Jan 18, 2016, 10:57 am
Last edit by: MaxVO
This thread is a continuation of: Airline fee $200/$100 reimbursement reports: DL only [2011 - 2015]
Credit posting delays range from several business days (typical) to several weeks (seen in Oct 2015). The T&Cs state that it could take up to four weeks, so wait at least that long before worrying, and certainly don't contact Amex prematurely
Caution: effective from 22 June 2019, gift card purchases from Delta do not get reimbursed.
Read this primer first
additional collections/split tender
THIS IS A LOOPHOLE. BE DISCREET
Anything coded as an additional collection (aka add/collect or a/c), including difference in fare when changing flights, and accepting an FCM offer, also triggers the credit and will be reimbursed; this may (insufficient data) only happen if the additional amount collected is below ~$250 (regardless of card type, e.g. there have been reports of full $100 credit for Gold card on a/c over $100 and full $200 credit for Plat on a/c over $200 but less than $250)
other non Gift Card options
(DEAD) eGift Card (eCert) details
This Section is not applicable effective 2019/06/22!
Credit posting delays range from several business days (typical) to several weeks (seen in Oct 2015). The T&Cs state that it could take up to four weeks, so wait at least that long before worrying, and certainly don't contact Amex prematurely
Caution: effective from 22 June 2019, gift card purchases from Delta do not get reimbursed.
Read this primer first
- In the Amex Membership Rewards family, both the Consumer and Business versions of the Platinum and Centurion cards qualify for a $200 airline credit. The Premier Rewards Gold (PRG) card is eligible for a $100 airline credit.
- You must
click here to<--(link dead) select Delta as your enrolled airline before you make a reimbursable purchase, else the benefit won't apply. The feature is activated immediately upon airline designation. Try logging in to your AMEX account and selecting the airline. This link may work - If you've selected DL in the past and don't wish to change airlines, there's no need to select again; current selection rolls into future years until modified.
- The T&Cs state the eligible charges, but YMMV, so don't call and ask especially about the fuzzier cases below because that will probably hasten closing of any loopholes.
- The credit is per account, not per card. If the main account has authorized users with additional cards, eligible charges may still be made on those cards, but they'll count jointly towards the same account limit.
- Credits are capped per calendar year, meaning you could tap the full amount on Dec 31st and again on Jan 1st in the extreme. Transaction date, not posting date, determines the year. Note: This is not my experience. I purchased Dec 31, 2016, posted Jan 1, 2017 and went against my 2017 credit. (TheMadBrewer)
- You will get a partial credit to bring your total annual reimbursements to the limit exactly if a qualifying charge takes you past the limit.
- After four weeks, if you've read this Wiki carefully and posted here seeking assistance but the credit still has not arrived, consider chatting with Amex online. Politely mention the "Delta extras" you thought would be reimbursed within four weeks and they'll handle it.
additional collections/split tender
THIS IS A LOOPHOLE. BE DISCREET
Anything coded as an additional collection (aka add/collect or a/c), including difference in fare when changing flights, and accepting an FCM offer, also triggers the credit and will be reimbursed; this may (insufficient data) only happen if the additional amount collected is below ~$250 (regardless of card type, e.g. there have been reports of full $100 credit for Gold card on a/c over $100 and full $200 credit for Plat on a/c over $200 but less than $250)
- Relevantly, split tender where you partially pay with a gift card, existing credit, VDB voucher etc. and partly charged to your card, are processed by DL as an add/collect and trigger the credit per above.
- Thus if you anticipate actually buying, say, a $200 DL ticket, you could buy a single $50 gift card, then buy the ticket using $50 GC and $150 on your card (the $150 will be reimbursed)
- Canceling a ticket within the 24-hour risk-free period generally results in funds being returned to where they came from (GC back to GC and CC back to CC). If you have no immediate travel plans but anticipate travel in the next year, consider buying a fully refundable ticket and then changing it later once you know your future travel dates. IF a lot of people suddenly start refunding tickets after getting the credit reimbursement this may hasten the demise of this particular loophole.
