Changes to how you use your $450 Travel Credit

[kookaburra75]

Just to clarify.

Was the per person cost of each flight <$450, but the total cost of each pair of flights >$450 and you each got the full $450 credit?

Was there anything in your billing where Amex split the total cost into two equal amounts of <$450 as they did for @Captain Halliday?

Yes. Travelling down to Melbourne, the fares were $600 for the two of us, paid on my AMEX card ($150 difference after my credit). Coming back from Melbourne, the fares were $650 (stupid Canberra tax!), paid on MrsK's AMEX card ($200 difference after her credit).

On my AMEX Statement, the airfares are shown as two transactions of $300 for each airfare (AMEX Travel Online Merc Sydney), and a single entry for the $450 Qantas Ultimate Travel Credit.

 

[Buggbear]

Annoyed with AmEx travel and Hilton. Booked using platinum card at Hilton Brisbane last week and also spent big on dinner for four, as a Gold Rewards member, no points awarded for either despite contacting them pre arrival and lodging HR number. Hilton say it wasn't booked through Amex travel but Agoda!

Now arguing with Amex and Hilton Rewards.

Can you use the credit for hotel only? I thought you have to combine it with a flight to qualify.

 

[DC3]

Can you use the credit for hotel only? I thought you have to combine it with a flight to qualify.

Combining with a flight? Not sure where you would have got that information from

 

[Buggbear]

Combining with a flight? Not sure where you would have got that information from

Never mind. Different card different condition.

 

[Captain Halliday]

This is ongoing, so I can't give a definitive answer.

But just to recap my scenario, I booked a one-way flight for two pax. I don't remember the exact fare but it was ~$370 per pax.

This was a single booking for two pax and was a single transaction on the Amex.

I received one Amex reference number and one QF PNR and a receipt for $740.

However, on my Amex statement, rather than a single charge of $740, instead I had 2x$370 listed.

Thus it never reached the $450 threshold because Amex split the transaction and so far I've received no credit at all.

Update on this. In short: resolved and $450 statement credit manually applied.

Long version:
When I first contacted Amex about this I was questioned extensively about whether I’d correctly selected the “radio button” to use the credit.

I explained (politely) that it wasn’t my first rodeo and that I certainly clicked the radio button. I also told them I had screenshots for every step of the booking process. (My lack of trust was implied, and as it turns out, justified. But I digress.)

The agent still believed the most likely cause was me not clicking the button but escalated to IT for investigation and said it could take a couple of weeks. Didn’t seem interested in my screenshots to confirm.

At about the two week mark I was sent a courtesy email advising it was still being investigated.

What was interesting was that the email included an exchange between the agent I was dealing with and someone in IT. I suspect this was included in error.

But helpfully it showed details of every step I’d taken through the booking - and importantly that I’d clicked the correct button to apply the credit.

After that email I heard nothing further for a couple of weeks then last week saw the credit had posted to the account.

The apology from Amex must have been implied too because I haven’t heard from them since.

So I’m none the wiser about what happened but at least the $450 credit was honoured.

 

[Ken1]

Earlier this year I used my Platinum Charge $450 and Reserve $400 travel credits to purchase SK flights from LHR to Norway and purchased "SAS Plus Pro" fares that provide lounge access, seats near the front, 2 x 23kg bags and are fully refundable. I used the $450 travel credit towards tickets totalling $875.60 and the $400 Platinum Reserve travel credit towards the return flights totalling $811.60 . After the purchases the travel credits posted overnight and the fares posted a couple of days later split into separate amounts for each of us of $437.80 on the charge card and $405.80 for the Reserve, so the individual fares of less than $450 didn't affect the travel credit since the full purchase online through Amex travel was for over $450.

