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)
Mar 15, 2019, 1:10 pm
#1727
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 386
I just got off the phone with AMEX and told them this was a pet fee that I've paid for before last year. I bought my $100 GC 2/22 and was not credited. Gentlemen said I will see my credit in 5 business days. I got lucky. Guess will have to purchase lower amounts next time. That seems to be working for others.
It's been five business days since your post. Could you please let us know if the credit for your gift card purchase on February 22 posts or not? If it has or does, that will be the only report of credit posting for GCs purchased after February 6, of any denomination, I believe.
Thanks very much,
saunders111
Mar 15, 2019, 4:51 pm
#1728
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 46
Sorry if this has been covered upthread, but has anyone seen if seat selection fees on an existing reservation get the statement credit? A workaround could be:
1) Buy a refundable ticket.
2) Go into the res and make a seat selection that costs money.
3) Cancel the whole res.
I’m not sure if seat res fees are refundable, and that’s essential information before anyone tries this.
1) Buy a refundable ticket.
2) Go into the res and make a seat selection that costs money.
3) Cancel the whole res.
I’m not sure if seat res fees are refundable, and that’s essential information before anyone tries this.
Mar 15, 2019, 5:14 pm
#1729
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,022
Seat selection fees on an existing reservation should get the statement credit. However, seat selection fees are generally nonrefundable unless you cancel the entire flight within 24 hours of booking or upgrade to a higher cabin: https://www.aa.com/i18n/fragments/me...SeatsTerms.jsp
When we'll issue a refund for seats (no request needed)
We'll issue you a refund if:
- We cancel your flight.
- You pay to upgrade to First or Business.
- You pay more for another seat on the same flight (but not if you change to a lower priced or free seat).
It seems to me that upgrading an existing refundable reservation in coach to First or Business, then canceling it, would likely to the trick, and with the least amount of hassle. I don't know, but I suspect the upgrade would be coded as an incidental charge, not a ticket purchase.
Mar 16, 2019, 11:36 pm
#1730
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: RDU
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Titanium; Globalist
Posts: 375
Amex Hilton Aspire eligibility period
I got the Hilton Aspire late last February and used the $250 incidentals credit buying AA gift cards with no problem in 2018.
Since I was slow in taking care of this for 2019 that option doesn't exist now on the AA gift cards. However in early February I did have to change some AA tickets and incurred the change fees of $200 per ticket for two tickets.
I just was communicating with Amex via chat and they stated that the 2019 $250 allowance is not available until after my initial anniversary date in March of this year. I had understood and the terms seem to say that the allowance is on a calendar year basis. So they are denying me the change fee reimbursment request.
Has anyone else run into this? I have the Platinum but for a number of years and haven't run into this since this is the only new card in a while.
This may be a HUCA situation (or a call). But I did state that my understanding was this was an annual calendar benefit. I checked the current offer and terms and it only references a calendar year.
(Moderator will you please correct title: should be Aspire not Ascend in title.
Since I was slow in taking care of this for 2019 that option doesn't exist now on the AA gift cards. However in early February I did have to change some AA tickets and incurred the change fees of $200 per ticket for two tickets.
I just was communicating with Amex via chat and they stated that the 2019 $250 allowance is not available until after my initial anniversary date in March of this year. I had understood and the terms seem to say that the allowance is on a calendar year basis. So they are denying me the change fee reimbursment request.
Has anyone else run into this? I have the Platinum but for a number of years and haven't run into this since this is the only new card in a while.
This may be a HUCA situation (or a call). But I did state that my understanding was this was an annual calendar benefit. I checked the current offer and terms and it only references a calendar year.
(Moderator will you please correct title: should be Aspire not Ascend in title.
Last edited by mia; Mar 17, 2019 at 5:10 am
Mar 17, 2019, 1:14 am
#1731
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
I got the Hilton Aspire late last February and used the $250 incidentals credit buying AA gift cards with no problem in 2018.
Since I was slow in taking care of this for 2019 that option doesn't exist now on the AA gift cards. However in early February I did have to change some AA tickets and incurred the change fees of $200 per ticket for two tickets.
