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)
Jan 19, 2019, 10:57 am
#1441
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 3
Personal AMEX Platinum:
$200 AA GC bought on 1/14, transaction posted 1/14
Meter changed on 1/18 - full use.
credit of $200 received on 1/19 in the morning.
Success!
$200 AA GC bought on 1/14, transaction posted 1/14
Meter changed on 1/18 - full use.
credit of $200 received on 1/19 in the morning.
Success!
Jan 19, 2019, 8:26 pm
#1442
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Boston
Posts: 249
I wouldn't do five cards simultaneously. If you review this thread, and the predecessor threads going back to 2010, you will see that AA sometimes cancels giftcard orders using their own security algorithm. If they see five orders from the same IP address with five different payment cards, I would expect this to trip their alarm.
Last edited by Magna; Jan 19, 2019 at 8:31 pm
Jan 19, 2019, 9:21 pm
#1443
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Jan 20, 2019, 8:23 am
#1445
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
The reports of AA cancelling gift card purchases, which are sometimes (not always) still reimbursed by American Express are scattered throughout this thread and its predecessor:
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: AA only [2011-2016]
Early on it was speculated that using a throw away email address (e.g. hotmail, gmail) to deliver to card was triggering the cancellations, but I think this did not hold up as a definitive factor.
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: AA only [2011-2016]
Early on it was speculated that using a throw away email address (e.g. hotmail, gmail) to deliver to card was triggering the cancellations, but I think this did not hold up as a definitive factor.
Jan 20, 2019, 8:43 am
#1446
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 16,871
The reports of AA cancelling gift card purchases, which are sometimes (not always) still reimbursed by American Express are scattered throughout this thread and its predecessor:
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: AA only [2011-2016]
Early on it was speculated that using a throw away email address (e.g. hotmail, gmail) to deliver to card was triggering the cancellations, but I think this did not hold up as a definitive factor.
$200 airline fee reimbursement reports: AA only [2011-2016]
Early on it was speculated that using a throw away email address (e.g. hotmail, gmail) to deliver to card was triggering the cancellations, but I think this did not hold up as a definitive factor.
Jan 20, 2019, 8:24 pm
#1448
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,134
Apparently you need to read AA’s terms and conditions.
“Gift cards purchased or bartered from sources other than American Airlines-licensed vendors (“Unlicensed Vendors”) are not valid or redeemable. American Airlines is not responsible for honoring a gift card purchased from an Unlicensed Vendor. Gift cards may not be resold by any Unlicensed Vendor or individual under penalty of law. Unlawful resale or attempted resale is grounds for seizure and cancellation without compensation.”
“Gift cards purchased or bartered from sources other than American Airlines-licensed vendors (“Unlicensed Vendors”) are not valid or redeemable. American Airlines is not responsible for honoring a gift card purchased from an Unlicensed Vendor. Gift cards may not be resold by any Unlicensed Vendor or individual under penalty of law. Unlawful resale or attempted resale is grounds for seizure and cancellation without compensation.”
Jan 21, 2019, 7:19 am
#1449
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 3
I accidentally purchased the gift cards before electing American as my airline of choice. I remembered as soon as I did and changed my election well before the charges actually posted a couple of days later. Anyone have experience with actually getting the credit in a situation like this? Or is it triggered as soon as the charges go pending?
Jan 21, 2019, 7:29 am
#1450
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,193
I accidentally purchased the gift cards before electing American as my airline of choice. I remembered as soon as I did and changed my election well before the charges actually posted a couple of days later. Anyone have experience with actually getting the credit in a situation like this? Or is it triggered as soon as the charges go pending?
Jan 21, 2019, 11:24 am
#1451
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 2
AMEX Personal Platinum
1/14/19 Purchased 2 x $100 AA VGC's
1/15/19 Posted
1/19/19 Credit Received
1/14/19 Purchased 2 x $100 AA VGC's
1/15/19 Posted
1/19/19 Credit Received
Jan 21, 2019, 12:00 pm
#1452
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 42
Thanks! I was looking everywhere for DP. This was very helpful.
I also have Hilton Aspire and Business Platinum.
Since AA has a 8 card limit per txn, I much rather keep larger denomination than $50s... Thanks!
I also have Hilton Aspire and Business Platinum.
Since AA has a 8 card limit per txn, I much rather keep larger denomination than $50s... Thanks!
Jan 21, 2019, 5:44 pm
#1453
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: AAdvantage, HHonors, Avis
Posts: 3
Long time lurker with a DP I haven't seen but gave a shot - I did a status challenge and this did not trigger the reimbursement, been a couple weeks now.
Amex Aspire.
Amex Aspire.