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 22, 2018, 6:23 pm
#1111
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
As explained in the wikipost, in the case of Delta, it is not enough to use the correct you link, you must ALSO not use a mobile device because Delta redirects mobile purchases to Cashstar. Look at your pending card transactions to see if they show Delta Airlines as the merchant. If they show Cashstar (or Delta Airlines GC) they are unlikely to be recognized as airline transactions.
Dec 22, 2018, 6:33 pm
#1112
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
As explained in the wikipost, in the case of Delta, it is not enough to use the correct you link, you must ALSO not use a mobile device because Delta redirects mobile purchases to Cashstar. Look at your pending card transactions to see if they show Delta Airlines as the merchant. If they show Cashstar (or Delta Airlines GC) they are unlikely to be recognized as airline transactions.
Thanks mia. Luckily, I bought it from my laptop and not mobile device and the pending transaction shows as "DELTA AIR LINES". I hope this works?
Dec 23, 2018, 10:31 pm
#1113
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: DL DM, UA GS
Posts: 4
Physical Gift Cards
Has anyone tried buying physical gift cards in the SkyClub? If so, do all denominations work or is it just $50 like the e-gift cards?
Dec 24, 2018, 12:46 pm
#1114
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AMEX Plat, AMEX Hilton Aspire, CSR, Citi AA Plat
Posts: 2
Thank so much, the reimbursement just posted for the second transaction!
Dec 24, 2018, 1:21 pm
#1115
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
Transaction posted as DELTA AIR LINES ATLANTA. I hope that’s right, and hopefully it gets credited soon. Can someone confirm?
just checked and got reimbursed today. Have to buy 4 more. Thanks everyone.
just checked and got reimbursed today. Have to buy 4 more. Thanks everyone.
Last edited by troyhouse; Dec 26, 2018 at 9:59 am
Dec 24, 2018, 4:25 pm
#1116
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,830
Ill be pissed if not reimbursed when others have been.
Dec 24, 2018, 7:45 pm
#1117
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
It takes several days from the day the transaction is posted. Dec 22 is Saturday, with X'mas holiday tomorrow, you may need to wait till Dec 26 to see your credit.
Dec 24, 2018, 8:06 pm
#1118
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: Alaska Airline
Posts: 12
I purchased my GC on Dec 21, and got reimbursed today.
Dec 25, 2018, 6:14 pm
#1119
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JFK / LGA.. EWR is not part of NYC!
Programs: Brand loyalty is for suckers
Posts: 1,047
Made a single purchase of 5 x $50 eGift cards, using the DL link provided, via my Amex Aspire card. In the past, I've always made separate transactions for each $50 cert, and never had a problem getting the credit promptly. However, based on the advice of the wiki 
, I bought all 5 certs in one transaction, based on the assurance that they would post as 5 separate transactions. Well, it's still pending on my account, but it is listed as a single pending $250 transaction. I'm really hoping it becomes 5 separate transactions when it finally posts.
Anyone else in a similar situation?
, I bought all 5 certs in one transaction, based on the assurance that they would post as 5 separate transactions. Well, it's still pending on my account, but it is listed as a single pending $250 transaction. I'm really hoping it becomes 5 separate transactions when it finally posts.Anyone else in a similar situation?
Dec 25, 2018, 6:21 pm
#1120
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,830
Made a single purchase of 5 x $50 eGift cards, using the DL link provided, via my Amex Aspire card. In the past, I've always made separate transactions for each $50 cert, and never had a problem getting the credit promptly. However, based on the advice of the wiki , I bought all 5 certs in one transaction, based on the assurance that they would post as 5 separate transactions. Well, it's still pending on my account, but it is listed as a single pending $250 transaction. I'm really hoping it becomes 5 separate transactions when it finally posts.
Anyone else in a similar situation?
, I bought all 5 certs in one transaction, based on the assurance that they would post as 5 separate transactions. Well, it's still pending on my account, but it is listed as a single pending $250 transaction. I'm really hoping it becomes 5 separate transactions when it finally posts.Anyone else in a similar situation?
Dec 25, 2018, 7:01 pm
#1121
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
Mine looked the same way until the actual posting, and then 5 separate $50 transactions appeared from Delta Airlines - Atlanta. And TODAY, my $250 credit appeared as 5 separate $50 transactions, with a date of 12/24! Flyertalk you rock! I would not worry you should be good.
Dec 26, 2018, 7:09 pm
#1122
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: HNL / SIN
Posts: 87
Purchased one 50gc on Dec 17, reimbursed Dec 19
Purchased four 50gc on Dec 21, reimbursed Dec 23 (done in ome purchase but eventual statement reflected four 50usd purchases)
For some reason, the first post took awhile but the second went by faster, maybe simply because K had confidence about it going through lol
(first purchase made on Dec 16, but I recall it didn't show up until December 18 and reflected December 17 as the date on the statement. Could be in part due to a time difference since I'm in Asia)
Used a laptop to make the purchases to ensure desktop site was used
Purchased four 50gc on Dec 21, reimbursed Dec 23 (done in ome purchase but eventual statement reflected four 50usd purchases)
For some reason, the first post took awhile but the second went by faster, maybe simply because K had confidence about it going through lol
(first purchase made on Dec 16, but I recall it didn't show up until December 18 and reflected December 17 as the date on the statement. Could be in part due to a time difference since I'm in Asia)
Used a laptop to make the purchases to ensure desktop site was used
Dec 27, 2018, 4:56 am
#1123
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 97
Datapoint:
Purchased 2 $50gc on 12/18, reimbursed 12/20 (didn't actually post until 12/21).
Purchased 2 $50gc on 12/18, reimbursed 12/20 (didn't actually post until 12/21).
Dec 27, 2018, 3:55 pm
#1124
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
$50 purchased on Dec 25, charge posted on Dec 26, credit posted on Dec 27 with Dec 26 date. I actually have only $27.60 credit left as I used the card to pay for the taxes of 4x $5.60 on one way DL award tickets in July, after already gotten a $50 GC in May. AMEX correctly reimbursed $27.60.
Last edited by Happy; Dec 27, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Dec 27, 2018, 4:00 pm
#1125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
