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

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

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Old Nov 20, 2019, 5:56 pm
  #2386  
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 3
Upgrade to FC

Hi,

Just wanted to check if upgrade to FC will trigger the credit or not? It is $139.
fmurray257 likes this.
Az_gt is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2019, 5:57 pm
  #2387  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,397
Originally Posted by michael_v
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.
Does southwest charge?
jamesteroh is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2019, 11:31 pm
  #2388  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 113
Originally Posted by Az_gt
Hi,

Just wanted to check if upgrade to FC will trigger the credit or not? It is $139.
It was not triggered for me, doing it from the reservation screen more than 24 hours before the flight. Not sure if within 24 hours or during check-in is different.
Az_gt likes this.
ehchan is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 3:42 am
  #2389  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, AA, SW, Delta
Posts: 883
so as long as we purchase a flight with delta gc and it is under $250 we will get reinbursed by amex. but since i won't be flying delta this year, can i a regular ticket and cancel within 24 hours and get delta credit so i can use it next year
happyvoid is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 6:35 am
  #2390  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 137
I booked a ticket using a single $50 GC less than 24 hours ago. Unfortunately I didn't see DPs that the remaining amount charged to the credit card needed to be less than $250, so in the end the amount charged was $380. I assume my chances of getting this reimbursed are low? Do you think I can call up DL now and ask them to shift $180 of the charge to my CSR, instead?
pennystinkard is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 7:43 am
  #2391  
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: New York
Posts: 8
>> Data point <<

Card: Aspire

11/16: Bought a ticket $426 = $100 GC + $100 GC + $226 CC
11/19: Meter moved ($24 left out of $250)
11/20: Credit posted ($226)
IndyHoosier likes this.
vorbster is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 10:00 am
  #2392  
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 6
will this work?

hello all,
with all the restrictions on amex aspire card $250 airline credit- does bumping seats up to comfort+ bill to amex in such a way that it’s reimbursed?
dasteelers is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 10:34 am
  #2393  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 47
Originally Posted by vorbster
>> Data point <<

Card: Aspire

11/16: Bought a ticket $426 = $100 GC + $100 GC + $226 CC
11/19: Meter moved ($24 left out of $250)
11/20: Credit posted ($226)
What airline ? EDIT* nvm im an idiot

Last edited by pao2dapao; Nov 21, 2019 at 11:30 am
pao2dapao is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 12:33 pm
  #2394  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 8
delta no longer working

what to spend $200 on... hmm.
geguia is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 12:51 pm
  #2395  
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: New York
Posts: 8
Originally Posted by dasteelers
hello all,
with all the restrictions on amex aspire card $250 airline credit- does bumping seats up to comfort+ bill to amex in such a way that it’s reimbursed?
Discussed a lot of times here.

NO, class upgrades don't work for Delta.
vorbster is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 1:08 pm
  #2396  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,397
I can't find this in the wiki. Anyone had any luck using Pay with miles for part of the fare and getting a credit for paying the remaining balance with your Am Ex?
jamesteroh is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2019, 10:50 pm
  #2397  
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: 18,889
Originally Posted by happyvoid
so as long as we purchase a flight with delta gc and it is under $250 we will get reinbursed by amex. but since i won't be flying delta this year, can i a regular ticket and cancel within 24 hours and get delta credit so i can use it next year
IME 24-hour risk free cancellations are reversed back to original form(s) of payment, in the same respective amounts that they were used for, i.e. it's just like clicking "undo" on the purchase.

Originally Posted by jamesteroh
I can't find this in the wiki. Anyone had any luck using Pay with miles for part of the fare and getting a credit for paying the remaining balance with your Am Ex?
I haven't tried this but assume it would be functionally the same as any other split tender transaction.
Zorak is offline  
Old Nov 22, 2019, 12:31 am
  #2398  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: formerly Gold now Diamond, formerly MSY, now LAX, formerly NW, now DL
Programs: Hyatt Plat, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Delta Diamond/1MM
Posts: 4,635
Didn't see if anything purchased at a Delta Lounge worked (premium drinks or gift cards bought there)?
NOLAnwGOLD is offline  
Old Nov 22, 2019, 5:53 am
  #2399  
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 3
Status Elevation

Anyonehas tried the status elevation by Delta? Minimum is $299 for the same MQDs and some MQMs? Will it trigger the credit?
Az_gt is offline  
Old Nov 22, 2019, 7:46 am
  #2400  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,397
Originally Posted by NOLAnwGOLD
Didn't see if anything purchased at a Delta Lounge worked (premium drinks or gift cards bought there)?

I'm also wondering about drink purchases at the bar.

According to the point guys blog gift cards purchased at the sky club don't apply to the credit any longer.
jamesteroh is offline  


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