Amex Travel Credit - covid implication

[zig]

I have a non refundable hotel booking coming up in Hobart that I will have to cancel in a few weeks. When I spoke to Amex travel about this last week when cancelling a different booking, they said they would speak with the hotel and try to negotiate a refund or change of dates, but that the final decision was the hotels.

Just an update on this. The hotel would not allow a refund, but will allow a rebooking in the future. Amex have cancelled the booking so I won’t be a ‘no show’ and are holding the travel credit and the extra $$ I had paid as a credit. When I’m ready to rebook I need to phone them to process it.

 

[glasszon]

My travel credit will expire in two days, so at the end I did a refundable hotel booking, hopefully I won't run into issues getting the travel credit back when I cancel.

 

[NoName]

Unsure if anyone else has reported a similar experience but Mrs NoName had booked a refundable room using her explorer travel credit several months ago. She then cancelled the card. When it came time for our trip border closures meant we were unable to go. Amex ended up refunding the entire booking cost, $400 of which was the travel credit, in cash back to the canceled card. She was then able to have them transfer to her bank account. An excellent result which we weren’t expecting.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Unsure if anyone else has reported a similar experience but Mrs NoName had booked a refundable room using her explorer travel credit several months ago. She then cancelled the card. When it came time for our trip border closures meant we were unable to go. Amex ended up refunding the entire booking cost, $400 of which was the travel credit, in cash back to the canceled card. She was then able to have them transfer to her bank account. An excellent result which we weren’t expecting.

Out of interest, how long did it take AMEX to process the initial hotel cancellation/refund? Now up to 14 weeks waiting for a refund here - was planning to call but didn't want to nag!

 

[Infrequent traveller]

Out of interest, how long did it take AMEX to process the initial hotel cancellation/refund? Now up to 14 weeks waiting for a refund here - was planning to call but didn't want to nag!

My experience is the cash portion would normally be within a week and the points would follow shortly after but the wait varies. However, I can’t remember any incidence of waiting for over a month (hotel refund o my, still waiting for Qantas refund for cancellations 4-6 weeks ago )

 

[NoName]

Out of interest, how long did it take AMEX to process the initial hotel cancellation/refund? Now up to 14 weeks waiting for a refund here - was planning to call but didn't want to nag!

Was all done quite quickly. They had said up to 6 weeks from memory but was much quicker. Within a couple of weeks. Then was a quick call to have the credit balance on the cancelled card refunded to a bank account.

 

[WLGFlyer]

An Amex Travel agent tells me that credits which are due to expire soon will not be lost if they are not used and that an announcement will be coming soon about what will be happening. (He said he couldn't give me any more details until the announcement is made publicly.)

I just got the same line from the customer service when I called and asked to have my credit extended, so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

What's the best course of action, book a refundable hotel somewhere and then cancel? T&Cs seem pretty straight forward that the credit will be lost in that case:

I would like to cancel the booking which I made on American Express Travel Online. Will the Travel Credit I used for this booking be refunded?​

Your Travel Credit is available for single redemption only and will not be refunded in cash or credit upon cancellation of your travel booking.

Other options I can think of is booking a QF flight that is likely to have changes made to it and then use that as an excuse to cancel or simply try to speak to someone at Amex who actually has the authority to do something.

Thoughts?

 

[sietes]

I had booked Qantas flights to use credits from my Qantas ultimate card which I then had to cancel due tho Melbourne lockdown. Now I'm being told that the flight credit with Qantas that must be redeemed via AMEX travel must be flown by end March 2022 despite Qantas giving to end December 2023. Has anyone had any similar issue? Due to continuing lockdown and personal situation I doubt I can fly by March...

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Out of interest, how long did it take AMEX to process the initial hotel cancellation/refund? Now up to 14 weeks waiting for a refund here - was planning to call but didn't want to nag!

As an update, I called and they looked into it. Turned out the agent who originally requested the refund made a typo and requested the wrong amount, so the refund was rejected by the system, but nobody was alerted.

Another agent has put it back into the system, but it'll still take another ~4 weeks, which is a bit ridiculous.

 

[Jstar]

I was on online chat with AMEX yesterday and this is what they said when I inquired about extending my travel credit that expires in two days.

With the current uncertainty about travel, we are working on providing more flexibility for our Card Members in how they can use the value of the 2021 Travel Credit.

