topic Re: AMEX Airline credit question in Credit Cards

AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 07:02:19 GMT

Hi all,

Im new here! I wondering if I could use AMEX's airline credits to purchase miles as a saparate airline add-on purchase? For example, after purchasing a Delta ticket, you are given the option to purchase Mileage Booster points. I know is not really worth it, but since the year is coming to a close and I can think of no other way to use the credits. Does anyone know if purchasing the mileage booster (or something similar from other airlines) would trigger the airline credit?

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 11:51:25 GMT

i don't know the answer, but you can comb through DP here and see if its reimbursed.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-express-membership-rewards/1739932-airline-fee-250-200-100-reimbursement-reports-dl-only-161.html

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

K-in-Boston — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 14:13:55 GMT

They are explicitly excluded from the credit. TPG reports that people have been getting credit for them on Delta and American, though:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/amex-airline-credit-mileage-booster/

At 1.99 to 2.90 cents per mile, buying them can be a bit steep. I personally probably wouldn't risk paying $59.00 for 3000 miles and most certainly not $29.00 for 1000 miles for each flight segment, but it does seem like it may be an option knowing that there is ZERO chance of Amex applying the credit by phone if you are not automatically credited.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Peteyglad — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 15:52:20 GMT

This is something I will have to look into shortly. Have $450 next year in Amex airline credit and not exactly sure the best way to use it any more.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

staticvoidmain — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:00:39 GMT

AMEX irks me with this. It's harder to use their travel credit (versus other cards). I got used to this line of thinking with AMEX that when I got my $300 Bonvoy credit yesterday, I was like "WTH is this $300 credit for? Why did the hotel give me credit? They're not canceling my reservation, are they?" ...then it hit me.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

K-in-Boston — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:06:13 GMT

I wish it were easier to use as well, but it is clearly marketed as an airline incidental credit, not a broad travel credit.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 18:13:30 GMT

It is odd, since most people have gotten to where the only take carry on bags. And some Airlines have free baggage when you pay with their eligible card. So that's why it's called "incidental", as in likely not getting used. lol

If it were too easy to gain the credits, then the AF would be a wash for them. The AF and swipes help pay for all these perk/rewards, so i'm not 100% against them. I'd just like to lower a few.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 18:50:33 GMT

I get checked baggage from my Delta Gold.

I get liquor and food from my Amex Platinum

I get WiFi on Delta from my T-Mobile account.

I suppose I could buy food or drinks for the strangers sitting near me, but I can'tt imagine why I'd want to.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

MyFault — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 23:13:24 GMT

This maybe a dumb question, but can you not use the credit for moving your seat from Economy, to first class? After you purchase the initial seat?

Checked bags are the easiest imo, me and my fiancé one round trip would take care of $120 of that $200. Plus $10 per alcoholic drink, two each one round trip. That covers the extra $80 left from baggage. I get it's not as easy as Chase's travel credit but I can't see an issue being able to use it annually.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 23:37:49 GMT

@MyFault wrote:
This maybe a dumb question, but can you not use the credit for moving your seat from Economy, to first class? After you purchase the initial seat?

Checked bags are the easiest imo, me and my fiancé one round trip would take care of $120 of that $200. Plus $10 per alcoholic drink, two each one round trip. That covers the extra $80 left from baggage. I get it's not as easy as Chase's travel credit but I can't see an issue being able to use it annually.

As in my post, I drink free in the lounge with the platinum and get free checked luggage with Delta.

If I didn't have those things included, I wouldn't pay for them, so buying them to "use up" my Amex credits are at best, making me pre-pay for things I don't want to pay for at all.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

K-in-Boston — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 00:54:11 GMT

@MyFault wrote:
This maybe a dumb question, but can you not use the credit for moving your seat from Economy, to first class? After you purchase the initial seat?

Checked bags are the easiest imo, me and my fiancé one round trip would take care of $120 of that $200. Plus $10 per alcoholic drink, two each one round trip. That covers the extra $80 left from baggage. I get it's not as easy as Chase's travel credit but I can't see an issue being able to use it annually.

I am not sure about other airlines, but I know from experience that paying to upgrade from Main Cabin to Comfort+ (which I no longer do due to status) or First on Delta does not trigger the credit. Seat upgrades are explicitly stated as not being covered. Seat assignment fees (likely a very common fee with those who choose Spirit) are covered, but choosing to pay the fee to upgrade to another class is not.

The issue with not being able to use the credits under the stated covered items has mostly been an issue for those with elite status or those who just redeemed for gift certificates in the past. As an elite flyer with multiple Delta credit cards (elite and credit card benefits stack, but multiple card benefits do not) there is no possibility that I would ever need more than 2 checked bags on a Main Cabin domestic flight or 4 bags on a domestic First or international trip (that doesn't even include the 2 free or any included bags for up to 8 people on my PRN; if I booked 9 people on the same itnerary in F or on an international Main Cabin trip, we'd seriously have an allowance of 36 bags LOL).

Change fees that are covered wouldn't usually apply to me. Same day confirmed and same day standby fees are waived, as are award change fees. I suppose if I needed to change a revenue ticket and couldn't fly that day it's one instance where the Amex credit would work. In-flight food and beverage purchases are reimbursed, but it's rare for me to actually fly in Main Cabin (I've only not been upgraded on two trips this year - one because there were 4 people on the same PRN and a few weeks ago because I declined the "upgrade" to a middle Comfort+ seat on a very elite-heavy ATL-BOS flight) and I have a bunch of free drink vouchers anyway. No pets so not paying a pet fee. So really my only options to use them as intended are change fees for revenue flights and guesting people into SkyClub.

