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 22, 2019, 6:53 am
#1951
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 13
$185 went back on the amex, i guess im running the risk of a clawback
Aug 22, 2019, 5:10 pm
#1953
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Aug 24, 2019, 8:12 am
#1955
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 3
Datapoint: Schwab Platinum Card
Aug 19, 2019: Award ticket fee: $11.20, posted as additional collection.
Aug 20, 2019: AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement.
Aug 23, 2019: Flight ticket: $156.60 split as GC: $50 + CC: $106.60 (Transaction posted as additional collection).
Aug 25, 2019: Airline fee credit ticker moved by $106.60.
Aug 26, 2019: AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement. (Although, it is backdated to be 24th on my statement).
Aug 19, 2019: Award ticket fee: $11.20, posted as additional collection.
Aug 20, 2019: AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement.
Aug 23, 2019: Flight ticket: $156.60 split as GC: $50 + CC: $106.60 (Transaction posted as additional collection).
Aug 25, 2019: Airline fee credit ticker moved by $106.60.
Aug 26, 2019: AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement. (Although, it is backdated to be 24th on my statement).
Last edited by flyertalkbl1; Aug 25, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Aug 26, 2019, 12:33 am
#1956
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 1
First, thank you for this post. I learned a lot reading previous posts. I know that it will work for buying food on the plane and paying to go to the delta lounges. I have an upcoming flight Using the Delta mobile app, I can upgrade to First Class or Comfort+. I read that it will not pay for the upgrade to first class; however, will it work for comfort+?
Aug 26, 2019, 9:03 am
#1957
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: Delta, Chase UR, Hyatt
Posts: 30
I have a personal Plat and a PRG. Is it possible to let myself into a SkyClub with my Plat, but put the guest charge on the Gold?
Aug 26, 2019, 10:34 am
#1958
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 15
Has anyone tried pay with Miles + cash to trigger reimbursement?
Example 19k delta miles + $181 cash ticket.
Will the 181 be billed as "additional services" and credit the amex reimbursement.
Example 19k delta miles + $181 cash ticket.
Will the 181 be billed as "additional services" and credit the amex reimbursement.
Aug 26, 2019, 11:01 am
#1960
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 15
Are you sure? most recent attempt seems to say this doesn't work.
Aug 26, 2019, 5:52 pm
#1962
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 337
I bought two tickets together on August 16 and paid partially with $350 gift card and have $336 balance charged to the Biz Plat. As of today, no reimbursement. The charge actually shows name, ticket number and says "additional collection". Chatted with Amex and agent told me wait till 14 days from the charge date and contact them again for manual adjustment.
Aug 26, 2019, 6:01 pm
#1963
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: 5328 ft
Programs: Lowest-level minion
Posts: 32
In practice, I haven't found a rep that would use a different card. They're technically supposed to charge to the one that you're using for access.
Aug 27, 2019, 12:25 am
#1964
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 8
Hilton Honors Aspire
Aug 24 13:57: Delta Selected
Aug 24 17:33: I bought a 459.43 ticket- 250 in giftcards and 200.43 to my Hilton Honors Aspire
Aug 26: Meter moved. Success
Transaction posted as Additional Collection
Aug 24 13:57: Delta Selected
Aug 24 17:33: I bought a 459.43 ticket- 250 in giftcards and 200.43 to my Hilton Honors Aspire
Aug 26: Meter moved. Success
Transaction posted as Additional Collection
Aug 27, 2019, 12:40 pm
#1965
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 117
I bought two tickets together on August 16 and paid partially with $350 gift card and have $336 balance charged to the Biz Plat. As of today, no reimbursement. The charge actually shows name, ticket number and says "additional collection". Chatted with Amex and agent told me wait till 14 days from the charge date and contact them again for manual adjustment.
Since AmEx explicitly states "This benefit doesn’t offer credit toward airline tickets", there is very little chance an agent would manual adjust your credit after looking at your purchase.
Last edited by zxrst; Aug 27, 2019 at 12:40 pm Reason: grammar