Jan 18, 2016, 10:57 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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

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.

For other airlines:
AA Thread
AS Thread
B6 Thread
DL Thread
F9 Thread
HA Thread
NK Thread
UA Thread
WN Thread

Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: DL only (2015-2019)

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Dec 23, 2019, 2:46 pm

#2566

Mister Miles

Join Date: Apr 2018

Programs: KLM Flying Blue Platinum, Hilton Honors Platinum

Posts: 42

No luck for me so far.

Dec.15-2019 Bought a Delta airline ticket $417.60 USD but applied two times $50 voucher (total $317.60).
Dec.23-2019 Called in but was kindly reminded the credit only applies to incidentals.

Have $250 expiring in a week. Since I have already lounge access and 1 checked in bag for free, might just buy a bunch of extra luggage because I can. :-)

Dec 23, 2019, 3:27 pm

#2567

phant0m

Join Date: Jul 2015

Posts: 1,028

I just realized yesterday that Delta sells gift cards in the grocery store. Could have bought one there to avoid the 72 activation for the e-gift cards.

Dec 23, 2019, 6:53 pm

#2568

phant0m

Join Date: Jul 2015

Posts: 1,028

Chatted with Amex to get my upgrade charges reimbursed as seat selection. Totaled $76 so I was able to get about $210 reimbursed out of my $250 on my Aspire card. Good enough.

Dec 23, 2019, 9:23 pm

#2569

Roonay

Join Date: Dec 2019

Posts: 3

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and just read numerous pages of these posts and want to clarify something.

I have the AMEX gold and am looking to purchase a $258.30 one way Delta flight. Based on what I'm reading, if I purchase a $50 gift card and apply it to this fare, and pay the balance of $208.30 with my AMEX gold, the $100 credit will likely be triggered. Correct?

Dec 24, 2019, 5:15 am

#2570

surikatina

Join Date: Feb 2013

Location: NYC

Posts: 170

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roonay

Hi Rooney,

Yes, that is correct. It should trigger the credit as it has been working that way so far.
Best of luck and report back.

Dec 24, 2019, 6:55 am

#2571

liwaya

Join Date: Sep 2019

Posts: 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by NardoSH

The 'flight change' charge was just posted, showing up as additional collection.
Waiting to see if it will trigger reimbursement. (been less than 24 hours since posted, meter haven't moved yet)
BTW this was charged by Delta's foreign branch, in foreign currency converted to USD

how is it going? is the foreign currency working? pls let me know.

Dec 24, 2019, 8:04 am

#2572

hurnik

Join Date: Mar 2008

Posts: 1,533

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Miles

I thought you had to get the ticket down to under $250 (after GC redemption) in order for the credit to trigger. In which case, you were over the $250 with a $317.60 ticket.

Dec 24, 2019, 8:14 am

#2573

jamesteroh

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: Toledo, OH

Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,

Posts: 15,398

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Miles

There's been a lot of reports the amount charged has to be under $250 for the credit to triffer.

You could buy the mileage booster. Poor return for the money but if it isn't costing you anything anyway.....

I wish Am Ex would offer the option of getting a gogo pass on your prefered airline instead of the credit. A lot of people that have an Am Ex are frequent flyers who have things like free luggage and sit in C+ for free or get upgraded so they won't be buying drinks.

notquiteaff and Mister Miles like this.

Dec 24, 2019, 8:18 am

#2574

49penguins

Join Date: Feb 2017

Location: FAT

Posts: 146

Looking to use my $200 Plat credit for this year on a C+ trip. Was gonna buy Econ with DL miles and put the seat selection charge on my Plat & chat Amex in a couple weeks for credit but will they take it from my 2020 credit as we’ll be in the new year?

Dec 24, 2019, 8:47 am

#2575

mia

Moderator

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2003

Location: Miami, Mpls & London

Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold

Posts: 48,953

The reimbursement applies to the year in which the merchant (airline) submits the charge.

49penguins likes this.

Dec 24, 2019, 8:59 am

#2576

gooselee

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2011

Location: ATL

Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card

Posts: 10,745

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurnik

I thought you had to get the ticket down to under $250 (after GC redemption) in order for the credit to trigger. In which case, you were over the $250 with a $317.60 ticket.

Also calling Amex is a poor idea. What exactly is that conversation?

"Hello, I'm calling because I was intentionally taking extra steps to game the system and receive credit for an ineligible purchase, and I'd like to see why it didn't go through."

Finding and exploiting a gap is one thing. Expecting Amex to directly support and assist with that behavior is quite another.

GTITAN, jamesteroh, N515CR and 7 others like this.

Dec 24, 2019, 10:51 am

#2577

euromannn

Join Date: Aug 2003

Location: Seattle, WA. USA

Programs: MR, AA, UA, DL, AVIS and growing

Posts: 1,172

Quote:

Originally Posted by gooselee

If you compare travel cards like Citi Prestige, Chase Sapphire Reserve, JP Morgan, and possible Capital One's....vs AMEX there are a few upsetting benefits from AMEX that are poor.
1. NO Trip Insurance --- changes effective Jan 2020
2. NO Emergency Road Side Asst - Remove Jan 2020
3. Airline credit dedicated to on airline vs TRAVEL credit....and amounts are higher at Citi & Chase
4. Priority Pass Alternate Lounge - Deleted effective Nov 2019

SO I can see paying an extra $100/yr for AMEX vs other travel cards and not getting equivalent benefits can be considered poor.
Having been to a few DElta Skymile Lounges and Centurian since getting AMEX PLAT I'm only moderately impressed due to poor food availability.

Dec 24, 2019, 10:51 am

#2578

aimango

Join Date: May 2016

Location: NYC

Posts: 265

Some of the foreign transaction DPs had me worried, but we had ours reimbursed recently. We had a couple airline credits left across 3 cards (with my P2).

Dec 19
Bought a 161.16 CAD flight with 50GC (which was converted to CAD at checkout). Actual USD charged 72.60 onto card 1. Did the exact same on card 2.
Bought 89.55 USD flight with 50GC. Charged 39.55 onto card 3.
The Canadian flight is operated by WestJet but we bought thru Delta site.

Dec 20 post date for all 3 as Additional Collection, didn't actually see until Dec 21.

Dec 23 reimbursement post date for all 3, didn't actually see until Dec 24.

Dec 24, 2019, 5:11 pm

#2579

combiboinis

Join Date: Dec 2019

Posts: 7

Hey all! First time to this forum. I want to use a $250 Aspire credit on a $705 ticket. I've been reading and see the best chance of success is to use gift cards to get the flight total below $250, then pay the remainder with my Aspire and cross my fingers. I can only find Delta gift cards in $50 increments, which would leave my flight balance at either $255 or $205. Here are my questions:

1. Is it possible to get a Delta gift card for a customizable balance anywhere (like, say, $55)?
2. Is it possible (via the telephone instead of the website, perhaps) to partially pay for the flight with another credit card to get the balance just below $250?

Dec 24, 2019, 5:24 pm

#2580

Zorak

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: 18,913

Quote:

Originally Posted by combiboinis

Welcome to FT!

1. You can buy GCs in whatever amount you want, however note that electronic GCs purchased via this link take 72 hours to become active: https://www.delta.com/egift/eGiftPur...D_eGift_Launch

2. You should be able to split across two (or more) cards by calling in, yes.