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)
Jan 30, 2018, 9:19 am
#781
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I was lucky to learn through Happy’s response the DL treats the eGCs differently in practice than the T&Cs suggest, all as explained in my posts upthread.
But in this ever-changing world, it is in a way refreshing to see that the quibblng and holier-than-thou lecturing on FT continues at full speed.
What I really hope to see is, if someone has actual need to cancel a ticket that included e-Cert payments, what would be the latest outcome, as the last DPs are quite old. Or some folks who dont mind to go thru the trouble to experiment it would kindly report back.
Those who have the DL cards also use the e-Cert route to claim the $50 / $100 statement credit benefit which in the past I hadn't thought about it at all thus forfeited the benefits. But if the DL e-Certs dont expire, then why not? So in this go round of the targeted offers, I too, bought the $50 e-Cert on each new DL cards we got. A future saving is still a saving!
Jan 31, 2018, 1:17 pm
#782
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 41
Does delta platinum credit work with a 100 gc or do I need to get two 50s like with the reg platinum?
Jan 31, 2018, 3:00 pm
#783
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 24
Hilton Aspire
DP Bought $50 DL Gift card reimbursed day aftaf it posted.
Jan 31, 2018, 5:23 pm
#784
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 41
Another aspire DP: Have received credit for all 5 50$ gc purchased
Jan 31, 2018, 5:26 pm
#785
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
Purchased 4 x $50 on 1/28
Charge posted 1/29
Refund posted 1/30
Charge posted 1/29
Refund posted 1/30
Feb 1, 2018, 1:55 pm
#786
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 23
does it have to be 50 each? You can't do $100 each for Amex Platinum. Delta doesn't care about how many GC you use, does it?
Feb 1, 2018, 1:57 pm
#787
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Feb 5, 2018, 7:53 am
#788
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
1/31 Switched PRG airline preference to Delta.
2/1 Purchased 2 x $50 eGift cards.
2/2 2 x $50 charges posted to AMEX account.
2/4 2 x $50 reimbursements posted to AMEX account.
2/1 Purchased 2 x $50 eGift cards.
2/2 2 x $50 charges posted to AMEX account.
2/4 2 x $50 reimbursements posted to AMEX account.
Feb 6, 2018, 2:59 pm
#789
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: PHL suburbs
Posts: 216
There is also another aspect - things can change. May be one day the usage of e-Cert would be more flexible though it is really wishful thinking.
What I really hope to see is, if someone has actual need to cancel a ticket that included e-Cert payments, what would be the latest outcome, as the last DPs are quite old. Or some folks who dont mind to go thru the trouble to experiment it would kindly report back.
What I really hope to see is, if someone has actual need to cancel a ticket that included e-Cert payments, what would be the latest outcome, as the last DPs are quite old. Or some folks who dont mind to go thru the trouble to experiment it would kindly report back.
I purchased a ticket using 3 E-certs in late December and canceled within the 24-hr grace period. Each one was refunded back to its original certificate number.
Feb 6, 2018, 3:20 pm
#790
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DTW - Rochester Hills, MI
Programs: Cathay MPC, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Domestic Airline Nobody
Posts: 715
QUESTION: I am wondering about the risk free purchase of a ticket. I know that I can purchase a ticket, and if my plans change I can cancel it within 24 hours and get a complete refund. If I use a credit card, then I'm sure I'd just get a credit. But what happens if I use two eGift cards that I was sent? For example, I could pay for $200 of the ticket using the two $100 eGift cards, and then pay the balance on my credit card. If I cancel the ticket, then Im sure my credit card would be refunded. But what happens to the eGift cards? Does it go into my Delta Wallet? Get refunded to credit card? Issue a new eGift card?
ANSWER: Thank you for your email to Delta Air Lines inquiring about the eGift card. I am sorry for the delay in responding to your message. For your information, if a reservation is booked with eGift Card and then the reservation got canceled under Risk Free Cancellation period. You will get your eGift Card refunded. However, in order to get refund of your eGift Card, you need to contact one of our Reservations specialists at 800-221-1212/404-765-5000.
Feb 7, 2018, 6:08 am
#791
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 13
Delta 2x $100
Sigh.... tried to purchase 2x $100 gc on delta using my MacBook and amex plat did not reimburse me 
shows as delta Atlanta or something but it' been 9 days already.. DO NOT BUY IN $100s.... my fault... I did this last year and it worked but Idk why it didn' work this time
shows as delta Atlanta or something but it' been 9 days already.. DO NOT BUY IN $100s.... my fault... I did this last year and it worked but Idk why it didn' work this time
Feb 7, 2018, 8:18 am
#792
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New York, New York
Programs: AA Gold, Alaska MVP; Free Agent Super Duper Diamond Treasure Chest ;)
Posts: 4,682
Sigh.... tried to purchase 2x $100 gc on delta using my MacBook and amex plat did not reimburse me shows as delta Atlanta or something but it' been 9 days already.. DO NOT BUY IN $100s.... my fault... I did this last year and it worked but Idk why it didn' work this time
shows as delta Atlanta or something but it' been 9 days already.. DO NOT BUY IN $100s.... my fault... I did this last year and it worked but Idk why it didn' work this timeWelcome to FT!
Feb 7, 2018, 8:27 am
#793
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 13
:(
hi and thank you! Yup, got two $100 on April 19th 2017 and my reimbursement credit got posted on the 23rd of April. But you'e saying $50 increments work?
Feb 7, 2018, 8:31 am
#794
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DTW - Rochester Hills, MI
Programs: Cathay MPC, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Domestic Airline Nobody
Posts: 715
Same for me. I did two $100, and it work fine. I did it again in September, 2017, and no joy. So I then twice did 2x$50, and it worked. So now I've got $400. And just learned you are limited on the number you can use per purchase! :-o