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)
Jul 19, 2017, 2:07 pm
#691
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: RSW
Programs: SPG Plat, any airline I can transfer MR points to.
Posts: 15
So I have a question, does anyone know if AMEX plans to retain the 50% bonus for Centurion cardholders? I understand the crystal ball can only look so far out...
Also, are Centurion cardholders seeing the same delayed credit of the rebated points as the Business Platinum cardholders? What about the 1.5x point bonus?
Also, are Centurion cardholders seeing the same delayed credit of the rebated points as the Business Platinum cardholders? What about the 1.5x point bonus?
Jul 19, 2017, 2:42 pm
#692
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,130
My 50% redemption run before the change has now come full circle. By buying a full refundable ticket on my airline, then receiving the 50% rebate, I was able to rebook that expensive 3k ticket into what I needed and take the residual back in the form of an ETC as the airline agreed not to refund the difference back to Amex.
Very happy I was able to flush the points out at full value and I have 3k to spend with my airline (actually 3,200 with the airline fee rebate) and half the points back which can start burning next year at 35%.
Very happy I was able to flush the points out at full value and I have 3k to spend with my airline (actually 3,200 with the airline fee rebate) and half the points back which can start burning next year at 35%.
Jul 19, 2017, 2:44 pm
#693
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,531
stupid to not have taken the credit to your AMEX account
Jul 19, 2017, 2:58 pm
#694
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,130
Jul 19, 2017, 3:03 pm
#695
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,949
We don't have many examples, but the default seems to be to refund money (card account credit) rather than points.
Jul 19, 2017, 4:07 pm
#697
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,130
Now I received better value for my points and have cash value with the airline that I will mostly certainly spend over one year.
Jul 20, 2017, 2:11 pm
#698
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Can't do mixed tickets online so I had to book over the phone and pay a $40 ticketing fee.
I thought all domestic flights are priced the same OW vs RT but I was wrong. IAH-SFO
I thought all domestic flights are priced the same OW vs RT but I was wrong. IAH-SFO
Jul 21, 2017, 11:57 am
#699
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Rebate if charged on personal Amex Plat?
I have read the wiki --- in particular the 2nd question and answer, which suggests the jury is still out -- and I have been reading the thread from June onward.
Am I correct that, post-devaluation, we really have no data points on whether charging to personal Amex Plat still gives rebate (assuming we also have Amex Business Plat)?
Edit and update: I posted this because earlier today I bought an Insiders Fares ticket via Amex Travel (website) and picked my personal card [without a heck of a lot of thought, and some vague recollections of some of the discussion upstream about the points advantages of personal versus Business]. Next [of course] I started to get cold feet, read this thread closely, blah, blah, blah. I must say that all of the Amex stuff I could find on-line suggested that any enrolled MR card would be good. Anyhow, I called Amex Travel, and they ahd the same reading of the regs as I did. Whoever I was talking to did kick it up to a supervisor, who said to call the MR people. I waited on hold -- eventually the Amex agent came back and said that she had been reassured that paying with points via a personal Plat card would trigger the rebate as well. Was the call recorded? I'm hoping so, because I made a careful note on my calendar of the time that I was reassured on this point by the agent.
Am I correct that, post-devaluation, we really have no data points on whether charging to personal Amex Plat still gives rebate (assuming we also have Amex Business Plat)?
Edit and update: I posted this because earlier today I bought an Insiders Fares ticket via Amex Travel (website) and picked my personal card [without a heck of a lot of thought, and some vague recollections of some of the discussion upstream about the points advantages of personal versus Business]. Next [of course] I started to get cold feet, read this thread closely, blah, blah, blah. I must say that all of the Amex stuff I could find on-line suggested that any enrolled MR card would be good. Anyhow, I called Amex Travel, and they ahd the same reading of the regs as I did. Whoever I was talking to did kick it up to a supervisor, who said to call the MR people. I waited on hold -- eventually the Amex agent came back and said that she had been reassured that paying with points via a personal Plat card would trigger the rebate as well. Was the call recorded? I'm hoping so, because I made a careful note on my calendar of the time that I was reassured on this point by the agent.
Last edited by Biggie Fries; Jul 21, 2017 at 12:35 pm Reason: Did some more sleuthing
Jul 21, 2017, 6:27 pm
#700
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Charlotte NC USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat, Alaska 75k, IHG Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 862
I have read the wiki --- in particular the 2nd question and answer, which suggests the jury is still out -- and I have been reading the thread from June onward.
Am I correct that, post-devaluation, we really have no data points on whether charging to personal Amex Plat still gives rebate (assuming we also have Amex Business Plat)?
Am I correct that, post-devaluation, we really have no data points on whether charging to personal Amex Plat still gives rebate (assuming we also have Amex Business Plat)?
Jul 22, 2017, 8:13 pm
#701
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 23
Refunding after getting 50% refund
I need to rebook a refundable flight. I was going to cancel and rebook. Will this affect the points refunding?
Jul 22, 2017, 10:45 pm
#702
Formerly known as stellertony
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: MEX
Programs: UA Gold, DL Gold, NEXUS, APEC
Posts: 1,146
The points will not be refunded - you will just see a refund on your card for the cash value of the ticket.
Jul 23, 2017, 1:33 am
#704
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 1,386
Is this something that would be considered abuse after enough instances? Before people start rolling their eyes, for those of us with dynamic schedules this is a real concern (actually did just book a refundable full-fare ticket that I'm not sure I'll be able to fly).
Last edited by moe8555; Jul 23, 2017 at 1:44 am
Jul 28, 2017, 4:52 pm
#705
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: American Airlines Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 207
Is anyone finding this benefit particularly valuable?
I've found that for most international business / first class flights, I can get way higher cpp by transferring points to a frequent flyer program, and for economy flights you're limited to a single domestic airline
With 50% back, the 2cpp return rate was pretty spectacular, but I'm finding that with only a 1.53cpp return, I'm finding much less value on domestic flights.
This seems like a great upgrade if you already had a business platinum and needed to stick with it, but it seems like if you can utilize all of the Uber credits then the personal Platinum is probably a better choice for $100 less.
Even the Chase portfolio of cards seems like a better option, given that you get a bigger travel credit and you can use the points for the same dollar value in a more flexible way.
Does anyone else have a different assessment of the value of this perk?
I've found that for most international business / first class flights, I can get way higher cpp by transferring points to a frequent flyer program, and for economy flights you're limited to a single domestic airline
With 50% back, the 2cpp return rate was pretty spectacular, but I'm finding that with only a 1.53cpp return, I'm finding much less value on domestic flights.
This seems like a great upgrade if you already had a business platinum and needed to stick with it, but it seems like if you can utilize all of the Uber credits then the personal Platinum is probably a better choice for $100 less.
Even the Chase portfolio of cards seems like a better option, given that you get a bigger travel credit and you can use the points for the same dollar value in a more flexible way.
Does anyone else have a different assessment of the value of this perk?
