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)
Jul 25, 2019, 6:52 pm
#1786
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 984
Does Delta allow you to use two different CCs to pay? And if so, will they both be listed as "additional transactions"?
Jul 26, 2019, 7:36 am
#1787
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 407
I did a $199 upgrade to 1st.
7/23 $199 upgrade to 1st
7/24 posted
7/26 nothing so far, meter hasn't moved. it shows on amex as an upgrade too when you click on the charge
I doubt I'll get reimbursed
7/23 $199 upgrade to 1st
7/24 posted
7/26 nothing so far, meter hasn't moved. it shows on amex as an upgrade too when you click on the charge
I doubt I'll get reimbursed
Jul 26, 2019, 8:43 pm
#1790
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 2
Data point
Buying airfare for $68 didn't trigger the credit.
However, buying airfare partially partially funded by a gift card did work for a $158 reimbursement
Credit triggered a few days after purchase.
Buying airfare for $68 didn't trigger the credit.
However, buying airfare partially partially funded by a gift card did work for a $158 reimbursement
Credit triggered a few days after purchase.
Jul 27, 2019, 6:25 am
#1791
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 52
A successful data point for award tickets: Booked 2 separate tickets with fees of $110.43 each. Full credit was applied for first, and up to $200 ($89.57) was applied for the second. So award tickets are still a valid use of the credit.
I know this probably _should_ be assumed, but the wording on the benefits makes it sound like any ticket purchase is not reimbursable, cash or award.
I know this probably _should_ be assumed, but the wording on the benefits makes it sound like any ticket purchase is not reimbursable, cash or award.
Jul 27, 2019, 8:37 am
#1792
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 2
7/23 Brought TWO separate tickets (Each: $179, apply $50 GC, and $129 Hilton Aspire). 7/27 $250 Fully reimbursed (129+121). Thanks for the folks that previously posted.
Jul 27, 2019, 10:42 am
#1793
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,328
Has anyone tried upfaring, i.e. changing a coach ticket to a first ticket? I'm thinking, to keep the amounts smaller, buying a coach ticket with a $50 gift card and using an Amex Aspire card, and then upfaring with another $50 gift card and the credit card again.
I'd also wonder whether it works without the $50 gift card.
I'd also wonder whether it works without the $50 gift card.
Jul 28, 2019, 8:58 am
#1794
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: BOS
Programs: AA Gold, UA, DL
Posts: 5
Can confirm for AMEX Platinum Business, I bought 4 $50 gift cards... then bought a flight that cost $319 - used 2 $50 GC to buy the ticket and paid the balance with the AMEX - was refunded the $200 in credit 2 days later.
Jul 28, 2019, 12:12 pm
#1795
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1
Sadly I booked a bunch of flights for upcoming travel a couple of days before I realized the gift card reimbursement loop hole had been closed, so I am trying to figure out how to use (between me and my wife) $600 credits /facepalm.
I had not seen any data points for buying a physical gift card instead of e gift card, so I tried that out. Purchased online, not at a lounge. Ask Sebby mentioned that someone at a lounge said that buying giftcards there worked but I haven't seen any confirmations of that and Sebby was skeptical of that.
Did not work: On 7/27 Purchased $50 physical gift card + $4.95 shipping fee. The transaction posted and the meter is unchanged, so likely NO reimbursement. I will update if that changes. The $50 appears to be coded as a flight and the $4.95 gives me an error when I click on it so not sure how it is coded.
Did work: I was reimbursed for the taxes/fees of around $28 for a companion flight I booked on 7/24.
Update: The $4.95 shipping fee for physical GC was reimbursed (not that it is helpful, but providing that datapoint). It also seems to be coded as a passenger ticket - or I am not looking in the right place to see how it is coded?
I had not seen any data points for buying a physical gift card instead of e gift card, so I tried that out. Purchased online, not at a lounge. Ask Sebby mentioned that someone at a lounge said that buying giftcards there worked but I haven't seen any confirmations of that and Sebby was skeptical of that.
Did not work: On 7/27 Purchased $50 physical gift card + $4.95 shipping fee. The transaction posted and the meter is unchanged, so likely NO reimbursement. I will update if that changes. The $50 appears to be coded as a flight and the $4.95 gives me an error when I click on it so not sure how it is coded.
Did work: I was reimbursed for the taxes/fees of around $28 for a companion flight I booked on 7/24.
Update: The $4.95 shipping fee for physical GC was reimbursed (not that it is helpful, but providing that datapoint). It also seems to be coded as a passenger ticket - or I am not looking in the right place to see how it is coded?
Last edited by dustintravels; Jul 30, 2019 at 10:03 am
Jul 28, 2019, 12:55 pm
#1796
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: DTW
Programs: Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, IHG Platinum Elite, Marriott Gold Elite, MGM Pearl
Posts: 10
Has anyone tried upfaring, i.e. changing a coach ticket to a first ticket? I'm thinking, to keep the amounts smaller, buying a coach ticket with a $50 gift card and using an Amex Aspire card, and then upfaring with another $50 gift card and the credit card again.
I'd also wonder whether it works without the $50 gift card.
I'd also wonder whether it works without the $50 gift card.
Jul 28, 2019, 8:41 pm
#1797
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 24
7/28 I used two credit cards, Hilton Aspire $250 then rest on my other card. It shows up as "Delta Air Lines" and I chatted with the rep asking if this will be eligible and they said yes. Now given it still says pending.. not sure if next few days it'll be coded and won't get reimbursed?
Jul 29, 2019, 1:32 am
#1799
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: WOH Globalist | IHG Platinum | HH Gold | MB Gold
Posts: 231
Going to try $50 GC + $100 with Amex Gold on a DL one-way flight and cancel with-in 24 hours. Will report back on success / failure. Please let me know if anyone has already tried this and the status.