Two weeks ago I had to cancel these tickets since we changed our travel plans. I phoned Amex Travel first and it was confirmed that Amex do not charge a fee and that since my tickets were fully refundable I would get a refund of the full amounts charged but that it could take up to 8 weeks for the refunds to come through. I was able to cancel both flights online on the Amex Travel website on Thu 04 April. The refunds came through to both cards on Saturday morning 13 April, with the Charge card showing two credits of $437.80 each showing "AMEX TRAVEL ONLINE MERC SYDNEY" and the Reserve card showing two credits of $405.80 each, all showing 09 April even though they didn't show in my online account until 13 April, but this happened when the tickets were purchased too, with the flights not showing until a few days after I booked them but when posted the dates were the date they were booked.

I'm posting this to let you know that we do now get the full amount of the travel credits refunded if we cancel bookings that are refundable, which is better than the old system where you would lose the travel credit if you cancelled.

Since I usually use the Charge card all the time and only use the Reserve card when I need to use the travel credit I had $811.60 showing as a credit in my Reserve card account. I phoned Amex on Monday morning to ask if they could transfer that credit from the Reserve card to the Charge card and was told that they could, and that it should take 2 to 3 days. It posted this morning, 3 days later, as "DEBIT BALANCE TRANSFERRED" so I'm very pleased with how this has worked out.

 

[ms1]

I need to book a TK revenue ticket and thought to myself that finally I will be able to redeem my Amex travel credit after not having used them multiple times over the years.

Upon searching via the Amex Travel portal my TK flights don't appear and TK doesn't appear as an option when filtering the airline.

Does anyone know if I'll have more luck if I call to make the booking? Or is TK not offered by Amex travel?

 

[VPS]

I need to book a TK revenue ticket and thought to myself that finally I will be able to redeem my Amex travel credit after not having used them multiple times over the years.

Upon searching via the Amex Travel portal my TK flights don't appear and TK doesn't appear as an option when filtering the airline.

Does anyone know if I'll have more luck if I call to make the booking? Or is TK not offered by Amex travel?

it depends what card you have - it is usually either Qantas or Virgin

 

[Kremmen]

Does anyone know if I'll have more luck if I call to make the booking? Or is TK not offered by Amex travel?

Agents see the same availability we do, in my experience. Amex travel is missing almost every airline and fare that I've wanted.

 

[RealtimeY]

You need to call and ask. They can definitely book some airlines that don't appear on the online search. ANA is an example of one. However, I'm not sure if it will trigger the travel credit so check with them.

 

[hexDoor]

You need to call and ask. They can definitely book some airlines that don't appear on the online search. ANA is an example of one. However, I'm not sure if it will trigger the travel credit so check with them.

Last time I tried for ANA on October 2023 via the phone, they allowed it but also told me that it's "technically not allowed".

Probably depends on the agent you get.

 

[momad]

Update on this. In short: resolved and $450 statement credit manually applied.

Long version:
When I first contacted Amex about this I was questioned extensively about whether I’d correctly selected the “radio button” to use the credit.

I explained (politely) that it wasn’t my first rodeo and that I certainly clicked the radio button. I also told them I had screenshots for every step of the booking process. (My lack of trust was implied, and as it turns out, justified. But I digress.)

The agent still believed the most likely cause was me not clicking the button but escalated to IT for investigation and said it could take a couple of weeks. Didn’t seem interested in my screenshots to confirm.

At about the two week mark I was sent a courtesy email advising it was still being investigated.

What was interesting was that the email included an exchange between the agent I was dealing with and someone in IT. I suspect this was included in error.

But helpfully it showed details of every step I’d taken through the booking - and importantly that I’d clicked the correct button to apply the credit.

After that email I heard nothing further for a couple of weeks then last week saw the credit had posted to the account.

The apology from Amex must have been implied too because I haven’t heard from them since.

So I’m none the wiser about what happened but at least the $450 credit was honoured.

I am having similar issues. Booked flights, clicked on the radio button but credit hasn’t been applied and general support confirmed it has not been applied. Now, to wait till morning to give the travel team a call and hopefully, they can manually apply it. FWIW Amex also split my total but I do meet the $450 threshold. This new system sucks.

 

[bellroy26]

Hey folks, does spending the $450 travel credit (provided that you have to pay the full amount first before getting the credit later on) count towards hitting the minimum spend?

