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 11, 2017, 9:41 pm
#106
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2
Apparently even if the reimbursement hasn't posted under charges, you can check "Benefits" and it may show as used if it's been used.
DP: bought 1x$100 on Plat and 1x$100 on PRG on 1/9, both double charged, and both say my airline credit has been used up for the year (with no previous charges).
So either I'll have converted $100 of my Plat airline credit to a statement credit, nothing will have happend, or I'm in for a headache.
DP: bought 1x$100 on Plat and 1x$100 on PRG on 1/9, both double charged, and both say my airline credit has been used up for the year (with no previous charges).
So either I'll have converted $100 of my Plat airline credit to a statement credit, nothing will have happend, or I'm in for a headache.
Last edited by sirtheta; Jan 11, 2017 at 10:20 pm
Jan 11, 2017, 10:44 pm
#109
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 371
Why Platinum NOT reimbursed, but Gold Premier reimbursed? Do I need to wait a day or two after the Airlines selection?
On January 4th, Platinum purchased $100*2 (separated transaction), and Gold Premier purchased $100*1.
Gold Premier purchase was reimbursed, but Platinum purchases were NOT.
Both selected AA/US airways before the purchases. Charges were all posted as:
Jan4 AA MISC SALE/ TAX/ FEE/EX BAG 4510742 - DALLAS, TX $100.00
Do I need to wait a day or two after the Airlines selection?
Platinum only waited for about 10 minutes after receiving the Amex Change airline confirmation?
Gold Premier waited days.
On January 4th, Platinum purchased $100*2 (separated transaction), and Gold Premier purchased $100*1.
Gold Premier purchase was reimbursed, but Platinum purchases were NOT.
Both selected AA/US airways before the purchases. Charges were all posted as:
Jan4 AA MISC SALE/ TAX/ FEE/EX BAG 4510742 - DALLAS, TX $100.00
Do I need to wait a day or two after the Airlines selection?
Platinum only waited for about 10 minutes after receiving the Amex Change airline confirmation?
Gold Premier waited days.
Jan 12, 2017, 1:39 am
#110
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: NY
Programs: MR, UR, UA
Posts: 180
Why Platinum NOT reimbursed, but Gold Premier reimbursed? Do I need to wait a day or two after the Airlines selection?
On January 4th, Platinum purchased $100*2 (separated transaction), and Gold Premier purchased $100*1.
Gold Premier purchase was reimbursed, but Platinum purchases were NOT.
Both selected AA/US airways before the purchases. Charges were all posted as:
Jan4 AA MISC SALE/ TAX/ FEE/EX BAG 4510742 - DALLAS, TX $100.00
Do I need to wait a day or two after the Airlines selection?
Platinum only waited for about 10 minutes after receiving the Amex Change airline confirmation?
Gold Premier waited days.
On January 4th, Platinum purchased $100*2 (separated transaction), and Gold Premier purchased $100*1.
Gold Premier purchase was reimbursed, but Platinum purchases were NOT.
Both selected AA/US airways before the purchases. Charges were all posted as:
Jan4 AA MISC SALE/ TAX/ FEE/EX BAG 4510742 - DALLAS, TX $100.00
Do I need to wait a day or two after the Airlines selection?
Platinum only waited for about 10 minutes after receiving the Amex Change airline confirmation?
Gold Premier waited days.
Jan 12, 2017, 4:11 am
#111
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Apparently even if the reimbursement hasn't posted under charges, you can check "Benefits" and it may show as used if it's been used.
DP: bought 1x$100 on Plat and 1x$100 on PRG on 1/9, both double charged, and both say my airline credit has been used up for the year (with no previous charges).
So either I'll have converted $100 of my Plat airline credit to a statement credit, nothing will have happend, or I'm in for a headache.
DP: bought 1x$100 on Plat and 1x$100 on PRG on 1/9, both double charged, and both say my airline credit has been used up for the year (with no previous charges).
So either I'll have converted $100 of my Plat airline credit to a statement credit, nothing will have happend, or I'm in for a headache.
- In the case of the PRG, where -- if I am not mistaken, there is only a $100 total credit -- there is no real problem. The credit is bing given even if the charge is posting differently than previously. One way or another, the duplicate charge to your account will not have to be paid.
