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)
Aug 3, 2017, 9:30 am
#721
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 286
When using Pay with Points, does the flight tend to code as whatever fare of the ticket you bought? Or does it code as some sort of special fare class? I'm looking to book some AA international Y fares, and am trying to figure out how many miles I would get through Alaska MileagePlan for them.
Aug 8, 2017, 4:08 pm
#722
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 23
I'm having a hard time as they said Southwest does not qualify...and I never got an email saying they qualified. I've waited, and I'm rather pissed about it as I chose southwest as my option.
Aug 8, 2017, 11:21 pm
#723
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: YYC, SFO, OAK
Programs: AS MVP 75K, AA Platinum, IHG Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 734
Has anyone else had trouble canceling tickets within 24 hours when booking on Amex Travel? You have to call in and the hold time is now over 40 minutes and no updates on wait time as you hold... what happens if you go over 24 hours due to waiting for an agent? Is that your own fault? Very frustrating...
Aug 9, 2017, 2:30 pm
#724
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 61
AFAIK for Southwest and Spirit you may need to call in to have to pay with points. I recall purchasing Southwest tickets on the SWA site and being told I would need to speak to Amex to pay with points. I did and had the 50% of points refunded (Centurion).
Aug 9, 2017, 7:29 pm
#725
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
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
<snip>
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
<snip>
Does anyone else have a different assessment of the value of this perk?
Case and point the $1.9k QR r/t J fare from US > SIN > US last year. At 35% back on a ticket cost of $1,900 the net MR spend equates to 123,500, or 61,750 each way. When you factor in the earning from the ticket - as it is a revenue ticket - the proposition gets better.
Bottom line: (deeply) discounted revenue J/F fares combined with the MR rebate can exceed transfer-to-reward-award-ticket redemption values.
Aug 11, 2017, 2:48 pm
#726
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
The terms and conditions say: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points to book flights with your selected airline through American Express Travel online or by calling Business Platinum Travel Service.
Has anyone had the rebate post on the 31st day if they made the booking by calling and paying with points?
I made such a booking by phone on July 10th (exactly 31 days ago), and my rebate points haven't posted.
My SO made same business-class flight booking online on July 10th right after me, and his rebate points have posted.
Of-course, calling them right now they give the 10-12 week wait thing, but I'm wondering if there are some other data points on making a booking by phone?
(The reason why I did it by phone was because the phone agent actually quoted me the price $50 less than what I saw online, my SO didn't care about paying the extra $50 through his online portal).
Plus no headaches about availaility, no paying taxes and surcharges. Its well worth it. I'm even considering the $550 annual fee same as what I would pay in lost miles and taxes/fees for a similar flight using similar miles.
Has anyone had the rebate post on the 31st day if they made the booking by calling and paying with points?
I made such a booking by phone on July 10th (exactly 31 days ago), and my rebate points haven't posted.
My SO made same business-class flight booking online on July 10th right after me, and his rebate points have posted.
Of-course, calling them right now they give the 10-12 week wait thing, but I'm wondering if there are some other data points on making a booking by phone?
(The reason why I did it by phone was because the phone agent actually quoted me the price $50 less than what I saw online, my SO didn't care about paying the extra $50 through his online portal).
Bottom line: (deeply) discounted revenue J/F fares combined with the MR rebate can exceed transfer-to-reward-award-ticket redemption values.
Aug 11, 2017, 8:42 pm
#727
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Charlotte NC USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat, Alaska 75k, IHG Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 863
Aug 15, 2017, 10:22 am
#728
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: New York City
Posts: 801
The terms and conditions say: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points to book flights with your selected airline through American Express Travel online or by calling Business Platinum Travel Service.
Has anyone had the rebate post on the 31st day if they made the booking by calling and paying with points?
I made such a booking by phone on July 10th (exactly 31 days ago), and my rebate points haven't posted.
My SO made same business-class flight booking online on July 10th right after me, and his rebate points have posted.
Of-course, calling them right now they give the 10-12 week wait thing, but I'm wondering if there are some other data points on making a booking by phone?
(The reason why I did it by phone was because the phone agent actually quoted me the price $50 less than what I saw online, my SO didn't care about paying the extra $50 through his online portal).
Has anyone had the rebate post on the 31st day if they made the booking by calling and paying with points?
I made such a booking by phone on July 10th (exactly 31 days ago), and my rebate points haven't posted.
My SO made same business-class flight booking online on July 10th right after me, and his rebate points have posted.
Of-course, calling them right now they give the 10-12 week wait thing, but I'm wondering if there are some other data points on making a booking by phone?
(The reason why I did it by phone was because the phone agent actually quoted me the price $50 less than what I saw online, my SO didn't care about paying the extra $50 through his online portal).
Aug 16, 2017, 5:23 pm
#729
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
Same issue here. Made booking on phone (have never been able to get the website to work), and points have not rebated. Today is 32nd day (booking on 7/14).
Pathetic.
Aug 16, 2017, 10:59 pm
#730
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Lots of my friends got there points back within days! Mine is on day 34 and they still haven't reimbursed me yet.
Aug 17, 2017, 6:28 am
#731
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Aug 17, 2017, 6:45 pm
#733
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 371
Will the pending 4x points from platinum personal card be posted, even if after the card was canceled?
Aug 17, 2017, 9:10 pm
#734
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 14
If one has both business and personal amex platinum, does the 50% rebate apply for a pay-with-points economy ticket of the personal platinum "selected airline"?