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)
Feb 19, 2019, 12:26 pm
#1623
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: LAX/BUR
Posts: 2,012
I happen to have done 2 AA charges on same day on Feb 7th. One for an award cancel of $150 on Platinum, and another $100 Gift Card on Gold Card. The Platinum cancel fee posted with description "Frequent Flyer Fee/Purchase" and the Gift Card posted as "Gift Certificate". Neither one has been credited yet, but it should be good data point if the $150 credit posts but not the $100. I will report back.
Feb 19, 2019, 12:37 pm
#1624
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 558
Just a gentle reminder to anyone who hasn't charged anything to AA yet this year:
With a quick chat to Amex they immediately switched my airline choice. I had already chosen AA a few weeks ago, but they did not give me any trouble.
With a quick chat to Amex they immediately switched my airline choice. I had already chosen AA a few weeks ago, but they did not give me any trouble.
Feb 20, 2019, 7:19 am
#1625
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 88
Time to hang out at the airport check-in kiosk and offer to pay people's bag fees for cash.
Feb 20, 2019, 8:46 am
#1626
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
Creepy!
Feb 20, 2019, 9:59 am
#1627
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
I had bought a 200 GC on Feb 4 and 100 GC on Feb 7. Both were reimbursed.
Feb 20, 2019, 10:16 am
#1628
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Feb 20, 2019, 10:32 am
#1629
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
Feb 20, 2019, 10:36 am
#1630
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
Feb 20, 2019, 10:41 am
#1631
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
Feb 20, 2019, 10:46 am
#1632
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 409
So the consensus is AA gift cards are done, right? 
Feb 20, 2019, 12:11 pm
#1633
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
Feb 20, 2019, 1:49 pm
#1634
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,078
Too early to say, but it looks ominous. If I had AA as the designated airline, I’d quickly switch and get GCs on another airline. It’s plausible that we’ll soon see the same thing happen with the other airlines. We just don’t know on the outside if this is unique to AA, or if AA is merely the first to do what Amex is demanding from all airline partners in this program.
Feb 20, 2019, 2:16 pm
#1635
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Honolulu, HI / San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA EXP, Alaska MVP 75k, IHG Spire, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 277
Sad I waited to buy my AA gift cards this year. I have 1 amex platinum, 2 business platinum, and an amex gold so need to use $700 in credit. I am executive platinum so already get baggage and drink for free.
I guess I can use credit to buy 500 mile upgrades? Or maybe cancelation fees. Not sure what else I could possibly use for. Definitely will be canceling these amex since this credit is mostly useless now.
I guess I can use credit to buy 500 mile upgrades? Or maybe cancelation fees. Not sure what else I could possibly use for. Definitely will be canceling these amex since this credit is mostly useless now.