Our intention is that this will be available for Card Members who had an unused travel credit expire since 1 July 2021 and Card Members who have an unused travel credit that will expire on or before 31 December 2021.

Please keep an eye out in your online account or in your emails for updated information.

Seems like they have something planned but hard to know what exactly and whether it will definitely be implemented. Kinda feel like I should just spend the travel credit I have expiring on a refundable hotel or flight and hope they issue a credit including for the travel credit portion, which people seem to be reporting that they have been.

 

[piratematerial]

Here it is!

We are providing you with more ways to redeem your 2021 $450 Qantas Travel Credit

With the current uncertainty around travel for many of our Card Members, we have enhanced how you can use your Travel Credit this year.

As well as being able to use your Travel Credit to book Qantas Flights online via qantas.com you can now also use it to shop online at Qantas Wine, Qantas Hotels and the Qantas Rewards Store until 31st December 2021.*

To take advantage of the flexibility of this updated benefit, simply click the button below and save to your eligible Card. Once you've saved this to your Card, a credit of up to $450 will be automatically applied when you spend up to $450 in one or more transactions with your Card ending 21003 for Qantas Flights, at Qantas Wine, Qantas Hotels and the Qantas Rewards Store on or before 31st December 2021. You’ll collect a statement credit for each purchase you make, until you reach $450. Exclusions apply.*

 

[Reveen]

We have added another option to redeem your 2021 $200 Travel Credit​

With the current uncertainty around travel for many of our Card Members, we have enhanced how you can use your Travel Credit this year. As well as being able to use your Travel Credit to book travel with American Express Travel Online, you can now also use it to shop online or instore at Harvey Norman until 31st December 2021.* To take advantage of the flexibility of this updated benefit, simply click the button below and save to your eligible Card. Once you've saved this to your Card, a credit of up to $200 will be automatically applied when you spend up to $200 in one or more transactions with your Card ending 52004 at either American Express Travel Online and/or Harvey Norman on or before 31st December 2021. You’ll collect a statement credit for each purchase you make, until you reach $200. Exclusions apply.​

​

 

[Chicken]

I am a normal person, so I don't want a $200 gift card for Hardly Normal, cos I never go to a place which you could Hardly call Normal. I am just going to stick with travel.

Reading the e-mail, it seems to suggest that:
1 - You need to click the save button, or travel credit would expire per original expiry date?
2 - If you click the button, then we have until NYE to use the travel credit?

 

[andye]

I am a normal person, so I don't want a $200 gift card for Hardly Normal, cos I never go to a place which you could Hardly call Normal. I am just going to stick with travel.

Reading the e-mail, it seems to suggest that:
1 - You need to click the save button, or travel credit would expire per original expiry date?
2 - If you click the button, then we have until NYE to use the travel credit?

The offer came up on my app. Email followed on. Some more discussion in the Amex Statement Credits thread

 

[nic0]

I'd rather be able to use it at harvey norman than qantas offers tbh. Still won't be able to use my travel credit until i am able to fly internationally again, and that won't be any time soon by the looks of it (WA based)

 

[k_sheep]

I refuse to support HN .... but yes my travel credit (which being in QLD I am able to use) seems to have disappeared. Tried a dummy booking and everything.

Hope it comes back without having to phone.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I refuse to support HN .... but yes my travel credit (which being in QLD I am able to use) seems to have disappeared. Tried a dummy booking and everything.

Hope it comes back without having to phone.

Did you click on the Amex Trave./HN Cashback offer?

If yes then it should now show as a saved offer, and at the same time the Travel Credit will have be deleted as the offer is to convert the TC to a cashback offer.

 

[cbourl]

What happens I saved the offer but used my trave lcredit before it expired oct 2 for a hotel in perth (bad mistake! I coulda been in Sydney Cairns Melbs or Brisvegas) Offer is saved and it didnt touch my travel credit expiring oct 2022

 

[Poojou]

Fyi for those of you with charge cards. If you call the platinum hotline and speak to them about it. They should be able to convert it to statement credits. Just got off the phone then. (Sadly I did manage to use mine haha)

 

[glasszon]

Fyi for those of you with charge cards. If you call the platinum hotline and speak to them about it. They should be able to convert it to statement credits. Just got off the phone then. (Sadly I did manage to use mine haha)

Can you elaborate? Do you mean you can convert travel credits expiring in 2022 into a statement credit? In effect reducing the annual fee on the platinum card?