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)
#2041
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 15
2 data points, wife and I each purchased separate $50 gift cards and purchased flights separately on each of our Hilton Amex Aspire cards.
9/8 - Purchased Delta Ticket with $50 GC and $191.60 on AMEX Hilton Aspire
9/9 - Charge switched from PENDING to POSTED - charge listed as Delta Airlines Atlanta for statement purposes and was worried it wouldn't trigger credit
9/11 - Reimbursement Posted for both of us for full $191.60 and meter moved
9/8 - Purchased Delta Ticket with $50 GC and $191.60 on AMEX Hilton Aspire
9/9 - Charge switched from PENDING to POSTED - charge listed as Delta Airlines Atlanta for statement purposes and was worried it wouldn't trigger credit
9/11 - Reimbursement Posted for both of us for full $191.60 and meter moved
So I'm buying a $600 Delta ticket. I have 2 amex plat cards to use up the credit. I wonder if I split the flights and buy one there, one return, and buy 2 $50 gift card and put the REST on the CC if that will work?
EDIT: Never mind - cannot book one ways - but I'm hoping if I split across two credit cards with $200 credit each + gift cards maybe that'll trigger?
EDIT EDIT: Never mind. YOu can't use two CCs
Last edited by gracetheyoung; Sep 17, 2019 at 11:06 pm
#2042
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 15
Datapoint:
1. Sep 4, I bought a returnable ticket of $821.30, with GC $575 and Hilton Aspire $246.3
2. Sep 4, I called the Delta call center and changed the ticket to another one, and charged me the price difference of $51.93 with Hilton Aspire
3. Both the transactions were posted on Sep 6, with Document Type: ADDITIONAL COLLECTION
4. Sep 7, the meter moved and shows that You have used all of your $250 Airline Fee Credit for this year.
1. Sep 4, I bought a returnable ticket of $821.30, with GC $575 and Hilton Aspire $246.3
2. Sep 4, I called the Delta call center and changed the ticket to another one, and charged me the price difference of $51.93 with Hilton Aspire
3. Both the transactions were posted on Sep 6, with Document Type: ADDITIONAL COLLECTION
4. Sep 7, the meter moved and shows that You have used all of your $250 Airline Fee Credit for this year.
So BOTH of your transactions triggered it? If I have to buy a $400 ticket, do I need to buy a $50 and put $350 on the card, or do I need to buy a $250 gift card and put $150 on my card [if my card offers $200 credit]
#2043
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
Maybe if booked over the phone?
Based on what we know I think the latter is a safer choice.
Based on what we know I think the latter is a safer choice.
#2044
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 53
So I'm buying a $600 Delta ticket. I have 2 amex plat cards to use up the credit. I wonder if I split the flights and buy one there, one return, and buy 2 $50 gift card and put the REST on the CC if that will work?
EDIT: Never mind - cannot book one ways - but I'm hoping if I split across two credit cards with $200 credit each + gift cards maybe that'll trigger?
EDIT EDIT: Never mind. YOu can't use two CCs
EDIT: Never mind - cannot book one ways - but I'm hoping if I split across two credit cards with $200 credit each + gift cards maybe that'll trigger?
EDIT EDIT: Never mind. YOu can't use two CCs
#2045
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 600
9/14: used points for two one-way award tickets and paid the taxes and fees ($119 each) using Amex Platinum and Gold.
9/18: credited $100 on Gold and the remaining balance of $81 on Platinum today.
9/18: credited $100 on Gold and the remaining balance of $81 on Platinum today.
#2046
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 1
I'm going to try to make a roughly $1100 purchase using $900 in GCs/eGCs - is there any consensus on whether it matters if you use a physical Gift Card or an e-GC yet? I still need to purchase my GC or eGC and I'm trying to figure out if it matters which I use. Everyone has been using the shorthand GC for everything but I don't know if that's just typing convenience or if everyone has been using true GCs.
#2047
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
#2048
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Seattle, WA. USA
Programs: MR, AA, UA, DL, AVIS and growing
Posts: 1,172
- "Caution: effective from 22 June 2019, gift card purchases from Delta do not get reimbursed."
Does AMEX reimbursement for GC purchase ($50) work on different airlines (AA, AS etc) still with AMEX reimbursement for GC purchased on other airlines just not DL?
Can I for example buy x4($50) GC on AA in 2019 get reimburse then buy x4($50) GC starting Jan 1, 2020?
#2049
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,884
No. American Express always excluded gift cards by rule, and practice is now aligned with policy - they are not reimbursed for any airline. The workaround is to use a giftcard to pay a portion of the cost of a ticket, and then pay the balance with the Platinum card. The system may mistake that transaction for a fee and reimburse. The specifics vary by airline, read the appropriate thread.
#2050
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Seattle, WA. USA
Programs: MR, AA, UA, DL, AVIS and growing
Posts: 1,172
How does award travel work if no payment for ticket but fees $34.00 one way?
Seems awkward to part pay $34.00 GC and part remaining with CC (especially on internet booking)and then get reimbursed.
Also AMEX Plat voids trip insurance on award travel if as full ticket must be paid with card AMEX claims.
Chase CSR card only requires partial payment so paying only fees apply to get trip coverage.
Seems awkward to part pay $34.00 GC and part remaining with CC (especially on internet booking)and then get reimbursed.
Also AMEX Plat voids trip insurance on award travel if as full ticket must be paid with card AMEX claims.
Chase CSR card only requires partial payment so paying only fees apply to get trip coverage.
#2051
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New York City
Programs: TK E/*G, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 151
Both triggered it correct. From what I've seen in this thread, the general consensus is that any remaining balance under $200 after applying gift cards should trigger the credit. A few people have had it work over $200, but that seems to be the exception rather than the norm.
#2052
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
Searching the thread for "award" would show that, in practice, recent experience is that the full amount of taxes and fees gets reimbursed on an award ticket, so there's no need to split payment with a gift card.
#2053
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2
Trying to get my Platinum bonus... I bought a $50 eGift card, and when I went to the Review and Pay section, under Payment, it said I had to redeem the gift card under delta.com/redeem. Whereas in the email it said I could apply the eGift card at the payment page. Am I missing something here?
#2054
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
Trying to get my Platinum bonus... I bought a $50 eGift card, and when I went to the Review and Pay section, under Payment, it said I had to redeem the gift card under delta.com/redeem. Whereas in the email it said I could apply the eGift card at the payment page. Am I missing something here?
So it's probably just a matter of the email template not catching up to the latest web site "features" -- except on the last couple weeks or so it appeared that they had (at least temporarily) fixed the checkout flow so that it was over again possible to apply a GC without losing your selected flight etc.
Bottom line, YMMV and it's subject to the whims of DL's crack squad of web designers and UI/UX experts
#2055
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2
So it's probably just a matter of the email template not catching up to the latest web site "features" -- except on the last couple weeks or so it appeared that they had (at least temporarily) fixed the checkout flow so that it was over again possible to apply a GC without losing your selected flight etc.