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)
Feb 6, 2017, 10:37 am
#301
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
They will. Pending transactions are not final. This is explained in the Wikipost at the top of this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showwiki.php?t=1739932
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showwiki.php?t=1739932
Feb 6, 2017, 6:37 pm
#302
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 623
I tried to apply my gift cards to the cost of taxes and fees on an award flight ex-LHR, but couldn't get an agent savvy enough to figure out how to actually process the transaction, even after they agreed that I should be able to use the gift card per the terms. System wouldn't allow it. So they gave me a $50 voucher since I spent an hour on the phone. As a result I wanted to change my inbound flight to LHR and was now stuck paying a $150 change fee. Agent wouldn't waive it, but allowed me to use a GC, which I believe is against the rules. But they would only allow me to use two gift cards/vouchers. So I put the other $50 on my AmEx Plat. Thankfully I had only bought $150 in gift cards and the last $50 of the change posted and was credited.
Feb 7, 2017, 11:27 pm
#303
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
Yeah, that important point in the Wiki about 3 eCerts per transaction was incredibly helpful. I booked $50x3 and then figure my bag fees will be the remaining balance. Otherwise I would have just bought $50x4 like my buddy did on AA and been "stuck".
Feb 10, 2017, 9:38 am
#305
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LAX/JFK/SFO
Programs: Amex Plat, Hyatt, IHG cards
Posts: 120
I bought a $50 Delta GC earlier this month and applied it to a ~$215 ticket a few days later. ~$165 went on my Platinum.
I got the $50 to offset the GC as expected...but also, surprisingly, the last $150 as well against the ticket. The ~$165 appears as "Document Type: ADDITIONAL COLLECTION". My name appears in the "Passenger Name" field and there's a ticket number, but it doesn't show the airports involved (like it does for GC-less ticket purchases).
I got the $50 to offset the GC as expected...but also, surprisingly, the last $150 as well against the ticket. The ~$165 appears as "Document Type: ADDITIONAL COLLECTION". My name appears in the "Passenger Name" field and there's a ticket number, but it doesn't show the airports involved (like it does for GC-less ticket purchases).
Feb 13, 2017, 7:13 am
#306
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 26
I bought a $50 Delta GC earlier this month and applied it to a ~$215 ticket a few days later. ~$165 went on my Platinum.
I got the $50 to offset the GC as expected...but also, surprisingly, the last $150 as well against the ticket. The ~$165 appears as "Document Type: ADDITIONAL COLLECTION". My name appears in the "Passenger Name" field and there's a ticket number, but it doesn't show the airports involved (like it does for GC-less ticket purchases).
I got the $50 to offset the GC as expected...but also, surprisingly, the last $150 as well against the ticket. The ~$165 appears as "Document Type: ADDITIONAL COLLECTION". My name appears in the "Passenger Name" field and there's a ticket number, but it doesn't show the airports involved (like it does for GC-less ticket purchases).
Feb 13, 2017, 10:07 am
#307
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,603
Ameriprise Plat:
4-$50 ecerts in one transaction on 2/11
4-$50 refunds on 2/13
4-$50 ecerts in one transaction on 2/11
4-$50 refunds on 2/13
Feb 14, 2017, 7:45 am
#308
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,059
Been reading lots of report PGGM is dead with Delta, any workarounds?
If it's dead, any recommendations on a hack to cash out the travel credit? Would prefer not to take Airline GC, still have tons of those....
If it's dead, any recommendations on a hack to cash out the travel credit? Would prefer not to take Airline GC, still have tons of those....
Feb 16, 2017, 8:58 pm
#309
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BROOKLYN
Posts: 79
I wonder if anyone tried the PGGM by buying a refundable ticket , then paying for the seat upgrade , then wait a few days for the charge to go through so the incidental credit would be triggered , and then cancel , would the seat upgrade be refunded as well ?
Feb 17, 2017, 6:10 am
#310
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1
My first post here..
Bought 4 $50 DL Gift Cards on 12/14
Posted 2/15
Credited 2/16
Bought 4 $50 DL Gift Cards on 12/14
Posted 2/15
Credited 2/16
Last edited by gwapzerick09; Feb 18, 2017 at 6:48 am
Feb 21, 2017, 2:21 pm
#311
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1
They will. Pending transactions are not final. This is explained in the Wikipost at the top of this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showwiki.php?t=1739932
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showwiki.php?t=1739932
Feb 27, 2017, 6:15 pm
#312
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: "elite"-ist
Posts: 240
another datapoint
Feb 20: Called AMEX to change airline choice to Delta
Feb 20: Bought 4 gift cards online at $50 each.
Feb 21: 4 charges of $50 each posted to Amex account
Feb 22: Amex fee reimbursement (4 charges $50 each) posted to account
That was easy
Feb 20: Bought 4 gift cards online at $50 each.
Feb 21: 4 charges of $50 each posted to Amex account
Feb 22: Amex fee reimbursement (4 charges $50 each) posted to account
That was easy
Feb 27, 2017, 6:30 pm
#313
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
I'm finding myself on AA a bit this year but completely forgot last month and let my airline choice "renew" to DL...
Feb 27, 2017, 8:56 pm
#314
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I read that they MIGHT let you change the airline after 1/31, but only if you haven't used any credit yet. I used $99 of my DL credit so far, so I doubt I'll be able to change it.
Regarding the question of trying PGGM with a refundable fare, I haven't tried it but I remember people doing it on another forum about a year ago; for whatever reason, it didn't seem to work, though I can't understand why.
Regarding the question of trying PGGM with a refundable fare, I haven't tried it but I remember people doing it on another forum about a year ago; for whatever reason, it didn't seem to work, though I can't understand why.
Feb 28, 2017, 7:01 am
#315
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LAS
Posts: 64
Yep. I called last week about a retention bonus, I told them I'd been flying DL exclusively and they offered to change my airline to DL from UA.