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)
Dec 28, 2019, 2:58 pm
#2611
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?
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?
December 25th - I applied a $50 Delta gift card to a one way flight and paid the balance of $208.30 with my AMEX Gold card
December 26th - The $208.30 charge posted to my account as an "additional collection"
December 27th - I see a $100 "AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement" on my account
Thanks for the help everyone!
Dec 28, 2019, 7:19 pm
#2612
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 308
After a quick search, I didn't see an answer to this, but if I do the split payment method for a ticket and then request a voucher from Delta, will that work? I don't have any upcoming flight plans and need to get in a purchase here to count for 2019 on my biz plat.
Dec 29, 2019, 9:49 am
#2613
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
So if understand this correctly, if I do split payment with Delta GC and buy refundable ticket, it can be reimbursed. What happens if I cancel the refundable ticket then? Please advise.
Dec 29, 2019, 1:41 pm
#2614
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 72
I made a purchase from Delta through the website portal myIDtravel, a place where airline employees can purchase standby fares, also known as ZED fares.
The charge came through as two purchases for $102 even though two tickets were purchased in one transaction. It is listed as Delta Air Lines Atlanta and has an associated ticket number with it.
I'm assuming this will not be reimbursed because of the ticket number. Anyone know for sure?
The charge came through as two purchases for $102 even though two tickets were purchased in one transaction. It is listed as Delta Air Lines Atlanta and has an associated ticket number with it.
I'm assuming this will not be reimbursed because of the ticket number. Anyone know for sure?
Dec 29, 2019, 6:56 pm
#2615
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 688
Is the same day confirm/standby fee of $75 reimbursable by Amex? Thanks.
Dec 29, 2019, 8:53 pm
#2616
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: 18,880
After a quick search, I didn't see an answer to this, but if I do the split payment method for a ticket and then request a voucher from Delta, will that work? I don't have any upcoming flight plans and need to get in a purchase here to count for 2019 on my biz plat.
In any case, there are two separate but intertwined questions here -- (1) will AMEX reimburse it from the airline fee credit and (2) will they eventually claw it back.
Any split payment (under ~$250, we believe) will satisfy (1). We don't know how far things can get pushed or how often until (2) happens.
For (2) I will mention that a fully-refundable ticket is essentially the same as a voucher (but read the fare rules at purchase, and probably only try this with a domestic ticket as I think international tickets often have more restrictions on changes/refunds? not an expert here though, other opinions welcomed)
Also that cancelling a fully-refundable ticket may draw attention to (2), as will calling AMEX to ask about this specific method of monetizing the credit.
This should be zero problem since it is exactly the kind of thing the fee credit is intended for.
Dec 29, 2019, 11:28 pm
#2617
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 72
By "the same" you mean you booked on the internal employee/nonrev site also? Or just, you're curious about how your charge was posted? If you are looking on the mobile app, check the desktop site instead and see if it says "additional collection". Also the speed of reimbursement I think has varied but if it has been less than 5 days since the charge posted I wouldn't worry yet.
Dec 30, 2019, 12:15 am
#2618
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 11
I just bought a $248 one way ticket after using a $50 gift card. I'm hoping it wipes the $250 Hilton Aspire credit. * FINGERS CROSSED *
Dec 30, 2019, 3:30 am
#2619
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 2
I made a purchase for a Delta return flight ticket
December 29th - I applied a $50 Delta gift card to a return flight ticket and paid the balance of $106.60 with my AMEX Platinum card
December 30th - The $106.60 charge is still in Pending Status on my AMEX CC online account as "DELTA AIR LINES"
Can someone help me understand when can I expect the $106.60 charge to be posted to my account as an "additional collection" ?
December 29th - I applied a $50 Delta gift card to a return flight ticket and paid the balance of $106.60 with my AMEX Platinum card
December 30th - The $106.60 charge is still in Pending Status on my AMEX CC online account as "DELTA AIR LINES"
Can someone help me understand when can I expect the $106.60 charge to be posted to my account as an "additional collection" ?
Last edited by Rohan Khanduja; Dec 30, 2019 at 3:36 am
Dec 30, 2019, 6:22 am
#2620
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 299
December 26: Applied $170 GC to $404.10 ticket. Paid $234.10.
December 28: Posted as Additional Collection dated for December 27
December 30: Fee reimbursement of $234.10 posted.
December 28: Posted as Additional Collection dated for December 27
December 30: Fee reimbursement of $234.10 posted.
Dec 30, 2019, 8:43 am
#2621
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Platinum; WN Companion Pass
Posts: 129
Dec 30, 2019, 10:01 am
#2622
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 19
Foreign currency DP (Canadian):
December 27: Purchased two $180 tickets (after $50 GC's each)
December 28: Posted as Additional Collection
December 30: Meter moved - $250 Aspire credit used
December 27: Purchased two $180 tickets (after $50 GC's each)
December 28: Posted as Additional Collection
December 30: Meter moved - $250 Aspire credit used
Dec 30, 2019, 10:28 am
#2624
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
How are you all checking on the "meter moved", is there a place that I can check it out too?
Dec 30, 2019, 10:33 am
#2625
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 19
Check out the "Benefits" section and you should see the section with the airline fee credit. Mine says "You have used all of your $250 Airline Fee Credit for this year. It will renew again starting Jan 2020"