- Caution when buying multiple tickets: for example if you buy two $125 tickets in one transaction (total $250) and use one $100 GC or even two $50 GCs, they will all be applied to the same ticket and you would see one additional collection for $25 on that ticket and a separate "normal" charge for $125 for the second ticket. In this scenario only $25 will be reimbursed (instead of the $150 you might be expecting)
other non Gift Card options
- baggage and other service fees (same day change/standby, change fees, etc.)
- taxes on award flights
- in-flight purchases (EXCEPT wifi)
- SkyClub access/guest fees (but NOT gift cards purchased at a SC, which are actually activated at a 3rd party web site)
- mileage boosts (post 2499)
- The $59 for Delta Skymiles Select is reimbursed (posts 2180, 2182)
- seat assignment fees (may need to call in to have processed manually)
(DEAD) eGift Card (eCert) details
This Section is not applicable effective 2019/06/22!
- Delta eGift Cards (eCerts) have been reimbursed in practice, even though technically they do not meet the criteria listed by Amex for reimbursement. The name on the eCerts doesn't matter and need not match your card, but you must purchase using an eligible Amex card and meet the other criteria detailed in this Wiki.
- Denominations over $50 will not generate the credit. Multiple $50 eCerts will. The smallest denomination available is $50.
- To order, use this direct link to the eGift cert order page, or navigate via Delta.com>Shop>eGift Certificate.
- No need to place separate orders using multiple carts/checkouts. By adding multiple certs to one order (e.g., 4 x $50), even though they are in the same cart, the certs will post as separate transactions and still generate a credit for each.
- eCert purchases may initially authorize (show pending) as ticket purchases before posting to (finalize on) your statement. Multiple-eCert orders may authorize the combined value as a single pending ticket purchase. Don't worry; they'll post later as separate eCert charges in the qualifying amounts.
- eCerts are generated instantly, but the codes are not valid for use until 72 hours after purchase, so don't order expecting to use them in a pinch.
- A maximum of three eCerts may be redeemed per online transaction. Splitting a round-trip into two one-ways will allow you to use additional eCerts, but in some cases two one-ways may cost more than a single roundtrip so compare carefully to decide whether using more than 3 certs on a single trip is worthwhile.
- If purchasing a ticket for more than 1 person, splitting the purchase into a separate transaction for each person would also allow the use of more than 3 certs on a single trip at (usually) no additional cost. However this could have an adverse effect on ability to upgrade, upgrade priority, and other elite benefits, and on the likelihood of being reaccommodated on the same flight in the event of a flight cancellation.
- There is one recent REPORT of a telephone agent allowing more than three eCerts to be used when purchasing one ticket.
- eCerts do not expire. Their T&Cs are listed here.
Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: DL only (2015-2019)
Sep 22, 2017, 2:27 pm
#451
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 16
Data Point
3x $50 e-Gift Cards Purchased 9/17
$150 Credit 9/19
Used 3x $50 e-Gift Cards to purchase airfare with remainder going onto AMEX Plat 9/20
$50 Credit posted 9/21
Surprised to see that purchase of a regular ticket when using gift cards triggered the credit!
3x $50 e-Gift Cards Purchased 9/17
$150 Credit 9/19
Used 3x $50 e-Gift Cards to purchase airfare with remainder going onto AMEX Plat 9/20
$50 Credit posted 9/21
Surprised to see that purchase of a regular ticket when using gift cards triggered the credit!
Sep 24, 2017, 11:42 am
#452
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 41
Have never used these ecerts before. Can they be used to pay for other people's tickets on a family trip or on.y applied to my own?
Sep 24, 2017, 3:57 pm
#453
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta PM
Posts: 323
They can be used on any ticket that you're paying for. They're gift cards.
Oct 4, 2017, 4:46 pm
#454
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 41
Awesome. Will try this when credits reset jan1
Oct 13, 2017, 3:00 pm
#455
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,633
a couple of noob questions, sorry.
i just got my first personal plat AMEX, account opened on 10/09. i assume that (1) i can select an airline for the remainder of 2017 and (2) if i select a different airline than DL for 2017, i'll still be allowed to reset my airline choice as normal in January 2018?
finally, are gift cards still a valid transaction for reimbursement if purchased in denominations of <$50/card?
many thanks for your patience and help.
i just got my first personal plat AMEX, account opened on 10/09. i assume that (1) i can select an airline for the remainder of 2017 and (2) if i select a different airline than DL for 2017, i'll still be allowed to reset my airline choice as normal in January 2018?
finally, are gift cards still a valid transaction for reimbursement if purchased in denominations of <$50/card?
many thanks for your patience and help.
