Jan 1, 2022, 11:44 am
Last edit by: rrgg
Your question is probably answered in this Wikipost
Reminder: you must enroll and select UA as your airline, then wait a day before making a reimbursable purchase. It can take a few days or a full week to be reimbursed.
Travel Bank: There'sa separate thread at this link for general discussion of Travel Bank. Travel Bank is available again Jan. 3, 2022 and posts as a Special Service Ticket reimbursed by Amex (but unofficially). May appear as United Electronic Ticketing or United Airlines Houston. Purchase here: https://www.united.com/offers/travelcash If your transaction returns a Payment Failed error, try adding your American Express card to your United Airlines profile, and repeat the transaction using the stored card. DO NOT CALL Amex to ask about being credited for this.
On December 31, 2021 United suspended Travel Bank deposit transactions and posted a message "Offer has ended."
United does not sell gift cards.
As of December 2016 American Express no longer reimburses MPX transactions.
READ BELOW for EXPENSES WHICH MAY BE REIMBURSED
Airline Taxes on Award Tickets Doesn't seem to work anymore; see post 179 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25297196-post179.html and #391
Economy Plus and First Class Upgrade Fees Subscription worked in Feb 2020, data point here. As of December 2016 there were conflicting posts; one stating that an upgrade to E+ coded as an "upgrade fee" and was, therefore, not reimbursed. Others said they were reimbursed as it was coded as "preferred seat upgrade." In February 2019, three separate FTer reported receiving varying amounts of reimbursement (dependent upon which card was used for the purchase) after purchasing an E+ annual subscription. The E+ subscriptions code as "preferred seat upgrade". Upgrading from E to FC will also not be reimbursed because it codes as a passenger ticket even when done after buying the original ticket. There seems to be a distinction between seat upgrades being reimbursed, while ticket upgrades are not.
Award AcceleratorI would not risk this. The last report of being reimbursed for Award Accelerator was for $68 on October 27, 2011. Every post about Award Accelerator since has reported "No reimbursement."
Eligible incidental fees include:
A general discussion of Travel Bank is in a separate thread .
(2021 discussion of UA available at this link.)
Reminder: you must enroll and select UA as your airline, then wait a day before making a reimbursable purchase. It can take a few days or a full week to be reimbursed.
Travel Bank: There'sa separate thread at this link for general discussion of Travel Bank. Travel Bank is available again Jan. 3, 2022 and posts as a Special Service Ticket reimbursed by Amex (but unofficially). May appear as United Electronic Ticketing or United Airlines Houston. Purchase here: https://www.united.com/offers/travelcash If your transaction returns a Payment Failed error, try adding your American Express card to your United Airlines profile, and repeat the transaction using the stored card. DO NOT CALL Amex to ask about being credited for this.
United does not sell gift cards.
As of December 2016 American Express no longer reimburses MPX transactions.
READ BELOW for EXPENSES WHICH MAY BE REIMBURSED
Airline Taxes on Award Tickets Doesn't seem to work anymore; see post 179 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25297196-post179.html and #391
Economy Plus and First Class Upgrade Fees Subscription worked in Feb 2020, data point here. As of December 2016 there were conflicting posts; one stating that an upgrade to E+ coded as an "upgrade fee" and was, therefore, not reimbursed. Others said they were reimbursed as it was coded as "preferred seat upgrade." In February 2019, three separate FTer reported receiving varying amounts of reimbursement (dependent upon which card was used for the purchase) after purchasing an E+ annual subscription. The E+ subscriptions code as "preferred seat upgrade". Upgrading from E to FC will also not be reimbursed because it codes as a passenger ticket even when done after buying the original ticket. There seems to be a distinction between seat upgrades being reimbursed, while ticket upgrades are not.
Award AcceleratorI would not risk this. The last report of being reimbursed for Award Accelerator was for $68 on October 27, 2011. Every post about Award Accelerator since has reported "No reimbursement."
Eligible incidental fees include:
- Checked baggage fees (including overweight/oversize)
- Itinerary change fees
- Phone reservation fees
- FareLock
- Pet flight fees
- Seat assignment fees (E+)
- In-flight amenity fees (beverages, food, pillows/blankets, headphones)
- In-flight entertainment fees (excluding wireless internet unless it is billed by the airline.)
- Airport lounge day passes & annual memberships
- Onboard WIFI (provided it is billed by the airline.)
A general discussion of Travel Bank is in a separate thread .