Just playing devil's advocate here. As long as using Amex charge cards to pay for the balance of a ticket partially paid with gift cards still trigger the credit, I'll still be able to use them. But I still find the Platinum and Gold cards' combined $975 AF to be worthwhile without the airline credits and may add another $550 to that mix for a Business Platinum card soon, and I didn't even factor the $200 credit on that one into my value proposition.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

MyFault — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 02:31:59 GMT

Got it. So ideally for me, as I plan to have in my arsenal in the near future, is use CSR for $300 airline gift card. Then whenever I book my flight, use the gift card to cover fees of "business class upgrade" (we have a United hub). Use Platinum for centurion lounge, and baggage.
We fly typically twice a year, so remaining credit on Platinum can cover baggage again, or drinks if we fly economy on 2nd flight of the year.
I do wish you didn't have to pick the airline at the beginning of the year. We fly United most the time, but sometimes Delta or AA makes more sense depending on the destination.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

K-in-Boston — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 02:37:00 GMT

While you technically can't change airlines mid-year, data points have been really strong that Amex will change it as a courtesy if you call them mid-year as long as you haven't already used some of the credit with another airline.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 08:07:53 GMT

Thanks to all who replied. According to this site (below), they apprently do accept Miles Booster and thats pretty recent. I guess its better to purchase those miles at inflated prices than forfeit the credits. Ill update if it works.

https://renespoints.boardingarea.com/2019/11/06/my-delta-purchases-that-did-and-didnt-credit-as-amex-airline-incidentals/

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 20:20:04 GMT

I agree about picking the Airline early and being stuck the rst of the year. lol

It's fine for those loyalist who only fly _______ Airways, but some people fly on different Airlines due to geography.

Oh, and what about connected flights that utilize a differnt Airline(partner)? Due to my location, I almost alwaya have to transfer.

So if you assign AA, depart on AA but have to tranfers to Alaska. Will the credit still work to cover your Steak & Eggs?

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

K-in-Boston — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 21:38:18 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I agree about picking the Airline early and being stuck the rst of the year. lol
It's fine for those loyalist who only fly _______ Airways, but some people fly on different Airlines due to geography.
Oh, and what about connected flights that utilize a differnt Airline(partner)? Due to my location, I almost alwaya have to transfer.
So if you assign AA, depart on AA but have to tranfers to Alaska. Will the credit still work to cover your Steak & Eggs?

No, if you pick AA then anything would have to be charged by AA. Won't be an issue in a few months when that partnership ends. (Which is why I cashed out my orphan Mileage Plan miles leftover from Virgin America to book a cheap 25k F award flight, which only seems to really happen when at least one segment is on AA.)

It would be the same if I flew Delta BOS-CDG and then Air France CDG-CMN. Even though it's the same ticket with a Delta-ticketed flight flown on Air France codeshare and it's the same alliance, if I paid for anything at AF with Amex Platinum it wouldn't trigger the credit and if I made in-flight purchases on AF with a Delta Amex I would not receive the 20% statement credit.

Probably a bad example since I can't imagine paying for anything on that itinerary, but hopefully it gets the point across. Maybe swap Delta for American and Air France for Royal Air Maroc or British Airways?

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

kudosalert — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 02:55:48 GMT

How do we do a poll?

If given a choice between:

1. being able to use your Amex credit on any airline

versus

2. being able to use your Amex credit for something usefull such as seat upgrades but you are still confined to a single airline per annual year

Which one would you choose?

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Stralem — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 05:51:26 GMT

@MyFault wrote:
This maybe a dumb question, but can you not use the credit for moving your seat from Economy, to first class? After you purchase the initial seat?

Checked bags are the easiest imo, me and my fiancé one round trip would take care of $120 of that $200. Plus $10 per alcoholic drink, two each one round trip. That covers the extra $80 left from baggage. I get it's not as easy as Chase's travel credit but I can't see an issue being able to use it annually.

This is one aspect of the airline credit that annoys me greatly.

On American and United, it doesn't apply to class changes. However, it does apply to each one's particular flavor of Economy plus. Usually. Did this just last week to upgrade four main cabin seats on American to Main Cabin Plus. The credit showed up on my account within a couple of days.

I wish they would just allow you to go all the way with class upgrades.

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 19:08:51 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I agree about picking the Airline early and being stuck the rst of the year. lol
It's fine for those loyalist who only fly _______ Airways, but some people fly on different Airlines due to geography.
Oh, and what about connected flights that utilize a differnt Airline(partner)? Due to my location, I almost alwaya have to transfer.
So if you assign AA, depart on AA but have to tranfers to Alaska. Will the credit still work to cover your Steak & Eggs?
No, if you pick AA then anything would have to be charged by AA. Won't be an issue in a few months when that partnership ends.

Interesting, this sounds like a perfect excuse to call them up and change to Delta!

And thanks for all the other useful info.

I would probably opt for the "upgrade", though something like this could wipe out the credit in one use and probably still need to pony up some cash. Also the seat has to be available, which could mean taking forever to be able to use it. As most itinerary are usually booked up.

Perhaps the ablity to change Airlines anytime you wish without calling in, so that you could use the credit pretty much day after the selection is made?

Re: AMEX Airline credit question

K-in-Boston — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 18:55:44 GMT

We all know that the airline credit is purposely engineered for breakage, but it would be nice if it were just changed to "...on any of these participating airlines," which would just include all of the available choices. That's similar to the BoA Premium Rewards, where I get the $100 airline credit for any major domestic airline.