Amex Travel Credit - covid implication

[Chicken]

I emailed them but they haven't replied yet. Their communication isn't the best.

I would call to ask, if it is some motel in a country town.

I tried booking direct with country town motels so many times to avoid using Expedia etc, you know so called keeping the money in the country like Dick Smith said, but I have had to chase them down, it's like begging them for money. Call them and they would be like I was annoying them, asking them why wouldn't they reply my e-mail to take my money and they always say they are too busy.

If they don't even reply to my e-mail with my credit card attached, I don't like the chance of you getting an e-mail back about changing your booking.

 

[Tiki]

I only used the Amex site to use the $200 credit and we got miles award tickets to Norfolk Island (remote Australian island).
Then there was a balance of $178-ish and I used Ame points since I don't know when we can go overseas, otherwise I send Ame points to SQ.

The chat icon is not even showing up on the contact page. Are other people getting through to Amex at all?

Now on the news they are talking about possible extension of the lockdown.

 

[Chicken]

I only used the Amex site to use the $200 credit and we got miles award tickets to Norfolk Island (remote Australian island).

Nice! I would like to go there too.

The chat icon is not even showing up on the contact page. Are other people getting through to Amex at all?

It's working for me, and I'm using my work PC via corporate firewall VPN.

Now on the news they are talking about possible extension of the lockdown.

Bluesfest is on this weekend in Byron, and we all know that people in that area think COVID-19 is fake it's really 5G, they are going to behave as if nothing is happening. cough is going to hit the fan next week.

I have book myself Byron and Nimbin in May, and I am now having doubt if my trip would need to be cancelled.

 

[Tiki]

OK I finally got through on chat. According to hotel policy I have until Easter Sunday to cancel and get a refund. They will return my travel credit with 1 year expiry and points because it is Covid extenuating circumstances.

I will still cop a cancellation fee for the Avios tickets.

 

[Coops1]

Travel credit extension incoming.....?

“Please note: Due to technical difficulties, it is temporarily not possible to log in to the American Express Travel site. If you wish to pay with a Travel Credit and/or Membership Rewards Points, please try again later. You can continue to book and pay with your Card only.”

Lucky I had booked the Explorer credit this arvo. Plat Edge of $200 still to be used.

 

[lonewolf]

OK I finally got through on chat. According to hotel policy I have until Easter Sunday to cancel and get a refund. They will return my travel credit with 1 year expiry and points because it is Covid extenuating circumstances.

I will still cop a cancellation fee for the Avios tickets.

I go through chat and it just came back saying all our operators are busy and it closed the chat, I have a booking i need to cancel (flights Qantas) as the damn floods ruined my plans and those plans got moved to the same dates as my flights .

 

[Tiki]

I go through chat and it just came back saying all our operators are busy and it closed the chat, I have a booking i need to cancel (flights Qantas) as the damn floods ruined my plans and those plans got moved to the same dates as my flights .

It did that for me too for awhile, I had to keep refreshing it. I got through before lunch time.

I may have dodged a bullet. Brisbane lockdown lifted, just waiting to see if Norfolk Island is still accepting us.

 

[lonewolf]

I tried calling their no. but it says 2 hours of waiting period and only for people who have travel in the next 7 days , mine is after that. So I didnt wait on line.

 

[yfly]

With Virgin waiving change fees for flights booked prior to April 20, does anyone know if Amex is charging for any changes made to bookings? I'd like to book using my credits.. but not if that means I can't do fee free changes.

 

[ADLhighflyer]

Looking to try and change the hotel dates I booked using my travel credit. Problem is the dates I want, the hotel is shut for renovations. Before I call Amex, what are the chances of them cancelling the booking and using the same credit for another hotel for the dates I want? Or is it a case of loss of travel credit?

 

[Reveen]

Due to COVID Amex are currently refunding travel credits used on cancelled hotel bookings.

Source: Organised a cancellation today with Amex Travel over the phone. There is a wait of two to four weeks for the credit to be refunded however.

 

[ADLhighflyer]

Thanks for that. Good to know. Will give them a call tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[equus]

For those who have the Platinum card and can call to book manually using Travel credits (rather than online only) they are currently allowing multiple credits (up to 3) to be applied to the one booking, due to the number that some people are accumulating.

Wanted to book a particular hotel that was not available online. Travel consultant tried to find a wholesaler that they could book it through (the Travel Credit needs to be applied against a booking paid to the TA/Wholesaler rather than one that is paid to the hotel directly), but discovered that the hotel had withdrawn all wholesale rates - only pay at hotel available. Amex have offered to make the booking, we pay at hotel, then they will apply the Travel Credit(s) after the event to refund the value. Can't really get better service than that - and a great way to sue the credits against a booking we wanted/needed to make at a particular hotel.

