[TravelBank Workaround Method] Testing Out Using 2022 AMEX Airline Fee Credit Uses, How Will You Use Yours?

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Update: If you have getting an error trying to add funds to your United TravelBank, try adding your credit card to your United Wallet and then add funds from the card to your TravelBank.

Originally posted on 1/3:

There are 3 AMEX cards that give a credit to use for incidental fees on the airline of your choice.

• The AMEX Business Platinum Card offers a $200 annual airline fee credit. Read more about the card here.
  •  You can register for an airline here.
• The AMEX Platinum Card offers a $200 annual airline fee credit. Read more about the card here. 
  • You can register for an airline here.
• The AMEX Hilton Aspire Card offers a $250 annual airline fee credit. Read more about the card here.  
  • You can register for an airline here.

While Chase Sapphire Reserve allows you to use travel credit for anything travel related, AMEX is far more restrictive.

You need to register with a specific airline before spending. After you register for an airline you can officially only change your airline in January. However I have had success changing the airline by chatting with AMEX online. 

You can choose to register for the following airlines:

• Alaska
• American
• Delta
• Frontier
• Hawaiian
• JetBlue
• Southwest
• Spirit
• United

Note that if you have a Business Platinum card, the airline you choose will also be the airline that will give you 35% of your points back when redeeming for coach travel. You may want to hold off on spending the $200 until the end of the year if you want to be able to change the airline more easily during the year, though I have never been denied an airline change by chatting with AMEX online. You also get back 35% of your points on all airlines in business and first class redemptions without having to register for an airline.

• The United TravelBank is back after taking a short hiatus that burned some extreme procrastinators. These funds are valid to book United flights for anyone for 5 years from the date of purchase. I made a $100 purchase in 2022 and was reimbursed for the purchase.
  • With this option you’ll have to weigh whether to do this earlier in the year, when you know it’s available and working or whether to wait to see if you’ll have actual airline fees to pay this year. It can also be worth waiting for a TravelBank funding promotion or to get a longer expiration date on the funds. Then again the option isn’t officially covered as an airline fee, so it can stop working at any time. In 2021 it stopped working for a couple of months, before becoming eligible again.
  • TravelBank funds can be used to book travel on United.com for anyone.

• JetBlue tickets under around $99 have long worked for credit. Last year I registered a card for JetBlue and bought a ticket from JFK to Los Angeles for $98.40. It was reimbursed with the airline fee credit in just 2 days:

After purchasing a flight, it is easy to cancel it, even in basic economy, and convert it into JetBlue Travel Bank funds. With JetBlue, those funds are valid for 1 year from the date of redeposit and funds can be used for anyone. In basic economy you’ll have to cancel within 24 hours of the purchase and you’ll need to have purchased the flight for more than 7 days from now. For other tickets, you can cancel and convert into Travel Bank funds at any time before departure for free.

I tested that again during the JetBlue free change bonanza and got reimbursed for the flights.

• Southwest tickets under $99 are also typically reimbursed. You can use those funds for a year, though funds can only be used by the passenger.

These are the charges that have been reported to count for airline fee credit:

• Airline tickets under around $99 are sometimes reimbursed. JetBlue and Southwest should work best. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• Delta tickets purchased with partial payment on your credit card and partial payment on an airline voucher or gift card are typically reimbursed. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• Taxes on award tickets are typically reimbursed. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• Award redeposit and change fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Baggage fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Buying extra miles or mileage multiplier offered with a ticket purchase online or at a kiosk. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• Flight change fees and same day change fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Food and drinks on the plane from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Food and drinks in a club from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Lounge access, memberships, and club pass fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Phone reservation fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Pet fees. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Seat selection fees and Economy Plus/Main Cabin Extra fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Standby fees from airline of your choice. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• AA 500 mile upgrades. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• AA Five Star Service. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• AA WiFi monthly plan. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• $9 Spirit Fare Club Membership. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• Frontier Discount Den. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• United Economy Plus upgrades and Economy Plus Subscriptions. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• United Farelock. This is officially covered as an airline fee.
• United WiFi Subscription Purchases And Gifts. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• United WiFi on mainline planes only or any other WiFi billed by the airline and not a 3rd party. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.
• United WiFi day pass on any United flight.
• United TravelBank funding. This is not officially covered as an airline fee.

It’s worth noting that upgrades to another cabin is not officially covered as an airline fee. However you can chatting with AMEX 14 days after a charge to request reimbursement for it or any other charge. YMMV on the rep crediting your account for it, but that has worked for me in the past.

What airline fees have you been credited for on your AMEX card in 2022?