Amex Platinum/Gold (USA) 5X/3X on OTA's, foreign carriers, fees, award taxes, etc?
Jan 24, 2017, 9:34 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP, AS MVP Gold 75K, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 158
Amex Platinum/Gold (USA) 5X/3X on OTA's, foreign carriers, fees, award taxes, etc?
Hi all-
I know the published benefit is 5x for travel booked directly through the airlines or Amex travel, but has anyone has success booking through an OTA and still getting the 5x (i.e. charges come though from the airline even though booked through an OTA)? I'm reading different answers, so I'm hoping for some data points.
I have an itinerary that I can book on Priceline, but I can't get it to price out using Amex travel or the airline directly. Any help/DPs are most welcome.
TIA
I know the published benefit is 5x for travel booked directly through the airlines or Amex travel, but has anyone has success booking through an OTA and still getting the 5x (i.e. charges come though from the airline even though booked through an OTA)? I'm reading different answers, so I'm hoping for some data points.
I have an itinerary that I can book on Priceline, but I can't get it to price out using Amex travel or the airline directly. Any help/DPs are most welcome.
TIA
Feb 3, 2017, 3:06 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA- 1P
Posts: 274
Amex Platinum/Gold (USA) 5X/3X on foreign carriers, fees, award taxes, etc?
If I book award travel with an airline and pay the fuel surcharge and taxes with my amex platinum, will that qualify for the 5X multiplier?
Feb 4, 2017, 7:54 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
For Premier Rewards Gold 3X airline bonus:
It worked for me with SQ, LH, UA, DL & B6.
Even got the bonus points & it applied to my $100 airline credit for taxes & fees.
It worked for me with SQ, LH, UA, DL & B6.
Even got the bonus points & it applied to my $100 airline credit for taxes & fees.
Apr 19, 2017, 12:18 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
IIRC, aa.com (like so many ailrilnes and hotels) outsources the buying of miles (or points) to points.com, and your actual charge on a miles purchase is billed to points.com.
You can verify that by trying to buy miles on aa.com but not hitting the final purchase button (and thus not spending any money). Before you get to the final purchase button, you should be "thrown" to points.com website, if they outsource it. (And once you're thrown to points.com, you can be sure it won't count as an AA purchase.)
So just because buying a gift card might be billed as an AA purchase doesn't mean buying of miles will be.
The OP was asking about buying miles, not buying a gift card. The answer is not the same for both!
Last edited by mia; Apr 19, 2017 at 12:32 pm Reason: Combine consecutive replies.
Apr 19, 2017, 12:31 pm
#13
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...nsactions.html
Miles purchases will be an AA transaction, but I do not know if they use the same merchant account for this business as they use for tickets (or giftcards.)
May 23, 2017, 7:23 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion
Posts: 18
Do airline fees earn 5x MR if paid with USA personal Platinum?
Pretty much the subject-line question. I know that upgrade fees "generally" do not qualify for the travel fee reimbursement, but I have not found an answer to the slightly different question:
Do the upgrade fees qualify under the 5x for airfare? I assume the answer is "no", but this will affect which card gets charged so I'm hoping to confirm.
Specifically (in case it matters), this would be the co-pay in the miles+copay upgrade for UA.
Thanks,
Z
Do the upgrade fees qualify under the 5x for airfare? I assume the answer is "no", but this will affect which card gets charged so I'm hoping to confirm.
Specifically (in case it matters), this would be the co-pay in the miles+copay upgrade for UA.
Thanks,
Z
May 23, 2017, 8:18 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,789
I can't speak for that, but I would guess it will qualify for 5x. I have had a cash upgrade for a UA flight, as well as a contribution to my United Gift Registry, both code for 5x.