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)
Oct 4, 2019, 10:10 am
#2116
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Interest DP. I bought two delta tickets at $156 each. I used a $100 gift card to reduce the balance. On the purchase they separated each ticket. They gave me the credit on the first one for $56 but not on the second ticket. I guess the gift cards apply to each ticket individually. Oh well it's better than nothing.
On a different note does anyone know if seating upgrades trigger the credit or using the delta club?
On a different note does anyone know if seating upgrades trigger the credit or using the delta club?
Oct 4, 2019, 4:34 pm
#2117
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Interest DP. I bought two delta tickets at $156 each. I used a $100 gift card to reduce the balance. On the purchase they separated each ticket. They gave me the credit on the first one for $56 but not on the second ticket. I guess the gift cards apply to each ticket individually. Oh well it's better than nothing.
On a different note does anyone know if seating upgrades trigger the credit or using the delta club?
On a different note does anyone know if seating upgrades trigger the credit or using the delta club?
I'm also watching to see about the delta club; earlier indications are that it has worked in the past. I'm thinking that instead of paying $175 for my wife to have a supplemental card, I could use the $200 towards guest passes.
Oct 4, 2019, 7:53 pm
#2118
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
Lounge access fees are one of the specifically intended purposes of the airline fee credit. If the credit does not post (which I don't think I've ever seen a report of), this is one of the items you can and should call in for.
Oct 6, 2019, 7:33 am
#2119
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 140
Booked ticket and used $100 GCs and remainder was around $190. Meter has moved and i expect the credit over the weekend. Charge showed as 'additional collection'.
Oct 6, 2019, 4:18 pm
#2120
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,648
I have $62 left this year. With the death of the gift card loophole and no travel planned on DL for rest of year nor imminent needs for award bookings, any suggestions out there for how to try to use the credit?
Oct 6, 2019, 4:37 pm
#2121
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: 18,947
My thought would be to use the add/collect method to book something refundable and far out on the schedule.
Oct 6, 2019, 8:10 pm
#2122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,648
Thanks so if I understand correctly, if I buy a gift card and apply that to a ticket then cover the rest w/ the AMEX, the $62 ought to apply to the "partial" purchase? I have a trip I need to book for February, dates should be settled by EOY, so that should work if the loop hole doesn't close before then.
Oct 6, 2019, 9:58 pm
#2123
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: 18,947
Thanks so if I understand correctly, if I buy a gift card and apply that to a ticket then cover the rest w/ the AMEX, the $62 ought to apply to the "partial" purchase? I have a trip I need to book for February, dates should be settled by EOY, so that should work if the loop hole doesn't close before then.
Oct 8, 2019, 1:23 pm
#2124
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 140
Another DP: Booked Delta ticket and used a $50 e-Credit (the ones they issue to compensate for a bad experience, etc. They can't be combined with a gift card) and charged the remainder to Platinum, which was $115. Showed as additional collection and got reimbursed.
Oct 8, 2019, 3:09 pm
#2125
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 3
I rarely book cash flights, always with points. Are any of you guys booking and then refunding? I know there's a risk of clawback.
Just getting prepared how to best utilize $2k+ worth of airline credits on Jan 1.
Just getting prepared how to best utilize $2k+ worth of airline credits on Jan 1.
Oct 9, 2019, 11:13 am
#2126
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by slin24
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.
Refundable ticket canceled.
After two days, DELTA issued $296 eCredit, type: Unused eTicket. Expiration: ONE year.
UPDATE Again,
After one week, DELTA canceled that $296 eCredit, and issued a $100 eGift card. Also posted $196 credit on AMEX plat.
But I didn't call DELTA to make that change. I guess they realized that's a refundable ticket.
Did Amex ever clawback the airline fee reimbursement posted on 7/25?
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.
Refundable ticket canceled.
After two days, DELTA issued $296 eCredit, type: Unused eTicket. Expiration: ONE year.
UPDATE Again,
After one week, DELTA canceled that $296 eCredit, and issued a $100 eGift card. Also posted $196 credit on AMEX plat.
But I didn't call DELTA to make that change. I guess they realized that's a refundable ticket.
Did Amex ever clawback the airline fee reimbursement posted on 7/25?
Last edited by atlantaflyer1; Oct 9, 2019 at 11:31 am Reason: did not include original text from post wanted to ask question about.
Oct 9, 2019, 1:33 pm
#2127
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Delta
Posts: 5
Does anyone know if I got to buy 3 tickets, with 3GCs, how will it show up on the Amex? Will it be grouped together with the total, or as three tickets each with a little giftcard and posted as additional collection?
Each ticket is under what I have left in credit, but not all three combined. I also can't split since 2 passengers are small kids.
Happy to be the DP, but wasn't sure if anyone knew off hand
Each ticket is under what I have left in credit, but not all three combined. I also can't split since 2 passengers are small kids.
Happy to be the DP, but wasn't sure if anyone knew off hand
Oct 9, 2019, 10:31 pm
#2129
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Los Angeles California
Posts: 1,397
I have $10 left on my Aspire for reimbursement. I used it for onboard food on a ATL-BUR flight and charges show up as
'PASSENGER/ONBOARD'.. Hope thats reimbursed.
'PASSENGER/ONBOARD'.. Hope thats reimbursed.
Oct 10, 2019, 7:35 am
#2130
Join Date: May 2016
Location: NYC
Posts: 265
It should. I just paid for on board food on a DL flight this weekend ($9 beverage) and it was reimbursed last night.