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)
Nov 20, 2017, 10:40 pm
#541
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 71
Do the airline fees that get reimbursed, count towards the required minimum spending needed to trigger the sign-up bonus? I saw that the annual fee on the platinum card doesn't count, but I wasn't sure about the airline fees that get reimbursed. For example, if I get $200 in Delta GCs, will the purchase still count towards the $5000 minimum spending? Or, does that get wiped out because of the $200 in credits.
Nov 21, 2017, 5:38 am
#542
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 10
Success 21 Nov
Purchased 4 $50 eCertificates: 11/18
Posted: 11/20
Reimbursed: 11/21
Thank you all for the advice and information!
Posted: 11/20
Reimbursed: 11/21
Thank you all for the advice and information!
Nov 25, 2017, 1:05 pm
#543
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: avis, national, jetblue, delta, marriot
Posts: 33
Update: 3 transactions total, $50,$100,$50. Credit posted within 3 days of each post. Thank you for the help!
Nov 25, 2017, 7:33 pm
#544
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 50
Purchased two $50 ecerts on 11/19, credits posted on 11/20
Nov 26, 2017, 8:12 pm
#546
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: avis, national, jetblue, delta, marriot
Posts: 33
second transaction-$50 on11/18/17 credit hit 11/20/17
third-$100 on 11/22/17 credit hit on 11/24/17.
The weird thing is the $100 transaction was two $50 gift cards that originally showed as a $100 purchase but when the credit hit my account it broke it out into two separate $50 credits.
Nov 27, 2017, 6:18 am
#548
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
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.
Nov 27, 2017, 10:00 am
#549
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 4
Purchased 2x $50 Delta gift cert on Nov 1st, still no credits. Does anyone have any recommendations? I called a week after initial purchase, they asked type and I said it was an add on for a flight and they said wait 30 days. I guess they have a week left...
Nov 28, 2017, 8:47 am
#550
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Bought 4x $50 Delta gift certs on 11/14. No credits yet. Hmmmm...
Nov 28, 2017, 2:38 pm
#551
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: U.S.
Programs: DL,HH,MR,Hertz
Posts: 36
DP
11/25 Bought 4 x $50 Delta e-gift cards in one transaction, pending on Amex as a $200 charge
11/26 4 x $50 charges post on my Amex account
11/27 4 x $50 Amex Airline Fee Reimbursement credits post on my Amex account (although I couldn't see them online until 11/28).
Glad it worked!
11/25 Bought 4 x $50 Delta e-gift cards in one transaction, pending on Amex as a $200 charge
11/26 4 x $50 charges post on my Amex account
11/27 4 x $50 Amex Airline Fee Reimbursement credits post on my Amex account (although I couldn't see them online until 11/28).
Glad it worked!
Nov 28, 2017, 2:46 pm
#553
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LON, PDX
Programs: DL PM, AS MVP 75K, HH/SPG/MR Gold, Amex Plat, PRG, CSR
Posts: 2,064
Dec 1, 2017, 9:07 am
#554
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 13
I almost never fly Delta, so I am hesitant to get gift cards, but I do have a cross country flight coming up in a few days. From Econ, moving into Comfort + is $97 and First Class is $160. Which gamble would you take? Thanks!
Dec 1, 2017, 10:23 am
#555
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,194
I realize this thread is primarily centered on getting reimbursed for airline charges but - that aside - I'd pay the additional $63 for the First Class seat over the Comfort+ seat on a transcon flight.