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

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

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Old Jan 9, 20, 12:52 am   -   Wikipost
Please read: This is a community-maintained wiki post containing the most important information from this thread. You may edit the Wiki once you have been on FT for 90 days and have made 90 posts.
  
Last edit by: MaxVO
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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.
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Old Dec 31, 19, 9:58 am
  #2641  
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 12
For the Gold card Airline credit
I just bought a TKT yesterday for $247 used two GC for $100 and I forgot to use the third one. I am waiting until it post so I can refund it. Will it trigger the credit? Or should I modify the payment? Also if post tomorrow on 2020 will my credit go towards 2020 or 2019?
Waaj is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 10:25 am
  #2642  
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 11
The credit goes by transaction date, not the day it posts. Per AMEX customer service.
lourod87 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 10:27 am
  #2643  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
  • 12/27 (9pm) purchased 2 tickets using gift cards with ~$208 remaining for “additional collection” on 2nd ticket
  • 12/29 transaction posts as additional collection
  • 12/31 meter moved and now shows that I have “used $200 benefit for the year, will reset in January”

Credit has not posted but I assume will at some point today. $100 was from gold card purchased before June that I forgot about.

*edit* the $200 credit posted today with an as of date of 12/31.
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Last edited by LouNanne; Jan 1, 20 at 6:36 am
LouNanne is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 12:50 pm
  #2644  
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 11
Is there anywhere I can purchase a gift card from someone ? Not many on eBay and the gift card sites I know about.

Physical cards take 24 hrs to activate and e-gift cards take 72 hrs.
lourod87 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 12:55 pm
  #2645  
mia
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
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Originally Posted by lourod87 View Post
Is there anywhere I can purchase a gift card ....
Scroll back to 2322 and read forward.
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mia is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 1:41 pm
  #2646  
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 11
I just booked another one way with Delta comfort+. It was $328 - $100 gift card. $228 total. Hopefully it works.
lourod87 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 4:30 pm
  #2647  
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 1
I’m trying to finish off the triple dip on my Amex plat right after the new year and cancel the card, and I had a quick question. Has anybody tried booking a refundable flight (with gift card + <$250 method), cancelling after the credit posts and requesting the reimbursement as a delta gift card? I don’t have any delta flights to book for myself right now and I’m just thinking of ways to minimize risk of credit clawback as I will still have quite a few Amex cards after canceling my plat.

I saw earlier in the thread that cancelling within the 24 hour window requires a refund to the original form of payment, but I'm talking about a true refundable ticket outside 24 hours.
Last edited by ahill3207; Dec 31, 19 at 5:06 pm
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Old Dec 31, 19, 7:31 pm
  #2648  
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Posts: 98,680
24 drinks on DL on me. That's how useless the DL airline credit was to me this year. At least some people will be boarding DL planes earlier than they would otherwise be and have some DL baggage tags. Welcome to Delta Select, not exactly my first choice for how to try to use this credit.

The Uber credit was no more useful for me, but maybe I should have used it for UberEats.
GUWonder is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 9:21 pm
  #2649  
 
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"
December 31st - The $106.60 charge is now posted on my AMEX CC online account as "DELTA AIR LINES DELTA.COM" but clicking on the this specific charge i see it written as "Additional Collection" with the ticket number and name written against it


1. Can someone help me understand when can I expect the airline credit meter to move because its already Dec 31st?

2. Since tomorrow onward I wont see the meter for year 2019, could you please share the timeline (date) when the credit for an amount apply back on your card account as AMEX AIRLINE FEES REIMBURSEMENT ?
Rohan Khanduja is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 9:31 pm
  #2650  
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In a couple days, I will have received 3,000 RDMs for less than $7. It's better than nothing.
MSPeconomist is offline  
Old Dec 31, 19, 9:34 pm
  #2651  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 885
Thank you everyone. So got the tickets on 28th, transaction posted on 30th and the meter moved with following message today.

"You have used all of your $xxx Airline Fee Credit for this year.

It will renew again starting Jan 2020"


Now the question is, how to cancel the ticket in such a way that it does not get clawed back. Any ideas or tips?
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Old Dec 31, 19, 9:36 pm
  #2652  
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Originally Posted by Rohan Khanduja View Post
1. Can someone help me understand when can I expect the airline credit meter to move because its already Dec 31st?

2. Since tomorrow onward I wont see the meter for year 2019, could you please share the timeline (date) when the credit for an amount apply back on your card account as AMEX AIRLINE FEES REIMBURSEMENT ?
Welcome to FT! A significant fraction of the activity in this thread in the last 6 months is people posting their data points on what you're asking, so you kinda just have to scroll through the thread to get an idea. Usually it's within a few days, but I don't think it's unheard of to wait even a week.
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Old Jan 6, 20, 1:11 pm
  #2653  
mia
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 45,218
Moderator action
Discussion continues here:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...s-dl-only.html

I did not copy the Wikipost to the new thread because it primarily references obsolete strategies. Contact me by PM if you would like me to copy it as a basis for a new Wikipost (although anyone who can edit the Wikipost can also copy it.)
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