There have been times in the past when Amex airline fee credits weren't processing timely, only to return later on, so anything is possible in the future. However, for at least the time being, we do not recommend buying American Airlines gift cards with an Amex for the purpose of triggering an airline fee statement credit.
TPG also made test Delta gift card purchases last week with an Amex Platinum, and a $50 Delta gift card triggered the airline fee statement credit from the desktop site. The catch here is that if you purchase from a mobile site it will not trigger the statement credit, so be very careful with how you purchase Delta cards with your American Express.
First, if you really want to use your annual credit for an airline gift card, you can contact Amex and ask to change airlines for the year. The normal deadline is Jan. 31, so this request isn't guaranteed, but we have heard some success stories from readers who have asked nicely. While things can obviously change quickly and without notice, here is the most recent info on other airlines that sell gift cards in terms of the Amex airline fee credit.
Of course, the safest plan is to just use the credit for its prescribed purpose. The terms of the airline fee credit exclude airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases and award tickets. However, that still leaves plenty of airline charges, especially if you don't have elite status with your selected airline. Spend your annual credit on a bag fee, seat assignment fee, onboard snack or drink, lounge access or a change fee. We spent one of our credits this year on a $75 same day change fee and E+ seat assignment fee with United.
It was fun while it lasted, but being able to use the Amex airline fee credit for American Airlines gift cards was always going well beyond the intended terms. If you want to use your credit for a gift card with Delta or Southwest, I recommend not waiting even though both are still working for now.
If losing the ability to purchase American Airlines gift cards with your airline fee credit is a deal breaker for you, there are other premium cards that issue more flexible annual travel credits. These include the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($300 annual travel credit), US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite ($325 annual travel credit) or the Citi Prestige ($250 annual travel credit).
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Before you run off and spend all your miles, however, there are a few things you need to know about trading your miles for gift cards. Typically, redeeming miles for travel returns more value than redeeming on a third-party site for gift cards.
I currently have $400 in gift cards with American Air that I purchased with the allowance of my annual Amex Platinum credit. So far so good, Amex reimbursed the 4x$100 purchases within a week but now I ran into problems with the gift cards.
Gift cards may only be used for travel on flights marketed by American Airlines, including those operated by American EagleÂ, oneworld airlines, and by other codeshare partners with an American Airlines flight number. For a complete list of American Airlines codeshare partners as well as other codeshare information, visit www.aa.com/codeshare.
Gift cards are something worth putting efforts for. You can purchase American Airlines Gift cards online from the website and any third party which offers the deals for gift cards, or you can purchase them by calling the Airlines telephone number.
Gift cards can be used to purchase all air travel on routes sold within the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on flights operated by American Eagle, American Airlines, and oneworld carriers. The gift card can also be used to pay for air travel on any oneworld partner or Codeshare flight designated as American Airlines Reservations in the flight list.
Redeeming these Gift cards is simple on the official site of American Airlines. If you have received a gift card of plastic and you wish to redeem it, make sure to scrape off the gray film covering the four-digit PIN on the back of the card. And, if you receive a virtual card, you can retrieve the card number and PIN code by clicking the link sent to you via email.
Miles can only be used to purchase a flight ticket is only a myth. There are other things you can redeem for miles, such as gift cards for your favorite restaurants, retailers, and websites. Yes, you can redeem Advantage miles for your gift cards from various merchants for online purchases and in-person purchases.
There are many loyalty wallet websites that allow you to exchange miles for points and redeem merchant gift cards. Most of these sites are free, and there are more than a hundred merchants, restaurants, and other vendors that can redeem gift cards in your points. To get started, just go to the official website and register for a free account. Next, link your frequent flyer miles or rewards account, and then you can use the American Airlines gift cards to start shopping immediately.
You cannot redeem AA miles for gift cards nor magazines. This was effective early 2020, and this article says May 7, 2020. Either I am wrong, or this author needs to do more research and should report accurate info.
When you shop for gift cards from Sam's Club, you can have the physical gift card mailed to yourself or the recipient. Or, you can choose digital delivery. With digital delivery, there's no waiting. Just order the card and have it delivered via e-mail. This is perfect for those last-minute gifts, and it's convenient, too.
Give the gift of travel with American Airlines. American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world and, together with its affiliates, it serves some 260 destinations in 40 countries. They have major hubs in Dallas/Ft. Worth, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago.
TPG's managing editor of news Clint Henderson explains airline gift cards are a great gift with added benefits: "I love giving Delta Air Lines gift cards, especially when there is an offer via my American Express Platinum card to get cash back when buying gift cards." Henderson said he got an offer from Amex for $60 when he bought a Delta gift card for $300 or more. Not only did he get a $300 voucher to use on Delta, but he also got a $60 statement credit on top of it.
Senior aviation reporter David Slotnick advises being mindful that airline gift cards are often sold in drug stores and supermarkets. "You can find gift cards in various denominations at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Target, among others," he explains. "Costco sometimes has offers for a $500 Southwest gift card for $449 (including right now), so that's a solid way," Slotnick says. "Or just to bank for yourself!"
Credit cards writer Ryan Smith also likes getting a discount on Alaska gift cards: "Costco has Alaska Airlines gift cards at 10% off pretty often, but I won't call that the best since that doesn't help people everywhere." Still, that's another trick that Clint Henderson used when buying an Alaska voucher online from Costco for 10% off. He got proactive and used the $500 in flight credits to take his nieces and nephew to Hawaii.
The TPG team also advises that you can also purchase airline gift cards electronically at stores like Staples. "Be sure to use a credit card that gives you points for your purchases so you can earn points while you are giving gifts. Some credit cards could give you as much as 5 points per dollar spent. In that case, you'd be getting a gift too!" they say.
There is another option if you want to give the gift of travel but don't feel like giving cash or buying an online certificate from an airline. Clint Henderson explains that gifting a 'pretend airplane ticket' printed out and wrapped up in a gift box can be a huge hit, and the person can decide where they would like you to either book or contribute towards the cost of a flight. "There are even downloadable gift plane tickets you can get from places like Etsy."
Airline gift cards are steadily growing in popularity, which has caused big names such as American Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Canada and others to invest in custom plastic gift cards and eCards. In this post, we compare the gift card offerings of American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest.
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