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 4, 2019, 12:24 pm
#1262
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
Agreed. The blogs are usually the reason most deals die. Sure some people research FT and learn these things or go on reddit or whatever, but the blogs blast it out there to a much larger audience who probably are not going to go digging for all the details. The end result is many many more people taking advantage and when a large number of people take advantage that us when Amex takes action because the cost to them becomes too much. Nothing wrong with sharing information but blogs just spoon feed lazy people in the name of clicks.
So not sure how many people are in my boat, but it may be a good thing for Amex.
Jan 4, 2019, 1:37 pm
#1263
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,950
This error has existed since 2010. The same error works with DL and WN. I do not think there is any reason to think that American Express is unaware.
Jan 4, 2019, 1:43 pm
#1264
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Programs: Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards
Posts: 191
Don’t you think that Amex don’t know about FlyerTalk Forums when they gather data for their marketing strategies and products development?
FlyerTalk is not in the Dark Web. If you doba Google search for American Express Membership Rewards this is the 3rd website that shows up.
FlyerTalk is not in the Dark Web. If you doba Google search for American Express Membership Rewards this is the 3rd website that shows up.
Jan 4, 2019, 1:49 pm
#1265
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,932
Because even though GCs work, it is an unfixed error on Amex's part, as they are not meant to, per their T&C's. Thus calling them risks raising the profile of this loophole more than necessary (though one could.make an argument that the endless blogging about it has undoubtedly made Amex aware already)
Ie, it could be that they need cooperation from AA to be able to close this loophole completely.
Though why AA works for any amount up to the credit while DL works but only for $50 or smaller e-gift-cards, that's the part don't understand. Does DL show that it's a gift card if you buy more than $50 at a time?
I've never tried buying gift cards above $50 from DL online and thus I don't know if something comes across that identifies that, or if it's just because Amex and DL have a tight relationship and so DL provides extra data to them that AA doesn't?
Jan 4, 2019, 5:23 pm
#1266
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 24
1/4 purchased 1x 100 GC (Amex Rose Gold)
1/5 posted
1/8 credited 1x 100 GC
1/5 posted
1/8 credited 1x 100 GC
Last edited by LukeIronWall; Jan 10, 2019 at 2:50 pm Reason: updating
Jan 4, 2019, 6:04 pm
#1267
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 83
(Amex personal Platinum) Purchased two $100 GC's on 01/01. Transactions were posted on 01/03. Still awaiting Airline Credit.
Jan 4, 2019, 7:22 pm
#1268
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 2,272
So $200 is pretty much a safe bet to get reimbursed on a plat with AA. Do we have a firm consensus yet on the 250 with Aspire? Also, some people have had issues in the past with doing it too soon after selecting an airline. If I just leave my airline as AA from last year I shouldn't bother waiting until later Jan to try this since I am just keeping the same airline from last year right?
Jan 4, 2019, 8:39 pm
#1269
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5
Check with your card benefit page first. If the $200 credit meter said gone, then the credit would be posted within 2 days.
Jan 4, 2019, 9:07 pm
#1270
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: UA MM, AS MVP Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,107
1/1/2019 Selected AA as airline choice (changed from different 2018 airline)
received email
1/1/2019 bought AA 2x$100 GC in one transaction
1/4 Purchase posted
no credit yet, and Benefit meter still shows $200 (not liking that)
UPDATE:
1/5 Credit Posted.
received email
1/1/2019 bought AA 2x$100 GC in one transaction
1/4 Purchase posted
no credit yet, and Benefit meter still shows $200 (not liking that)
UPDATE:
1/5 Credit Posted.
Last edited by thegingerman; Jan 6, 2019 at 8:45 pm Reason: credit posted on Jan. 5 after this post
Jan 5, 2019, 1:09 am
#1271
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Cote d'Ivoire
Programs: OW Emerald - HH Diamond
Posts: 3,412
Have the Aspire and bought my three AA cards yesterday: $100, $100 and $50. Will post results. Was successful last year and remaining optimistic.
Jan 5, 2019, 2:38 am
#1272
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
So $200 is pretty much a safe bet to get reimbursed on a plat with AA. Do we have a firm consensus yet on the 250 with Aspire? Also, some people have had issues in the past with doing it too soon after selecting an airline. If I just leave my airline as AA from last year I shouldn't bother waiting until later Jan to try this since I am just keeping the same airline from last year right?
if you use the same airline from 2018, you dont need to select again and you will be fine.
youre fine. wait until 1/9 to get worried.
Jan 5, 2019, 9:27 am
#1273
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 4
Applied and approved for Hilton aspire card on 12/30... immediately called Amex to assign AA airlines. I received the confirmation email. Then a few mins later used temporary card and purchased 2x$100 gift card and $50 gift card. Per phone automated operator (cant see the transactions online since I haven’t received the card in the mail), the purchase was posted on 12/31. Still haven’t received a credit. Should I be worried?
Jan 5, 2019, 9:49 am
#1274
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: SoCal, CA
Programs: AA 1MM GO, SW A-List
Posts: 53
(almost 4 weeks). Benefit meter still showed full till the end of the year. AmEx Plt. 2x$100Then on the AmEx Gold Card I made the airline selection and waited a day to make the purchase and got credited within a week (last week in Dec). 1x$100
Moving forward seems it’s best to give it a day after the airline selection just to be safe before doing the purchase.
Jan 5, 2019, 10:57 am
#1275
Ambassador: Thai Airways
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Bangkok
Programs: UA 1k, TG Gold, LT Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 1,034
Applied and approved for Hilton aspire card on 12/30... immediately called Amex to assign AA airlines. I received the confirmation email. Then a few mins later used temporary card and purchased 2x$100 gift card and $50 gift card. Per phone automated operator (cant see the transactions online since I haven’t received the card in the mail), the purchase was posted on 12/31. Still haven’t received a credit. Should I be worried?
