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)
Nov 14, 2019, 2:02 pm
#2371
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: 100,399
Nov 15, 2019, 2:47 pm
#2372
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: San Diego
Programs: Alaska, American, Delta, Aer Lingus, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt
Posts: 21
DL currently is offering 3,000 additional RDMs for $59 (not sure whether tax is charged on this), or 1,000/2,000 for $29/$44 respectively. [Note the nonlinear prices, as expected.] You can add it to a ticket at purchase or anytime before flying, apparently by clicking a link in the PNR.
Nov 16, 2019, 12:39 pm
#2373
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Delta, United, American, Alaska, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 6
Nov 17, 2019, 10:02 am
#2375
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: RDU
Programs: HH Diamond, AA Gold, Marriot Plat
Posts: 209
Got it. Just bought a $59 mileage booster. Now I got a question for everyone! Can I buy multiple mileage boosters for my trip? Making 5 stops for my trip and I can do a mileage booster for EACH stop for $59. I have $200 for my AMEX Plat and $250 for my Hilton Aspire. Can I use both cards and use the mileage booster to get 15,000 miles for around $300 using my airline credit? Obviously both AMEX cards will have Delta as the selected airline. Also, any datapoint on upgrading seats from Main Cabin to Comfort one? Trying to spend all of my travel credit! thank you so much for your help everyone!
Nov 18, 2019, 2:51 am
#2376
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 13
Nov 18, 2019, 7:32 am
#2377
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 21
11/13: Purchased two $99 roundtrip fares separately for $99 each. Used $50 GC for each of them and charged 2 x $49 to Aspire.
11/15: 2 x $49 purchases on Aspire coded as "Additional Collection"
11/17: Meter moved
11/18: 2 x $49 credits posted
11/15: 2 x $49 purchases on Aspire coded as "Additional Collection"
11/17: Meter moved
11/18: 2 x $49 credits posted
Nov 18, 2019, 8:28 am
#2378
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 116
Bought a $260 round trip on 11/13 with a $50 gift card, was reimbursed $200 today. Also categorized as "additional collection"
Nov 18, 2019, 3:02 pm
#2379
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Between MGM & ATL
Programs: Primarily Hilton & Delta
Posts: 137
I've got about $225 left in DL airline credit on my Aspire card for 2019. I have a trip planned for April that was booked using Skymiles and found out this week that it may need to be cancelled. DL Charges $150 per ticket (2 roundtrip tickets, so $300) to reimburse the miles (about 45,000 miles total in this case). Will the $300 cancellation fee trigger the remaining $225 of credit I have left? Anyone have experience? I for sure want to use the credit before the end of 2019, so if I get confirmation that I need to cancel the trip (or maybe change..for same cost) I plan to do so by the end of the year. The other option is possibly using a gift card and 2019 credit to buy a different future flight. I could then use 2020 credit for April trip cancellation.
Nov 19, 2019, 4:59 pm
#2380
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 981
I've got about $225 left in DL airline credit on my Aspire card for 2019. I have a trip planned for April that was booked using Skymiles and found out this week that it may need to be cancelled. DL Charges $150 per ticket (2 roundtrip tickets, so $300) to reimburse the miles (about 45,000 miles total in this case). Will the $300 cancellation fee trigger the remaining $225 of credit I have left? Anyone have experience? I for sure want to use the credit before the end of 2019, so if I get confirmation that I need to cancel the trip (or maybe change..for same cost) I plan to do so by the end of the year. The other option is possibly using a gift card and 2019 credit to buy a different future flight. I could then use 2020 credit for April trip cancellation.
Nov 20, 2019, 9:23 am
#2381
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
Mileage booster, baggage fees and in-flight food all reimbursed within 2-3 business days of the charge posting.
Nov 20, 2019, 9:24 am
#2382
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
The last one to offer that was Alaska. Now there is a fee to cancel everywhere. BA and Virgin Atlantic are more lenient in the sense that if the taxes paid are less than the cancellation fee, they keep the taxes you paid and don't charge a cancellation fee.
Nov 20, 2019, 11:42 am
#2383
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,398
It is on Delta as long it's at least 72 hours before departure time for PM and DM's.
Nov 20, 2019, 2:08 pm
#2384
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Between MGM & ATL
Programs: Primarily Hilton & Delta
Posts: 137
Correct, I'm not PM or DM. So my question still stands. Anyone have experience with this triggering the reimbursement? I have read through the T&Cs and it does not list change/cancellation fees as being excluded. I would think it should qualify.
Nov 20, 2019, 2:27 pm
#2385
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
The airline fee credit is intended for things like change/cancellation fees. If it doesn't automatically credit, this would be something that is actually legitimate to call Amex about and have them push it through.