posted to my MR accounts as "5 X TLS". This equals to 5 * $133, which was the net balance after the MR-funded $600 credit from the airfare purchase.
Overall, my $732 biz airfare purchase cost me $133 and 38,468 MR points, about 1.6c/pt -- not the best redemption but I'll take it for when I'd rather spend points than cash. Plus I will earn elite-qualifying and redeemable miles on the flights.
Oct 7, 2017, 4:47 pm
#792
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I made a domestic first class booking on 6/29 for a flight on 7/24. The 35% rebate posted on 7/30 and then an additional 15% came on 8/9. From a few other people's data points, this seems consistent (35% comes 31 days after booking, then additional 15% about a week or more later) but I don't know the dates of their flights. Does the date of the flight have anything to do with when the points post?
The reason I ask is I want to make a booking for mid-December. My card's AF is due around that time and there's a good chance I will close the card. I want to make sure all my rebate points arrive by then.
The reason I ask is I want to make a booking for mid-December. My card's AF is due around that time and there's a good chance I will close the card. I want to make sure all my rebate points arrive by then.
Oct 8, 2017, 8:46 am
#793
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 286
I made a domestic first class booking on 6/29 for a flight on 7/24. The 35% rebate posted on 7/30 and then an additional 15% came on 8/9. From a few other people's data points, this seems consistent (35% comes 31 days after booking, then additional 15% about a week or more later) but I don't know the dates of their flights. Does the date of the flight have anything to do with when the points post?
The reason I ask is I want to make a booking for mid-December. My card's AF is due around that time and there's a good chance I will close the card. I want to make sure all my rebate points arrive by then.
The reason I ask is I want to make a booking for mid-December. My card's AF is due around that time and there's a good chance I will close the card. I want to make sure all my rebate points arrive by then.
Oct 8, 2017, 9:12 am
#794
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,546
and the whole 50% (assuming you are still eligible) posts at 31 days after ticketing.
Oct 15, 2017, 8:30 pm
#795
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Hyatt Glb, MR Plat
Posts: 2,577
Is everyone getting this email? My card was upgraded from Gold to Plat in Nov 2016 while my AF was billed in Aug (this was the Gold AF date). From what I've gathered, I'm still okay until the Nov upgrade date?