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)
Aug 3, 2019, 9:09 pm
#1846
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: PNW
Programs: BAEC Silver, DL GM, AA Plat, NEXUS
Posts: 467
I'm planning to buy a DL ticket ($1k) with $800 in GC and $200 using my Amex Plat, anyone can confirm if this should work to get the credit back?
Aug 3, 2019, 9:26 pm
#1847
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: 18,931
Based on the trend of posted data points, it seems *likely* this would work, but IMO there has been enough randomness that I wouldn't feel confident stating "yes it should work" full stop.
Aug 3, 2019, 9:38 pm
#1848
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: PNW
Programs: BAEC Silver, DL GM, AA Plat, NEXUS
Posts: 467
Aug 3, 2019, 11:22 pm
#1849
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 3
Here's a data point of a mostly failure. I purchased a fare with miles plus cash, of which the cash was 95.60. the 95.60 was split into charges of 90 and 5.60 on July 31. On Aug 2 I was reimbursed by amex for the 5.60 but not the 90. Must have to do with the coding
Aug 4, 2019, 4:57 am
#1850
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
Regards
Aug 4, 2019, 10:15 am
#1851
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,193
If you are talking about lounge access fees, you don't need data points - they are reimbursable incidental expenses within the parameters of the program. (Also included in the information provided in the wiki at the top of the page.)
Aug 4, 2019, 10:41 am
#1852
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Los Angeles California
Posts: 1,395
I don't have access to Skyclub and I heard you cannot buy day passes...can I still walk into Skyclub and buy a GC (if that works for reimbursement) ?
Aug 4, 2019, 3:25 pm
#1853
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,901
Aug 4, 2019, 5:30 pm
#1854
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
I was not confident that SkyClubs sold the cards, but it appears they started late last year:
https://news.delta.com/gift-cards-mi...holiday-season
If the $50 denomination is not offered, the sensible test purchase would be $100.
In December (2018), Delta will launch new Delta Gift Card displays in dozens of Delta Sky Clubs where customers can buy cards in $100, $250 and $500 denominations.
If the $50 denomination is not offered, the sensible test purchase would be $100.
Aug 5, 2019, 3:57 pm
#1855
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 140
You don't actually purchase these gift cards in the sky club. You walk out with them but then must activate on delta.com/activate. I grabbed one but the reimbursement seems kind of unlikely since you're doing this on Delta.com. Does anyone have any experience to the contrary of the buying gift cards in Delta Sky Club lounges?
Aug 6, 2019, 11:08 am
#1856
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: MSP
Posts: 7
8/1 - bought DL $225 ticket using a $50 GC
8/2 - $175 posted as additional collection (this only shows on the web, my app still says travel-airline)
(weekend in here, if that makes a difference)
8/5 - meter moved
8/6 - reimbursed (shows date of 8/5, but wasn't there last night)
8/2 - $175 posted as additional collection (this only shows on the web, my app still says travel-airline)
(weekend in here, if that makes a difference)
8/5 - meter moved
8/6 - reimbursed (shows date of 8/5, but wasn't there last night)
Aug 6, 2019, 3:32 pm
#1857
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 5
You don't actually purchase these gift cards in the sky club. You walk out with them but then must activate on delta.com/activate. I grabbed one but the reimbursement seems kind of unlikely since you're doing this on Delta.com. Does anyone have any experience to the contrary of the buying gift cards in Delta Sky Club lounges?
Aug 6, 2019, 5:41 pm
#1858
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Aug 7, 2019, 10:24 am
#1860
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 140
That site says, "This site is powered by CashStar" on the bottom. I'd bet if you completed the transaction the charge would come from CashStar, which is a gift card processor and not Delta. Have not seen any data points though. When you say you 'grabbed' one does that mean you could take them without paying on the spot? Can you go to the site and put the number in and see what options it gives you to load on it? I'll be in the SkyClub this weekend and will look for them and report back as well.