- By analogy, there is also no real problem for those for whom the 1/9 charge on a Plat card was the second $100 charge of the year.
- However, for those of us for whom this was a first $100 charge on a Plat, we have now lost half our annual benefit since we are about to be reimbursed $100 for an instrument we have not received. Yes, it would be great if it stayed as a statement credit after AA eventually reverses the charge. But can you really see that happening? My bet is that Amex will take back the credit (benefit) amount when AA reverses the charge, but will continue to show the benefit as exhausted. As per my posting above, the treatment of reversed charges under a cancelled Amex Offer is the analogy. Try getting one of those reinstated after a charge back. Then try doing it for a dicey, non-qualifying purchase. Ugh.
Last edited by Biggie Fries; Jan 12, 2017 at 4:19 am
Jan 12, 2017, 4:17 am
#112
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
The great problem here is that AA seems to have messed something up. They know it now and they will fix it. But by fix it that means reversing a bogus charge on customers' accounts. The fact that that bogus charge plays havoc with a benefit provided by a credit card issuer is not within their (AA's) ambit. So that won't go away soon. Instead, each of us will have the pleasure of talking to an Amex CSR when we want to claim something for what we think is our remaining $100 benefit. But they will be looking at something that says the benefit has been exhausted. Hope I'm wrong.
Jan 12, 2017, 5:36 am
#113
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Update: Things moving fast
AA has now reversed one of the two $100 charges.
Amex has given two $100 credits.
If things were to stop now, I'd be a very happy camper. However, as per post(s) above, I am anticipating a reversal of one of the credits.
Amex has given two $100 credits.
If things were to stop now, I'd be a very happy camper. However, as per post(s) above, I am anticipating a reversal of one of the credits.
Jan 12, 2017, 5:49 am
#114
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2
Reversal confirmed here as well. Time will tell what happens to the airline credit.
For what it's worth, it seems this is more widespread than AA GCs, according to the comments on my article.* My current suspicion is that it only affected some subset of charge card holders, which I think means it was a problem on AmEx's end. (otherwise, I assume we would've heard something, given the # of transactions AA must do per day). Anyway, at least that gives us an option to argue that it wasn't a GC.
* side note: y'all are seriously the best. My first thought upon seeing the double charges was that FT has probably already figured this out.
For what it's worth, it seems this is more widespread than AA GCs, according to the comments on my article.* My current suspicion is that it only affected some subset of charge card holders, which I think means it was a problem on AmEx's end. (otherwise, I assume we would've heard something, given the # of transactions AA must do per day). Anyway, at least that gives us an option to argue that it wasn't a GC.
* side note: y'all are seriously the best. My first thought upon seeing the double charges was that FT has probably already figured this out.
Jan 12, 2017, 5:50 am
#115
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2
I had the same problem bought 2 $100 and got charged $400, today I see they finally removed the duplicates and credited me my account with "Enjoy this credit courtesy of your $200 Airline Fee Credit benefit"
Everything is back to being perfect
Everything is back to being perfect
Jan 12, 2017, 5:56 am
#116
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Hyatt Plat, SPG/MAR Gold, Nat'l EEE
Posts: 128
Matt E. says:January 12, 2017 at 8:54 amSo I received the “merchant credit” of $100 back, with a post date of 1/9 (to match the charge). I then received the usual “Amex Reimbursement Fee” of $100, with a post date of 1/11 (today) as I had originally hoped when placing the order.
This was my 2nd round of $100 purchase, so my activity shows 3 separate $100 charges, 1 $100 credit and 2 $100 reimbursements, net $0 and $200 of GC.
All is back to normal 🙂
Jan 12, 2017, 8:14 am
#117
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 107
Got the credits this morning also!!!! 2 credits from Amex and 2 credits from AA. Good way to start off the day.
Jan 12, 2017, 8:37 am
#118
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
It'd be nice if this sticks and there is no reversal of one of the credits (IME, similar situations on CSR and Citi Prestige do NOT lead to reversals of credits).
Jan 12, 2017, 8:50 am
#119
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 7
For the charge that *wasn't* reversed, what is listed in the details/additional information section?
Jan 12, 2017, 9:07 am
#120
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 6
Amex travel reimbursement posted and AA removed the duplicate charge for my 1/9 purchase.