Using AMEX Platinum Companion Ticket after downgrading
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 48
Using AMEX Platinum Companion Ticket after downgrading
I've heard and read mixed responses on this matter. Essentially, I am wondering if the companion ticket is still valid if I downgraded my AMEX Platinum Delta card to the one with no annual fee prior to completing the flight. I spoke with 2 AMEX credit card representatives, who gave me differing responses.
One told me that it would not be able to be used if I don't COMPLETE my travel by the date of downgrade.
Another one told me that it would be valid as long as I book my travel prior to downgrading my card, but that the travel could occur after I downgrade my card and the certificate would still be valid for that travel.
Then I read some posts on here suggesting that you can make a booking with the companion ticket, AFTER you cancel/downgrade your card.
Is there a definitive answer or consensus on this?
Also, would I be able to give the companion ticket to someone else? Like could I give it to my parents and have them use it without me being on the booking?
One told me that it would not be able to be used if I don't COMPLETE my travel by the date of downgrade.
Another one told me that it would be valid as long as I book my travel prior to downgrading my card, but that the travel could occur after I downgrade my card and the certificate would still be valid for that travel.
Then I read some posts on here suggesting that you can make a booking with the companion ticket, AFTER you cancel/downgrade your card.
Is there a definitive answer or consensus on this?
Also, would I be able to give the companion ticket to someone else? Like could I give it to my parents and have them use it without me being on the booking?
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,174
In my experience Amex either lies intentionally or is misinformed. I have downgraded several Amex cards after receiving the companion cert and they all threaten me that the companion cert will be revoked but this never happens. I continue to use it and it is perfectly valid. So once you have the companion cert feel free to use it and complete travel prior to the deadline. Any 2 people can use it but you must use an Amex card to pay for the flights.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 48
In my experience Amex either lies intentionally or is misinformed. I have downgraded several Amex cards after receiving the companion cert and they all threaten me that the companion cert will be revoked but this never happens. I continue to use it and it is perfectly valid. So once you have the companion cert feel free to use it and complete travel prior to the deadline. Any 2 people can use it but you must use an Amex card to pay for the flights.
So just to confirm, you have used the certificate to make a booking AFTER you cancelled/downgraded your card, and there were no issues?
And my dad can use his AMEX card to book a flight for him and someone else with the companion ticket?
#5
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If you're worried, why not buy the tickets before cancelling the card? In principle, AmEx could claw back the cert but it would be harder to cancel a ticket that's already been issued.
#6
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 2,233
I look at it differently. The cert is a "reward" for having the card for a year (anniversary or your acceptance). You have had the card for
a year, so it is yours to use (but you have to charge the tickets on someone's Amex).
a year, so it is yours to use (but you have to charge the tickets on someone's Amex).
#7
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However the timing suggests that AmEx views it as a perk for paying the annual card fee.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 48
(1) I'm also worried about what the first representative said, that I have to complete the travel before cancelling/downgrading
(2) I don't even know when and where the travel is occurring
#9
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: DL Plat
Posts: 352
i've used the cert on my reserve card after cancelling it (still have many other amex cards including the dl amex plat)
#10
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I *have* also seen people report certs that did get clawed back, but success vastly outnumbers failures as far as I'm aware.
P.S. welcome to FlyerTalk!
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 48
It seems like the first representative was suggesting that the perk is only if you renew the card for an additional year, so that you always end up with 1 less certificate than the number of annual fees you pay.
#12
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,439
The Amex rep you are quoting has his/her own retention quota - the percentage of callers transferred to that rep who want to cancel their card and are successfully talked out of cancelling the card during that call. I think that rep's daily retention % quota was helped by your call. That doesn't mean the information you were given is either true or accurate.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 48
The Amex rep you are quoting has his/her own retention quota - the percentage of callers transferred to that rep who want to cancel their card and are successfully talked out of cancelling the card during that call. I think that rep's daily retention % quota was helped by your call. That doesn't mean the information you were given is either true or accurate.
#14
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My understanding is that the typical pattern is that there's no card fee for the first year and the free companion cert appears in the DL FF account just after the annual fee for the second year is billed.
#15
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Yeah, except (and I didn't mention this before), this rep also said that if my travel is going to be cheaper than the annual fee, then it really wouldn't be worth it for me to retain this card. He said that since I've been with AMEX (through other cards) for a long time, he didn't want me to pay for something that's not to my benefit. He could've been BS'ing, but it sounded to me that he wasn't against me cancelling/downgrading.
That's assuming that you get no other benefits from the card, such as MQMs/RDMs, SC access, etc. Even if you have the regular AmEx Plat (or Centurion) card, you still get some other benefits that are worth more than zero.