 

[VPS]

So I'm just using my credit - this is the Qantas website

How can a J fare on the Qantas website be $601 and the Amex one $1115.69 - any idea what would happen if I called them.

I've triple checked it is the same day and the same flight





And this is the Amex website

 

[ChrisFlyer]

So I'm just using my credit - this is the Qantas website

How can a J fare on the Qantas website be $601 and the Amex one $1115.69 - any idea what would happen if I called them.

This sort of nonsense is why I got rid of this card. Amex can't see all of the fares that are made available on the Qantas website, particularly the most affordable kinds. The notion that you can only use your $450 voucher towards a $1115.69 ticket - and thus, be required to pay $665.69 out of pocket - rather than just paying $601 direct without the voucher and ultimately have spent less, makes the voucher completely worthless and not a true offset of the annual fee.

The same happens in economy - Qantas can't see the best fares so you end up paying more to buy a higher category of fare than you otherwise would have, before the discount kicks in. It's an absolute rort.

 

[Daver6]

You should call and raise this as an issue. It's been going on for ages. Some BS that they don't have access to those sale fares. Makes no sense given other OTAs show them.

Just last week I wanted to book an AA basic economy fare. Of course, Amex Travel don't show them. I filled in a follow up survey about y interaction and someone reached out and wants to have a call with me to understand my concern. Lets see how that goes.

 

[VPS]

This sort of nonsense is why I got rid of this card. Amex can't see all of the fares that are made available on the Qantas website, particularly the most affordable kinds. The notion that you can only use your $450 voucher towards a $1115.69 ticket - and thus, be required to pay $665.69 out of pocket - rather than just paying $601 direct without the voucher and ultimately have spent less, makes the voucher completely worthless and not a true offset of the annual fee.

The same happens in economy - Qantas can't see the best fares so you end up paying more to buy a higher category of fare than you otherwise would have, before the discount kicks in. It's an absolute rort.

You should call and raise this as an issue. It's been going on for ages. Some BS that they don't have access to those sale fares. Makes no sense given other OTAs show them.

Just last week I wanted to book an AA basic economy fare. Of course, Amex Travel don't show them. I filled in a follow up survey about y interaction and someone reached out and wants to have a call with me to understand my concern. Lets see how that goes.

OK thanks for the encouragement I'll give them a call later

 

[VPS]

Well that was 40 minutes of my life I won't get back again.

The economy fare difference was 229 to 241 and I can wear that difference but $600 difference from the business class fare is ridiculous.

They gave me BS about what they get given and I think it's just outright gouging and totally unethical.

@Mattg maybe it's time to contact Amex travel and tell them they're dreaming.

The outcome was tough biccies - they can't price match but they will raise it with their support team. I have to use it within 3 days (and yes I know I should have done it sooner but waiting on some other trips to come together)

Does anyone think it is worth contacting ACCC about it

 

[33kft]

I have found the missing fares are variable enough that I can eventually find a reasonably priced fare to use the credit on, but agree that if you wanted to use it on a very specific fare, it will likely not work out.

It is a bit of a trade off, it shouldn't be the case, but given it does turn the card into a $0 fee if you find flights which you would have paid for anyway for roughly the same price as booking direct, so I've treated it as a necessary trade off for a fee free card.

 

[Human]

Does anyone think it is worth contacting ACCC about it

I'm not sure how much jurisdiction the ACCC would have but if they do have jurisdiction it wouldn't do any harm and might put a bit more pressure on AmEx/Qantas.

Your posts got me thinking because when I've used my AmEx travel credits on flights, I've generally used them on Virgin and there was never any price difference betweeen Virgin's website and AmEx Travel that I've seen (I always check). I've also used them twice for SAS flights in Europe and I don't recall there being a price difference for those flights either.

@AFF Editor would it be worth investigating which airlines it's worth using AmEx travel credits for (ie. the airlines where there's not a price difference) and which airlines it's not worth using the credits for (because of the price difference)?