I just was communicating with Amex via chat and they stated that the 2019 $250 allowance is not available until after my initial anniversary date in March of this year. I had understood and the terms seem to say that the allowance is on a calendar year basis. So they are denying me the change fee reimbursment request.
Has anyone else run into this? I have the Platinum but for a number of years and haven't run into this since this is the only new card in a while.
This may be a HUCA situation (or a call). But I did state that my understanding was this was an annual calendar benefit. I checked the current offer and terms and it only references a calendar year.
(Moderator will you please correct title: should be Aspire not Ascend in title.
Since I was slow in taking care of this for 2019 that option doesn't exist now on the AA gift cards. However in early February I did have to change some AA tickets and incurred the change fees of $200 per ticket for two tickets.
I just was communicating with Amex via chat and they stated that the 2019 $250 allowance is not available until after my initial anniversary date in March of this year. I had understood and the terms seem to say that the allowance is on a calendar year basis. So they are denying me the change fee reimbursment request.
Has anyone else run into this? I have the Platinum but for a number of years and haven't run into this since this is the only new card in a while.
This may be a HUCA situation (or a call). But I did state that my understanding was this was an annual calendar benefit. I checked the current offer and terms and it only references a calendar year.
(Moderator will you please correct title: should be Aspire not Ascend in title.
second, how come a legit $200 expense didnt get credited automatically? whats the category details? listed under MISC?
anyway, dont let the stupid chat rep confuse you. the TC can not be any more clear. Aspire has TWO sets of 250 credits. airline is on CALENDAR YEAR. resort on CARD MEMBER YEAR. simple as that. of course i wish both were calendar year. would be super simple.
go HUCA.
Mar 17, 2019, 10:48 am
#1732
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: RDU
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Titanium; Globalist
Posts: 375
Thanks and good advice. I usually use chat and haven't had any issues prior to this. I will call. It was late and easier to pull up the chat. But of course at a price in this case.
The charge was coded as regular airfare since they charged the $200 change fee but there was also an offset from a slightly lower fare. It then shows the itinerary as if it was a ticket purchase. Otherwise it might have been automatically coded as MISC and then taken care of.
I was waiting to see what would happen before calling in.
As always I appreciate the FT community and its advice.
The charge was coded as regular airfare since they charged the $200 change fee but there was also an offset from a slightly lower fare. It then shows the itinerary as if it was a ticket purchase. Otherwise it might have been automatically coded as MISC and then taken care of.
I was waiting to see what would happen before calling in.
As always I appreciate the FT community and its advice.
Mar 17, 2019, 11:30 am
#1733
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 3
Sorry if this has been covered upthread, but has anyone seen if seat selection fees on an existing reservation get the statement credit? A workaround could be:
1) Buy a refundable ticket.
2) Go into the res and make a seat selection that costs money.
3) Cancel the whole res.
I’m not sure if seat res fees are refundable, and that’s essential information before anyone tries this.
1) Buy a refundable ticket.
2) Go into the res and make a seat selection that costs money.
3) Cancel the whole res.
I’m not sure if seat res fees are refundable, and that’s essential information before anyone tries this.
I can confirm they don't credit upgrades to business. I made the argument that they credit baggage, in-flight food and drink, and wifi etc, and I get all of these things by upgrading to business and yet they don't cover that, and it's stupid, but no dice.
Mar 18, 2019, 10:58 am
#1734
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Pacific
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14
$125 $120, got back $200
Mar 18, 2019, 11:47 am
#1735
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Provided to you as a public service
Mar 19, 2019, 8:21 am
#1737
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,949
Mar 19, 2019, 10:41 am
#1738
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,635
Why is this "public service", are we supposed to read between the lines here?
Mar 19, 2019, 10:46 am
#1739
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,949
Post 1735 simply provides the context for 1734 which is an answer to a question that was not quoted. Only mrlemm knows if (a) he really paid for services which were mis-coded as gift card purchases, or if (b) American Express customer service can be persuaded that gift card purchases were something different.