Oct 16, 2017, 11:28 pm
#456
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1
Purchased $50 x4 eGift Cards on 10/13/2017, was credited $50 x4
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement on 10/15/2017.
AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement on 10/15/2017.
Oct 17, 2017, 1:28 pm
#457
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: AS MVP, BA
Posts: 299
This is a little off topic, but the Delta Gold Business Amex comes with a $50 statement credit after making a delta purchase within 3 months.
Anyone know if a $50 eGC would qualify for this? I have no delta travel plans right now but don't want this to go to waste...
Anyone know if a $50 eGC would qualify for this? I have no delta travel plans right now but don't want this to go to waste...
Oct 21, 2017, 12:32 pm
#459
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: SPG P, IHG P, Hilton G
Posts: 1
Data Point
3*$50 e-Gift Cards Purchased Oct 17
Credit Posted Oct 20
3*$50 e-Gift Cards Purchased Oct 17
Credit Posted Oct 20
Oct 21, 2017, 2:39 pm
#460
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,256
Tip: If you pay for a drink in the Delta Skyclub lounge, that should trigger the statement credit, too.
Oct 23, 2017, 6:04 am
#461
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 69
Lounge n00b here...but aren't drinks complimentary in the Skyclub lounges? I thought food and the bar was a benefit to the lounge, paying $29 for access for a guest, etc.
Oct 23, 2017, 6:11 am
#462
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,857
I'll add my eGift DP here as well:
10/18 purchased 4x$50 Delta eGift certs
10/19 purchase posted
10/21 4x$50 Amex credits posted
Oct 23, 2017, 6:12 am
#463
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LON, PDX
Programs: DL PM, AS MVP 75K, HH/SPG/MR Gold, Amex Plat, PRG, CSR
Posts: 2,064
All food is complimentary. There is a wide selection of complimentary house beer, wine, and liquor. Delta's complimentary liquors are comparable to "premium" liquors at an AA Club, think Jack Daniels, Stolichnaya. There are also paid premium beer, wine, and liquor with selections ranging all the way up to Krug and Dom at some clubs.
Oct 23, 2017, 8:36 am
#464
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 69
Thanks for clearing the drink purchases issue up...makes total sense. ^
Side question, can anyone comment on whether purchases that are reimbursed by the airline credit (e.g. gift cards, lounge passes, etc) count towards meeting the minimum purchase spend? Or are those amounts not counted because they're reimbursed?
It won't be an issue to meet for us anyways, but I'm just curious here.
Side question, can anyone comment on whether purchases that are reimbursed by the airline credit (e.g. gift cards, lounge passes, etc) count towards meeting the minimum purchase spend? Or are those amounts not counted because they're reimbursed?
It won't be an issue to meet for us anyways, but I'm just curious here.
Oct 23, 2017, 8:27 pm
#465
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Taipei
Programs: Asiamiles, OZ Gold, Hilton Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 116
Providing some data points.
Bought 3 x $50 eGift cards on Oct. 11th.
Reimbursed $150 on Oct. 13th.
Used 3x $50 eGift cards to purchase a $220 DL roundtrip ticket.
Paid the $70 remaining amount with Amex Plat on Oct. 19th.
Reimbursed $50 on Oct. 21st.
All the transactions above shown the description of "Travel - Airline"
Bought 3 x $50 eGift cards on Oct. 11th.
Reimbursed $150 on Oct. 13th.
Used 3x $50 eGift cards to purchase a $220 DL roundtrip ticket.
Paid the $70 remaining amount with Amex Plat on Oct. 19th.
Reimbursed $50 on Oct. 21st.
All the transactions above shown the description of "Travel - Airline"
Last edited by Maxxis; Oct 23, 2017 at 11:40 pm