Amex free flight upgrade?

[ozbeachbabe]

I have an Amex Ultimate card & when I enquired about BNE/DRW they initially gave me VA flight availabilty. When I went to book it they said it had to be on QF yet DRW was not an option if QF.

Amex honoured the VA ticket & I booked BNE/DRW/BNE but I never wanted to get the red eye back so booked it for a date in the future.

Once I'd flown BNE/DRW I called up & had the unused DRW/BNE put into a credit shell which I then used towards payment for anothet BNE/DRW flight.

ISTR I dealt direct with VA for this which was about 18 months ago so pre-migration.

 

[smit0847]

Well folks, looks like the party may be officially over.

I've been trying to get Amex to cancel my flights and give me a VA credit shell all week. They have continually said they cannot do it (and VA have said they cant cancel a 3rd party booking). It got to the point yesterday where Amex called VA to try and do it (Amex had no objection to doing it if VA let them) and VA flat out said no. I said I had a few 'friends' who had done it recently and they said VA said this was a breach of VA policy and nobody would be allowed to do it anymore. The AMEX credit can also only be used to rebook the allowed 'free' routes originally offered with the card.

I guess I can keep trying but I'm fairly sure there's a record on my AMEX file now that they tried to do it but are not allowed to (I honestly believe the AMEX girl helping me wanted to do it but couldnt).

Keen to hear if anyone has had recent success but it looks to me like this loophole has now been closed.

 

[Rallo]

Definitely looks like it has been closed down , I cancelled my free Platinum Edge flight this week and could only manage a credit to be held by Amex.

 

[Jama]

The AMEX credit can also only be used to rebook the allowed 'free' routes originally offered with the card.

. I have to disagree with this. It is a credit for a $ amount of travel. As long as it is booked through Amex travel, how you use it is none of their business.

 

[AdMEL]

. I have to disagree with this. It is a credit for a $ amount of travel. As long as it is booked through Amex travel, how you use it is none of their business.

And I have to disagree with your comments! Given it is Amex who issues the card, the terms and conditions of the flight are up to them. My experience was exactly the same as smit0847 - when I cancelled my MEL-PER return flight before Christmas, Amex would only let me re-book a flight that was a flight allowed by the card. Luckily they allowed me to re-book a one-way PER-MEL flexi.

 

[Jama]

If they let you book a flexi that is not a flight that is allowed by the card ! Flexi's earn SC's the free flight does not.

I would still take exception at being told how I can spend my money. Once you have a credit, it is your money. Not to mention your paying a pretty hefty cancellation fee to get it.

 

[AdMEL]

If they let you book a flexi that is not a flight that is allowed by the card ! Flexi's earn SC's the free flight does not.

I would still take exception at being told how I can spend my money. Once you have a credit, it is your money. Not to mention your paying a pretty hefty cancellation fee to get it.

Whilst it was not a fare type that they would normally book into, it was on a route they allowed - smit0847 detailed and I was told on more than one occasion that I could only re-book on a route the card originally allowed.

Notwithstanding I wish the situation was different, at the end of the day, Amex issue the card and effectively pay for the flight, not us! Given this, Amex have the right to dictate terms.

 

[AdMEL]

Does anyone have recent experience of being able to make this work? I've just been told by Amex that I have a free flight available and another in a couple of months. Though I think having a flight currently available is an error (I'm pretty sure I've used all of my available flights), in case it's not, I'd like to use it in the best way possible!

EDIT: To clarify, I'm curious as to whether anybody has been able to cancel and upgrade their Amex flight recently?

 

[Chicken]

I've just been told by Amex that I have a free flight available and another in a couple of months.

Yes. I've even asked AmEx to extend the 'expiry date' of the free flight I'm entitled to because I'm too busy to use it. Then I would use the one from the past year, plus another one for the year just started, and book 2 tickets on the same flight.

 

[serfty]

Yes. I've even asked AmEx to extend the 'expiry date' of the free flight I'm entitled to because I'm too busy to use it. Then I would use the one from the past year, plus another one for the year just started, and book 2 tickets on the same flight.

Based on the thread title and the subseqnet edit, this is more a qustion about getting the free flight to part credit for a flexi (fir upgrade)/Business booking.

 

[immature]

Just wondering if anyone has been able to do this recently (book the free flight, then cancel for the credit shell)?

I want to convert the flight into 2 one way segments instead of a return, ie book PER-DPS-PER, cancel then rebook as 2 x DPS-PER. Would be happy to pay change fees if necessary. What are my chances of getting this through?

 

[quokka77]

Recent experience suggests your chances are not great however I imagine there is a small chance you get an agent prepared to bend the rules.

 

[smit0847]

Well folks, looks like the party may be officially over.

I've been trying to get Amex to cancel my flights and give me a VA credit shell all week. They have continually said they cannot do it (and VA have said they cant cancel a 3rd party booking). It got to the point yesterday where Amex called VA to try and do it (Amex had no objection to doing it if VA let them) and VA flat out said no. I said I had a few 'friends' who had done it recently and they said VA said this was a breach of VA policy and nobody would be allowed to do it anymore. The AMEX credit can also only be used to rebook the allowed 'free' routes originally offered with the card.

I guess I can keep trying but I'm fairly sure there's a record on my AMEX file now that they tried to do it but are not allowed to (I honestly believe the AMEX girl helping me wanted to do it but couldnt).

Keen to hear if anyone has had recent success but it looks to me like this loophole has now been closed.

I had an interesting conclusion to this issue above. I had to rebook my original free flight with Amex (as a Saver on a different route) as I was unable to have the credit held by VA. I paid the Amex change fee and took my first 'free' flight last weekend.

I just checked my VFF account and received full (Saver) SCs and VERY generous points.

Things actually worked out quite well.

 

[get me outta here]

I paid the Amex change fee and took my first 'free' flight last weekend.

smit, what did Amex charge you for the change fee after all that?

 

[TheCityLane]

It's hard to tell what's possible as of today given the varying experiences. It's a shame as it looks like it was so simple last year. I've just booked by Platinum Reserve free return flight MEL-PER-MEL and was really wanting to cancel, use the credit shell to rebook as flexi then use points to upgrade to business.

The fact that SC aren't earned is a real disappointment too. Back when I had my Qantas Ultimate card the free flights always gave me SC and points.

 

[Beta4Me]

Do you lose your first free flight if you don't take it within the first calendar year of having the card or does it accumulate and you can double up? E.g. I got my card in Jan this year and I haven't used it and have no use yet but expect to book 2 PER-MEL-PER flights very early next year. Thanks in advance.

 

[Chicken]

Do you lose your first free flight if you don't take it within the first calendar year of having the card

You lose it if you don't BOOK it, not if you don't FLY it. So you can book now, but fly in 12 months' time.

Having said that, AmEx do have grace period. I have called them previously, told them I could not book before expiry, but was prepared to book just after expiry, and they were always happy to extend it by 1 month.

 

[serfty]

You lose it if you don't BOOK it, not if you don't FLY it. So you can book now, but fly in 12 months' time.

Having said that, AmEx do have grace period. I have called them previously, told them I could not book before expiry, but was prepared to book just after expiry, and they were always happy to extend it by 1 month.

I was advised of a 10 day grace period - but needed to be pre-arranged.

I was then able to make a return booking for two PAX using two years worth of "free flights".

 

[Beta4Me]

OK. Thanks for the info. Are there fees if you book and then need to date change (not cancel)? Thanks.

 

[Cynicor]

The grace period generally has not needed to be pre arranged. 2 weeks, multiple years, in my experience.

No idea of fees. Almost guaranteed to be some