(2021 discussion of UA available at this link.)
Airline fee $250/$200 reimbursement reports: UA only (2022)
Jun 5, 2022, 12:45 pm
#796
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
Jun 5, 2022, 3:05 pm
#798
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 10
My meter has not moved, either. I will keep an eye on that, as well.
Jun 6, 2022, 9:03 am
#799
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,224
Jun 6, 2022, 9:24 am
#800
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: Marriott TE, Hilton D, UA PG
Posts: 9
Just because my above post will get missed:
06/01/2022: $250 single purchase on Hilton Aspire processed as "United Electronic Ticketing"
Update: 06/03/2022: Aspire chase mentioned above changed to "United Airlines Houston Tx", no credits.
Update 2 06/06/2022: Credit given for "AMEX AIRLINE FEE REIMBURSEMENT". Posted 06/05/2022.
06/01/2022: $250 single purchase on Hilton Aspire processed as "United Electronic Ticketing"
Update: 06/03/2022: Aspire chase mentioned above changed to "United Airlines Houston Tx", no credits.
Update 2 06/06/2022: Credit given for "AMEX AIRLINE FEE REIMBURSEMENT". Posted 06/05/2022.
Jun 7, 2022, 9:14 am
#804
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
The fact that ten minutes was sufficient in one example is not evidence that it will be sufficient in every instance. It is prudent to wait a day or two, because there is no way for the cardholder to know how long it takes for all of the relevant American Express databases to update.
In my experience doing it on 7 cards this year alone, you don't have to wait. I've done it on a similar number of cards between Plat, Gold, and Aspire in past years and usually haven't waited. This is a YMMV situation. No hard fast rule.
Jun 7, 2022, 10:12 am
#805
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,215
This had been discussed ad nauseum for as long as TB has been an option for using this credit. It isn't just 1 example of it working within minutes of selection. There are a many data points, if not more, of people receiving the credit when purchasing shortly after selecting UA, as there are for those who didn't (and then they redid and did receive it).
In my experience doing it on 7 cards this year alone, you don't have to wait. I've done it on a similar number of cards between Plat, Gold, and Aspire in past years and usually haven't waited. This is a YMMV situation. No hard fast rule.
In my experience doing it on 7 cards this year alone, you don't have to wait. I've done it on a similar number of cards between Plat, Gold, and Aspire in past years and usually haven't waited. This is a YMMV situation. No hard fast rule.
Jun 9, 2022, 7:34 am
#807
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,299
Is this really a “loophole”? Terms and condition for the benefit include: “…up to $200 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees… Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed to be incidental fees…”
It could be interpreted, in an originalist legal manner, that TB purchase is an incidental air travel fee because it is not specifically listed as not deemed.
It could also be argued that based on the definition of “loophole”, “an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules”, it is a loophole because it is ambiguous (“open to more than one interpretation”).
(Of course if I was a judge this post would be 63 pages in length without staking a specific position
.)
It could be interpreted, in an originalist legal manner, that TB purchase is an incidental air travel fee because it is not specifically listed as not deemed.
It could also be argued that based on the definition of “loophole”, “an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules”, it is a loophole because it is ambiguous (“open to more than one interpretation”).
(Of course if I was a judge this post would be 63 pages in length without staking a specific position
.)
Jun 9, 2022, 12:50 pm
#808
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,224
Is this really a “loophole”? Terms and condition for the benefit include: “…up to $200 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees… Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed to be incidental fees…”
Jun 9, 2022, 12:58 pm
#809
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,299
Absolutely. But the T&C do not specifically exclude “anything which operates like a Gift Card” and as such TB should be allowed. (Sorry, after 40 years of medicine in the USA, one starts to think a little like a lawyer. )
)
Jun 12, 2022, 9:32 am
#810
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: BWI,SFO,SJC,IAD,LAX,DCA
Programs: mvp75k, DL-0body
Posts: 310
DP for 6/7/22
5/30 - Elect UA for 200 credit @... wait 1 day/ purchase 2x $100 Travel Bank
6/3- amounts credit report as United Airlines Houston Tx... T+24 hrs later: credit meter move
I am enjoy the credit: and wish that AS have similar "loophole" that works .
5/30 - Elect UA for 200 credit @... wait 1 day/ purchase 2x $100 Travel Bank
6/3- amounts credit report as United Airlines Houston Tx... T+24 hrs later: credit meter move
I am enjoy the credit: and wish that AS have similar "loophole" that works .