Jan 4, 2017, 6:59 am
Last edit by: mia
CAUTION: In February 2019, American Airlines changed the coding of gift card transactions. Although there are a few successful data points since, in general, Gift Card purchases are now explicitly identified, and no longer reimbursed by American Express.
Reminder: you must enroll and select your airline BEFORE making a reimbursable purchase. http://www.americanexpress.com/airlinechoice -or- "Call the number on the back of your Card to select a qualifying airline."
Data Points on automatically reimbursed incidentals since 2017:
Admirals Club Memberships: Admirals Club Passes:
Wifi is provided by one of three third-party providers and is thus not eligible for the incidental credit.
* For items not automatically reimbursed but which are not excluded by Amex, you can try and request manual reimbursement from American Express; however, you may need to wait 14-28 days first.
To review AA reimbursement reports from 2011-2016 as well as information on gift cards, click HERE.
Reminder: you must enroll and select your airline BEFORE making a reimbursable purchase. http://www.americanexpress.com/airlinechoice -or- "Call the number on the back of your Card to select a qualifying airline."
Data Points on automatically reimbursed incidentals since 2017:
Admirals Club Memberships: Admirals Club Passes:
- Yes - Hilton-gold, moe8555
- No - ShrinkTheGlobe, canesfan, jasmians, soy
- Yes - Dedicated, Rakibullslam, tsmith12, lotrbfme, mia, GTITAN, cdoobiest
- No - Alex_I, exmike, jb0506, fangtl, nall, javabytes, chitink
- Mixed - PatrickTM, Visconti, iahphx
- No - cubs105, prhocky2607
- No - PatrickTM, mileshound
- Yes - LuizMiranda, fotoflyer88, nk15, joshvworld, Hilton-gold, captaink, JCN, aftortoriello, nall
- No - pubsmeister
- Yes - jvel
- Yes - JDiver
- No - AUSINSIGHT
- No - mrlemm
- Yes - Segments
- Yes - wireless_999, saunders111, mosfet, Budoka, sdsearch
- Mixed - inevitability
Wifi is provided by one of three third-party providers and is thus not eligible for the incidental credit.
* For items not automatically reimbursed but which are not excluded by Amex, you can try and request manual reimbursement from American Express; however, you may need to wait 14-28 days first.
To review AA reimbursement reports from 2011-2016 as well as information on gift cards, click HERE.
Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: AA only (2017-2019)
Nov 12, 2019, 12:24 pm
#2206
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, UA Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 40
Do you have AA travel planned for 2020? You could buy an Admiral's Club membership for $550-$650 depending on your status and get a good chunk of it reimbursed. If you have family or friends that are traveling this year you can have them use your card at OLCI to pay for checked bags or seat assignments and get them reimbursed (You don't need to be the one flying).
Any other way?
Nov 12, 2019, 12:55 pm
#2207
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,905
No AA travel planned in near future and dont think I would be able to utilize Admiral club membership, and i have PLAT for other purposes. Really, want to utilize the $250, amex is making it unnecessarily harder to use, they should rather give points worth $250.
Any other way?
Any other way?
Nov 12, 2019, 1:02 pm
#2208
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Minnetonka, MN, USA
Programs: DL Diamond 2MM, AA ExPlt
Posts: 938
You can buy 500-mile upgrades which don't expire.
Nov 12, 2019, 11:56 pm
#2209
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
You can buy 500-mile upgrades which don't expire.
Nov 13, 2019, 12:33 pm
#2212
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
No AA travel planned in near future and dont think I would be able to utilize Admiral club membership, and i have PLAT for other purposes. Really, want to utilize the $250, amex is making it unnecessarily harder to use, they should rather give points worth $250.
Any other way?
Any other way?
Nov 13, 2019, 2:56 pm
#2213
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
You can buy 500-mile upgrades which don't expire.
Nov 13, 2019, 2:59 pm
#2214
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, UA Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 40
Nov 13, 2019, 3:02 pm
#2215
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, UA Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 40
As described just a few posts above yours, and as mentioned in the Wiki, you can buy miles using the Mileage Multiplier option. As far as purchasing miles for cash, it's a lousy value at about 3.2 cents per miles, but as a way to get something of value out of the airline fee credit, it's worth it. You can buy a refundable ticket, or buy a non-refundable ticket for travel more than two weeks away so it is cancelable within 24 hours for a full refund. Once it tickets, there will be a Mileage Multiplier option when viewing the itinerary. Use that to buy miles using the AmEx card. Right afterwards, cancel the itinerary. The distance of the trip seems to influence the number of miles offered via Mileage Multiplier.
For example if miles offered as mileage multiplier are worth $300, I can go ahead and charge them on AMEX to get $250 credited?
Thanks much!
Nov 13, 2019, 3:16 pm
#2216
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,905
Last edited by rrgg; Nov 13, 2019 at 3:23 pm
Nov 13, 2019, 3:47 pm
#2217
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
This seems to be a good option to get miles which I can utilize for flying later. So the greater the distance, the higher the miles offered and I can make large purchase as well?
For example if miles offered as mileage multiplier are worth $300, I can go ahead and charge them on AMEX to get $250 credited?
For example if miles offered as mileage multiplier are worth $300, I can go ahead and charge them on AMEX to get $250 credited?
Nov 13, 2019, 3:53 pm
#2218
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
They won't take them away, but they'll be unusable until you have status again. (Edited to add: I thought maybe if an elite is on your PNR they could be used, but I've never done that and don't think it works from reading this.)
So not worth it for me because AA status ain't happening for me unless they give me another promotion somewhere down the line which I have no way of predicting.
Nov 13, 2019, 4:54 pm
#2219
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Even if you have status, 500-mile (segment) upgrades are notoriously difficult to use, since unsold domestic first class seats have become more scarce, and since AA prioritizes upgrade requests by status (CK, EXP, PP, PLT, GLD) and by rolling EQD within each status group. If you're not a high-spending CK or high-spending EXP on a flight without CKs, you're probably not going to get an upgrade, and if you are then segment upgrades are only needed to upgrade companions on the same record.
Nov 13, 2019, 5:37 pm
#2220
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
Even if you have status, 500-mile (segment) upgrades are notoriously difficult to use, since unsold domestic first class seats have become more scarce, and since AA prioritizes upgrade requests by status (CK, EXP, PP, PLT, GLD) and by rolling EQD within each status group. If you're not a high-spending CK or high-spending EXP on a flight without CKs, you're probably not going to get an upgrade, and if you are then segment upgrades are only needed to upgrade companions on the same record.