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 29, 2019, 8:27 am
#1801
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 19
Does anyone know if Skyclub access is reimbursed with the airline credit? I have an Aspire so no free Skyclub access but I do have a Delta Platinum so I was wondering if i could show that to get the $29 discounted entry, put the charge on the Aspire and get reimbursed through the credit. Being able to do that along with the family three times a year would give the $250 credit a high value for me personally.
Jul 29, 2019, 9:38 am
#1802
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Exec Plat, DL Plat
Posts: 55
I purchased two one ways in separate transactions on 7/26 using one $50 DL GC each and paying $102 out of pocket each on Hilton Aspire ($250 airline fee credit).
Edit: credits posted on 7/30 for $102 each.
Edit: credits posted on 7/30 for $102 each.
Last edited by PancakeGames; Jul 30, 2019 at 9:53 am
Jul 29, 2019, 10:19 am
#1803
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 76
Does anyone know if buying DL EGC gets you 5X MR on platinum? I know the reimbursement is dead, but is EGC coded as airline purchase? Thanks!
Jul 29, 2019, 10:56 am
#1804
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
Does anyone know if Skyclub access is reimbursed with the airline credit? I have an Aspire so no free Skyclub access but I do have a Delta Platinum so I was wondering if i could show that to get the $29 discounted entry, put the charge on the Aspire and get reimbursed through the credit. Being able to do that along with the family three times a year would give the $250 credit a high value for me personally.
Jul 29, 2019, 11:00 am
#1805
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: 100,369
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.
The rules say that upgrade fees aren't covered, although fees to reserve special seats (maybe C+ but DL now treats this as a separate class) should be. YMMV.
Jul 29, 2019, 12:54 pm
#1806
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 19
Thanks for clarifying...I guess that eliminates the Aspire from consideration since Sky Club no longer sells day passes unconditionally.
Jul 29, 2019, 5:12 pm
#1807
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 24
How does it show up on your statement? Does it say, "Delta Air Lines"? or something else?
Jul 29, 2019, 7:23 pm
#1808
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,304
Jul 30, 2019, 9:55 am
#1809
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Exec Plat, DL Plat
Posts: 55
Jul 30, 2019, 12:52 pm
#1810
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 4
Datapoint for Delta Flight $250+
Booked a flight for $250+ and applied an e credit tied to my account. DIfference was $220+. Will respond and let everyone know if I get reimbursed for Hilton AMEX Aspire credit.
Jul 30, 2019, 2:11 pm
#1811
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
A data point: I've seen the credits automatically come through for award travel taxes, for amounts under $50 in particular. Though I haven't done this since Amex made changes to eliminate gift cards as an option, so don't know if these transactions would have been affected too. (Under the T&Cs, such fees are not officially reimbursable.)
The other downside to this is that Amex's travel protections such as checked bag insurance don't apply on award bookings, whereas Chase does provide such protections on awards, so I try to use my CSR for such fees. But for "simple" trips where I don't expect to need the benefits of such coverage, I still sometimes use the Amex.
The other downside to this is that Amex's travel protections such as checked bag insurance don't apply on award bookings, whereas Chase does provide such protections on awards, so I try to use my CSR for such fees. But for "simple" trips where I don't expect to need the benefits of such coverage, I still sometimes use the Amex.
Jul 30, 2019, 2:21 pm
#1812
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 7
Datapoint: AMEX PLAT
7/23: Purchased $296 Refundable ticket using 2X$50 GC.
7/24: Posted $196 as ADDITIONAL COLLECTION with ticket number.
7/25: Airline Fee Reimbursement.
Now will try to cancel that ticket.
7/23: Purchased $296 Refundable ticket using 2X$50 GC.
7/24: Posted $196 as ADDITIONAL COLLECTION with ticket number.
7/25: Airline Fee Reimbursement.
Now will try to cancel that ticket.
Jul 30, 2019, 9:52 pm
#1813
Join Date: May 2016
Location: NYC
Posts: 264
Also confirming that award booking fees will reimburse - we booked two tickets as separate transactions ($114.93 fee each) on 7/28 - 1 on Amex plat and 1 on Amex gold, and the meter went down. Haven't gotten the airline fee reimbursement yet but we are expecting to given the meter has gone down.
Jul 31, 2019, 12:34 am
#1814
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Los Angeles California
Posts: 1,391
can you confirm how everything went with cancellation? did the additional collection go back to credit card or can you request it to be added to the GC?
Jul 31, 2019, 8:08 am
#1815
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
Based on my experience in other similar situations with Delta I expect the default will be a $50 gift card and the rest going back to the credit card. If you let some time pass before cancelling, I suspect Amex won't notice and won't claw back the credit, but it's always a risk. Not sure if Delta will issue the entire refund as a gift card, but you could almost certainly cancel the booking and keep the value as an unused ticket rather than requesting a refund, though an unused ticket has to be used within a year and isn't transferable while gift cards don't expire and are transferable.