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

Jan 9, 20, 12:52 am - Wikipost

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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:
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Jul 8, 19, 8:04 am

#1666

caesarsalad

Join Date: Jun 2019

Posts: 12

Another partial payment DP (Amex Gold):
7/1 Delta GC purchased ($50)
7/3 Delta GC purchase posted
7/5 Delta airfare purchased ($168.60 plus $50 GC)
7/7 Delta airfare purchase posted (document type: additional collection)
7/7 Counter decreased from $100 to $0
7/9 $100 credit posted in one transaction

ym82, 808traveler, Global Adventurer and 1 others like this.

Jul 8, 19, 8:37 am

#1667

danhouston

Join Date: Aug 2015

Posts: 1,603

Quote:

Originally Posted by caesarsalad

strange that DL's fare purch >$100 got reimbursed but not with WN's...

Jul 8, 19, 8:55 am

#1668

mia

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: 45,263

Quote:

Originally Posted by danhouston

strange that DL's fare purch >$100 got reimbursed but not with WN's...

The transaction amount is one variable. The way the airline codes the transaction is another.

808traveler likes this.

Jul 8, 19, 4:12 pm

#1669

jarza

Join Date: Apr 2018

Programs: AA

Posts: 24

6/23 Delta GC purchased ($50)
6/23 Delta GC purchased ($50)
7/8 No credit received

Jul 9, 19, 6:49 am

#1670

thebat

Join Date: Jul 2004

Programs: CO, UA, AA, WN, DL Gold

Posts: 2,981

I bought a DL $50 gift card on 7/1/19, did not get reimbursed. I have to admit I was a little behind on my reading of this forum. I was pretty surprised to find that the benefit had ended. But, after reading farther, I used the partial pay method, I booked a $469 flight, payed $400 with DL gift cards and used my Amex Gold card for the balance. I was reimbursed the $69 in two days. So maybe there is hope for tbis program, but using it fully can become pretty convoluted.

Jul 9, 19, 6:52 am

#1671

cfabar1

Join Date: Mar 2011

Programs: Delta Skymiles

Posts: 1,953

Based on thebat’s comment, Do I understand that startingnow Delta GIft cards of. ANY amount are not eligible?

Jul 9, 19, 12:50 pm

#1672

lax01

Join Date: Jul 2010

Posts: 881

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebat

Gift cards were never a benefit...it was a loophole found - they may have closed that loop hole

gooselee likes this.

Jul 9, 19, 1:20 pm

#1673

jjezttt

Join Date: Jan 2012

Posts: 7

Physical GC?

Anyone tried purchasing physical GC post-6/22? They've worked before- see posts around March 12, 2019.

Jul 9, 19, 2:18 pm

#1674

cfabar1

Join Date: Mar 2011

Programs: Delta Skymiles

Posts: 1,953

As more and more of these so-called loopholes get closed, it becomes harder to justify this airline credit - especially for those of us who already have elite status or benefits, fly first regularly, etc.

GTITAN, MSPeconomist, hi55us and 2 others like this.

Jul 9, 19, 5:16 pm

#1675

thebat

Join Date: Jul 2004

Programs: CO, UA, AA, WN, DL Gold

Posts: 2,981

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfabar1

Based on thebat’s comment, Do I understand that startingnow Delta GIft cards of. ANY amount are not eligible?

Yes, that seems to be the case.

Jul 10, 19, 2:29 am

#1676

Gabe Sanders

Join Date: Jul 2019

Posts: 1

Bought 4 Delta Giftcards worth $50 each. Separate purchases. Amex Plat.

7/6 bought 4x $50 GC
7/7 only one $50 Amex credit posted

nothing after that

808traveler likes this.

Jul 10, 19, 9:37 am

#1677

red5jm

Join Date: Jul 2019

Posts: 2

Airline Fee credit for "premium beverage" in Delta Sky Club?

Since it seems like the Amex Gold/Platinum airline incidentals credit being is no longer being triggered by a Delta gift card purchase, I am trying to think of ways to use our Amex Gold Card credit for an upcoming trip.

My wife are flying KLM business class from MSP, so we will get access to the Delta lounge on our way out of town. Will the purchase of a "premium beverage" in the Delta Sky Club trigger the credit? I have seen some conflicting reports on this from some searching online.

I can't think of another way to use the credit before the year is up, since we aren't planning on flying on Delta this calendar year. And buying a fun glass of champagne or Johnnie Walker blue label to celebrate our big trip is certainly better than losing the credit.

Jul 10, 19, 1:34 pm

#1678

uppereastsider

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: NYC

Programs: DL Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Plt / LTG, Amtrak Select+

Posts: 907

Quote:

Originally Posted by red5jm

At least for the JFK Skyclub, it codes as Delta Sky Club and food/beverage and doesn't trigger the credit since it's not Delta or airline charge

red5jm likes this.

Jul 10, 19, 2:01 pm

#1679

zorbachs

Join Date: May 2014

Location: Charleston, SC

Programs: SPG/Marriot Gold, Hilton Gold

Posts: 388

What a disaster. I know some years I spend my credit organically (lounge guest fees, in flight drinks, seat upgrades), but other years, I just cash them out on gift cards to use in the future.

From the sound of it, if you pay with a giftcard and then your Platinum card, that triggers the credit? I suppose I can just buy a gift card, apply it to a future flight, and try to trigger the credit then.