 

[robbo135]

Sharing my experience with the 2 travel credits I had at the start of the year. I took 2 educated "bets" that Qantas resuming international flights in July and which they then subsequently pushed back to October 2021 was overly optimistic.

Travel Credit 1: Booked a one-way flight in January with Qantas for a July international flight (part travel credit part cash). Amex called a few weeks ago to ask what I wanted to do given Qantas pushed back July flights to October in March 2021, I asked for a refund, refund would take ~14 weeks, with the travel credit to be reinstated with a new expiry date 1 year from when the refund got processed.

Travel Credit 2: Booked a one-way flight in April with Qantas for a 1 November international flight. With Qantas today saying the October start date has been pushed back to "late December 2021", I guess it will be the same process as above.

I was really struggling with ideas on how to utilise my 2 $400 credits which were due to expire this month, but lucky my "bet" paid off and I now have effectively extended my 2 travel credits by another 12 months. Of course, I have ~$600 sitting with Qantas, so it's now just waiting on Qantas to process my refunds.

 

[Spongbob]

Silly me! I used a Travel Credit to book a Melbourne hotel over the June long weekend.
Hopefully I will not have to cancel the booking.
But if I do, what happens to the Travel Credit?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Silly me! I used a Travel Credit to book a Melbourne hotel over the June long weekend.
Hopefully I will not have to cancel the booking.
But if I do, what happens to the Travel Credit?

Last time that happened I got the travel credit back as well as the money paid. Before doing it, they checked that I'd booked a refundable rate, and was requesting the cancellation before the deadline. Got it back within a month.

 

[Spongbob]

With the Melbourne lockdown for another 7 days, the hotel will be closed.
My Amex "executive" said the Travel Credit will be reinstated if we cancel.

 

[TravellingSquid]

For those who have the Platinum card and can call to book manually using Travel credits (rather than online only) they are currently allowing multiple credits (up to 3) to be applied to the one booking, due to the number that some people are accumulating.

Wanted to book a particular hotel that was not available online. Travel consultant tried to find a wholesaler that they could book it through (the Travel Credit needs to be applied against a booking paid to the TA/Wholesaler rather than one that is paid to the hotel directly), but discovered that the hotel had withdrawn all wholesale rates - only pay at hotel available. Amex have offered to make the booking, we pay at hotel, then they will apply the Travel Credit(s) after the event to refund the value. Can't really get better service than that - and a great way to sue the credits against a booking we wanted/needed to make at a particular hotel.

Can confirm They're currently allowing more than 2 travel credit to be used on your booking. I think any card holder can do it. Here's the way it went for me:

- Started an online booking through the normal Amex Travel website
- Called the platinum card services
- Got transferred through to the travel branch (Australian based rep)
- While still on the phone I booked the hotel through the online portal using the $450 platinum credit and paid the rest on my platinum card (nearly $400)
- The rep removed the second $400 travel credit from my account
- She then processed a statement credit of the amount charged to my card. Said it will come through in up to 7 business days.

 

[Daver6]

Can confirm They're currently allowing more than 2 travel credit to be used on your booking. I think any card holder can do it. Here's the way it went for me:

- Started an online booking through the normal Amex Travel website
- Called the platinum card services
- Got transferred through to the travel branch (Australian based rep)
- While still on the phone I booked the hotel through the online portal using the $450 platinum credit and paid the rest on my platinum card (nearly $400)
- The rep removed the second $400 travel credit from my account
- She then processed a statement credit of the amount charged to my card. Said it will come through in up to 7 business days.

Not that I've done this myself, but I was told buy a phone rep that this is the method to use if you do want to use two credits for one booking.

 

[SOPOOR]

Can confirm They're currently allowing more than 2 travel credit to be used on your booking. I think any card holder can do it. Here's the way it went for me:

- Started an online booking through the normal Amex Travel website
- Called the platinum card services
- Got transferred through to the travel branch (Australian based rep)
- While still on the phone I booked the hotel through the online portal using the $450 platinum credit and paid the rest on my platinum card (nearly $400)
- The rep removed the second $400 travel credit from my account
- She then processed a statement credit of the amount charged to my card. Said it will come through in up to 7 business days.

is it currently allowing due to covid etc? or is this a hush hush loop hole?
and I assume its for platinum charge card only? qantas credit?