Lounge Charges, Award Fees, and Seat Upgrades: Platinum Card Incidentals That Have and Haven’t Credited Back

I’ve taken several Delta Air Lines trips this year (I know, I know). Delta is the preferred airline for my $200 airline incidental fee statement credit for both The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

I put several charges on both cards to see what credited back and what didn’t.

Quick Primer

Both consumer/personal and business Amex Platinum cards give members the opportunity to earn up to $200 back in statement credits every calendar year for eligible airline incidental purchases made to their card. Manual enrollment is required and terms apply.

Card members can pick from:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Spirit Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

The below charges are specifically stated as eligible:

• Airline fee charge billed after airline selection
• Airport lounge day passes and annual memberships
• Change fees
• Checked baggage fees
• Early check-in fees
• In-flight amenity fees (beverages, food, pillows/blankets, and so on)
• In-flight entertainment fees (excluding wireless Internet)
• Overweight/oversize baggage fees
• Pet flight fees
• Phone reservation fees
• Seat assignment fees
• Unaccompanied minor fees

Here’s what is explicitly prohibited:

• Airline tickets
• Award tickets
• Duty–free purchases
• Gift cards
• Mileage points purchases
• Mileage points transfer fees
• Upgrades

It’s sort of a your-(Sky)mileage-may-vary thing. For example, some people swear up and down that their premium alcohol purchases in Delta Sky Clubs always credit back to their cards. That’s literally never been the case for me. (Maybe I should’ve taken the hint sooner! 🙂 )

So, almost six months into the year, here’s what I’ve tried — and what’s credited back.

Sky Club Entrance Fee – YES

My family traveled to Grand Cayman this past March. We flew on Delta and departed from Los Angeles (LAX). Our late night began with a visit to the Terminal 3 Sky Club. I hold a Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card and my wife is a Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card member. Both feature Sky Club visit privileges.

But our daughter is too young for an Amex card. 🙂 So, I needed to pay a $50 charge for her 24-hour Visit. (Delta Business Reserve rates & fees).

I used a Platinum Card and the entire $50 credited back. That works!

Seat Upgrade – NO

I knew this probably wouldn’t work. But I fell on the sword and did it for the blog!

For an upcoming trip, Delta offered me a $110 First Class buy-up for a two-hour hop between Burbank (BUR) and Salt Lake City (SLC). Upgrades are listed explicitly as ineligible charges and they’ve never credited back to me. Nonetheless, I charged the buy-up to my Amex Platinum Card.

It did not work toward the incidental fee.

I did, however, earn 5X Membership Rewards points because it’s a flight booked directly with an airline or with American Express Travel®. Card members can earn 5X on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.

I’ll be fine in First Class. Don’t you worry about me.

Award Fees and Taxes – YES

I mentioned my Grand Cayman trip earlier. My family booked using SkyMiles. We had to pay taxes and fees. I charged those to my Amex Business Platinum Card. That credited back to my card.

eCredit Cash Balances – YES

I’ve booked Delta trips eCredits. Whenever I have a cash balance of under $200, I use my Platinum Cards to pay the balance. Those credited back. (And I swear Delta better never change that or I’ll start using Chase or Capital One cards.)

I’ll try to update this list later in the year.

Until then, happy charging, traveling, and saving.

What’s fees are working and not working for you?

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link.