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Answers (4)

Happy New Year! means new Amex airline credits

Happy New Year! means new Amex airline credits

  1. OCTinPHL Diamond

    Lucky’s post this morning – [URL]https://onemileatatime.com/amex-airline-fee-credits/[/URL] – has me pondering what to do with my airline credits, i.e. which airlines to designate and how to use the credits now that the gift card loophole has been closed for all the airlines (I think).

    I have the 1] Amex Plat Biz – $200 credit; 2] Gold – $100 credit; and 3] Hilton Aspire – $250 credit.

    Last year I chose JetBlue for the Gold card, as I had a few B6 flights planned, but never wound up using the credit. Bummer. With the Aspire I bought AA gift cards in January, so that was great. I got the Amex Plat Biz after the gift card loophole was closed, but used the credit on taxes for 3 international award flights.

    What to do in 2020? Definitely designating AA for the Platinum card as I get the 35% points returned on MR flight purchases. Use the $350 for the other two cards to buy an AC membership? Don’t know I really need it with access to Centurion lounges, but I could use it in CLT until the Centurion opens, and use in SFO because Centurion is in T3.

    Using the credits for WN <$99 flights is just too much work (most WN flights out of PHL that I would ever use are more than $99). I could designate DL and do the gift card + credit card method to get the card portion credited - I can fly DL to RDU and BOS. I could just designate AA for all 3, and buy miles at kiosks when checking in. Poor value for miles, but seeing as they would be "free"...? Any other suggestions? (Sorry for the long post...)

  2. rickyw Community Ambassador

    I’m in a similar boat and will probably just do the mileage booster on American, since they would be “free miles.”

    This year I’m going to be keeping track very diligently on the value I get out of my Amex Platinum. With the credit being so hard to use, does the value I get out of Amex Offers, Centurion Lounge visits, Uber credits, etc. add up to enough to get keep the card in 2021.

  3. Clem Diamond

    I have the personal Amex Plat and the Hilton Aspire and I’m almost dreading choosing an airline because it’s so damn complicated to get those credits hah!

    I want to add a data point for Delta, because a few weeks back I just did what OCTinPHL described in his post (the gift card + credit card method): it did NOT trigger the credit. However, because the transaction was labeled as “Additional collection”, I hopped on the Amex chat online and took a chance, telling them it was a change fee + a seat fee. They immediately granted the credit and did not ask to verify, however I feel like I got lucky and it may not work all the time (might also get me in trouble since I basically lied to them).

    So I’m unsure of what to do for 2020, especially now that I also have the Hilton card. I’m leaning towards Alaska; I love redeeming Alaska miles for JAL first class, and since availability is usually really good a couple of weeks before the flight I tend to adjust and make 1 or 2 changes in the process – which they charge for.

    Other than change fees, I really can’t think of any practical use of those credits for my personal case…

    The reasons I’m keeping this card is for 5x airfare, I do use all the Uber credits, and quite frankly both the Fine Hotel Resort program and International Airline Program saved me hundreds if not thousands in 2019 (I’m currently sitting in the Air France La Premiere lounge in Paris thanks to the IAP program, who knocked a considerable amount off the price of the ticket).

  4. OCTinPHL Diamond

    [QUOTE=”Clem, post: 67983, member: 2278″] The reasons I’m keeping this card is for 5x airfare, I do use all the Uber credits, and quite frankly both the Fine Hotel Resort program and International Airline Program saved me hundreds if not thousands in 2019 (I’m currently sitting in the Air France La Premiere lounge in Paris thanks to the IAP program, who knocked a considerable amount off the price of the ticket).[/QUOTE]

    Thanks for the data point. I may still choose DL for one of the cards, seeing as how I have no status (though thinking of a challenge – but that is another post) and could use it for checked bags, wifi, etc.

    I keep all 3 Amex cards for different reasons – Gold for dining and supermarkets; Aspire for Diamond Status and great Hilton earnings; and Plat Biz for WeWork (we’ll see if that lasts! But they just extended my free WeWork expiration from May 2020 to December) and for Centurion lounges. Expensive, but they all pay off.

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