Jan 18, 2016, 10:57 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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

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.

For other airlines:
AA Thread
AS Thread
B6 Thread
DL Thread
F9 Thread
HA Thread
NK Thread
UA Thread
WN Thread

Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: DL only (2015-2019)

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Nov 12, 2019, 9:05 am

#2326

jamienbaker

Join Date: Jul 2004

Posts: 4,538

$250 credit expiring at year-end (Amex Aspire). I could use some input.

1) Buying into Comfort+ or First from an existing booking does NOT trigger the credit. Just looking to confirm.
2) $50 gift card + incremental ticket purchase MIGHT work...though I have no ticketing needs so will have to experiment with this after the end of the year.
3) Rather than let the credit expire in 7 weeks, best strategy is to buy mileage boosters? I'm not interesting in buying/refunding tickets, etc. Just need to find SOMETHING for the credit...I have no future travel that isn't already booked, I don't need lounge passes, etc.

Thanks in advance - Jamie

Nov 12, 2019, 9:38 am

#2327

jamesteroh

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: Toledo, OH

Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,

Posts: 15,399

Will the MQM/MQD boosts that Delta offers some elites trigger this?

Nov 12, 2019, 2:22 pm

#2328

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 100,413

They're too expensive.

Nov 12, 2019, 3:43 pm

#2329

vorbster

Join Date: Sep 2019

Location: New York

Posts: 8

I recently posted a DP about a reimbursed charge of $190. Now I need to spend my $250 from Aspire, going to buy a ticket for $424. After reviewing the thread it doesn't look like there are many DPs about additional collection charges between $200 and $250. So I'm wondering if I should cover $200 as gift cards or to be on a safe side and cover $250?

Thanks!

Nov 12, 2019, 4:26 pm

#2330

phant0m

Join Date: Jul 2015

Posts: 1,028

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorbster

I'm about to try for an Aspire $250 credit on two tickets for $372 and I can't wait since the prices already doubled in the last two days (flights for NYE). Wish me luck.

Nov 12, 2019, 5:30 pm

#2331

rice4u

Join Date: Nov 2019

Location: RDU

Programs: HH Diamond, AA Gold, Marriot Plat

Posts: 209

Quote:

Originally Posted by rice4u

Update:

Nov 11th: Statement shows Document Type: MISCELLANEOUS TAX(S)/FEE(S) so hopefully they credit back soon.

Update:

Great news. Was credit today "NOV11 AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement ". If anyone don't know what to do with their $250 travel credit on their Hilton Apsire, you can use on Mile Booster on Delta flights. I probably spend the rest on mile booster.

Nov 12, 2019, 8:47 pm

#2332

vernago

Join Date: Nov 2019

Posts: 2

Bought two 161 one-way tickets using two 50 GC on AMEX Aspire on Nov 12. It seems that delta separate out the bill to 161 and 61. I am not sure if I should buy the ticket one by one instead of in the same reservation.

Nov 12, 2019, 9:28 pm

#2333

vernago

Join Date: Nov 2019

Posts: 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by vernago

I think I found old post that I have to split into two reservation.

Nov 13, 2019, 7:13 am

#2334

ScroogeMcFlyer

Join Date: Sep 2002

Posts: 396

Does anyone know if the remaining balance after paying a ticket with "pay with miles" will trigger the credit? What limits should I be aware of?
For example, $330 ticket, if I pay 15000 miles for $330-$150 (15K miles) = $180, will that trigger the credit?
If I buy two tickets, should I book two separate reservations?

Nov 13, 2019, 7:25 am

#2335

ynsep

Join Date: Oct 2019

Posts: 16

Quote:

Originally Posted by EqualOpp

Can't one buy a Delta GC at the Supermarket?

GCs bought at Raise.com can be used immediately.

MaxVO likes this.

Nov 13, 2019, 8:06 am

#2336

inig0m0nt0ya

Join Date: Feb 2018

Posts: 21

I need to buy a flight for two people that are $98 each. The total will be $196 but will this post as two separate transactions or one combined? The reason I ask is that I'm trying to see if I can use one $50 Delta GC and get reimbursed for $196 - $50 = $146 or if I need to use two separate Delta GCs and buy the tickets separately.

Edit: Managed to find this post that said that it'll be split into two transactions and only one of them will be reimbursed. So if I book together, I'll get $48 reimbursed but if I book separately, $96 will get reimbursed.

Last edited by inig0m0nt0ya; Nov 13, 2019 at 8:24 am

Nov 13, 2019, 9:13 am

#2337

jamesteroh

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: Toledo, OH

Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,

Posts: 15,399

Quote:

Originally Posted by vernago

One thing to keep in mind is the passengers have different levels with Delta it could be a pain as far as upgrades and getting rebooked if there is irrops.

Nov 13, 2019, 10:26 am

#2338

phant0m

Join Date: Jul 2015

Posts: 1,028

Quote:

Originally Posted by inig0m0nt0ya

Blah. Next year's credits are gonna be a PITA to try to redeem with a total of $750 in credit.

For my current Aspire credit, I booked 2 tickets with one gift cert on a single transaction.

It split the tickets, one at $185.60 and the other at $135.60. Right after I booked I saw that they had First Class upgrades available for $29 a person one way. I ended up doing that for two seats, at $58 and did Comfort Plus on the way back at $18 total.

So technically I should be looking for a $211.60 credit. Should have just done the first class upgrade both ways damnit.

Nov 13, 2019, 10:30 am

#2339

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 100,413

Quote:

Originally Posted by inig0m0nt0ya

To get the $96 reimbursement, you need to use two $50 gift cards, one for each ticket.

Nov 13, 2019, 10:31 am

#2340

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 100,413

Quote:

Originally Posted by phant0m

Upgrades aren't supposed to be reimbursed.