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Amex Business Platinum 50% Rebate – For A Non-Cardholder

ByDW
A well-maintained golf course with lush green fairways and a putting green in the foreground. There is a sand bunker near the putting green and a small pond with clear blue water reflecting the surrounding trees. The course is surrounded by trees and there are houses visible in the background. The sky is clear and blue, indicating a sunny day.

Back in 2016, American Express  announced some benefit changes to both the personal and business versions of the Platinum Card. In my opinion these benefit changes were significantly more rewarding than the recent changes we learned of this past week or so, but I digress…

The feature added to the Business version of the Platinum Card  goes a little something like this – Cardholders will earn a 50% bonus rebate back when redeeming Membership Rewards through the American Express Travel for eligible flights. For clarity, eligible flights are considered flights on the cardholder “selected airline” as well as flights on any airline booked in business class or first class.

The image is a screenshot of an American Express webpage displaying various benefits. The page is divided into three sections: 1. The first section on the left highlights "1.5X Membership Rewards Points" with a description about earning 50% more points on qualifying purchases of $5,000 or more. 2. The middle section promotes a "50% Airline Bonus" for selected Delta Air Lines, with a description about using Membership Rewards points for airfare. 3. The section on the right advertises "Complimentary Hilton HHonors Gold Status" with a description about the benefits of Hilton HHonors Gold status, including room upgrades and bonus points. The top navigation bar includes options like Home, Statements & Activity, Payments, Account Services, Employee Controls, and Benefits. The American Express logo is prominently displayed at the top center.
Busi Plats! Earn a 50% bonus rebate back when redeeming Membership Rewards!

Here are the details per the Amex Benefits site:

How it Works

  1. Select the qualifying airline you want online, or by calling the number on the back of your Card. You can change your airline selection online or by phone once a year in January.
  2. Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points to book flights with your selected airline through American Express Travel online or by calling Business Platinum Travel Service.
  3. You’ll receive 50% of the Membership Rewards® points used for flights with your selected airline back approximately 6-10 weeks after charges appear on your billing statement.

Good to Know

  1. You can book a First or Business class fare with any airline available through American Express Travel and receive 50% points back. No enrollment required.
  2. The airline you select for the 50% Airline Bonus and the $200 Airline Fee Credit‡ must be the same.
  3. A flight booked as part of a travel package or booked with the American Express U.S. Representative Travel Network is not eligible for the 50% Airline Bonus.

Amex Business Platinum 50% Rebate – For A Non-Cardholder

A few days ago, my dad mentioned a golf trip to BFE Michigan and asked me to look into flights, using points/miles of course. Why a Tampa native is embarking on a golf trip to Michigan, I do not know. I didn’t ask questions, except for dates and times, and then proceeded with my search!

The image shows a scenic view of a golf course. In the foreground, there is a well-maintained green with a flagstick and hole. Beyond the green, there is a small pond surrounded by rocks and trees. The background features more grassy areas, trees, and a clear blue sky.
Michigan… a golfers paradise… am I right!?

After a quick GoogleFlights search, I immediately came to the determinate that Delta routing through Detroit was going to be the best option. My dad has a healthy Ultimate Rewards balance, and while I have pointed out how this currency can be used to book Delta flights, I instead focused my attention to my Amex Membership Rewards account.

The image is a screenshot of flight details for a round trip. Here is the alt text: "Flight details for a round trip. Departure Flight: - Date: Saturday, September 9, 2017 - Airline: Delta Air Lines 2192 - Departure: 8:43am from Tampa, FL (TPA) - Arrival: 11:16am in Detroit, MI (DTW) - Duration: 3 hours 40 minutes - Seat: 23D - Baggage Fees: 1 Stop / Economy Connecting Flight: - Airline: Delta Air Lines 3718 operated by Delta Connection - Departure: 12:08pm from Detroit, MI (DTW) - Arrival: 1:50pm in Traverse City, MI (TVC) - Seat: 6C - Class: Economy Return Flight: - Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017 - Airline: Delta Air Lines 3718 operated by Delta Connection - Departure: 10:15am from Traverse City, MI (TVC) - Arrival: 11:27am in Detroit, MI (DTW) - Duration: 3 hours 43 minutes - Seat: 9B - Baggage Fees: 1 Stop / Economy Connecting Flight: - Airline: Delta Air Lines 2192 - Departure: 12:05pm from Detroit, MI (DTW) - Arrival
Anyone ever taken a golf trip to Traverse City, Michigan??

Since I had previously selected Delta Airlines as my eligible airline for the $200 airline fee credit, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test out the new-ish 50% points rebate benefit!

But since I wasn’t the primary traveler, I wasn’t positive that the rebate would apply…

When in Doubt, Chat Amex!

I headed straight to the source with my inquiry, and much to my delight, I received the following response!

The image shows a screenshot of an online chat conversation with American Express customer service. The chat window has the title "American Express Chat" at the top. The conversation is between a customer and a representative named Eriko. The customer asks, "If I utilize my American Express Membership Rewards to book an eligible flight for my father, will I still receive the 50% rebate?" Eriko responds, "I will quickly check that for you." There is a text input box at the bottom for typing messages and a "Send" button next to it. The chat window also includes options to adjust text size and an "End Chat" button. The image shows a screenshot of an American Express Chat window. The chat includes messages between a customer and a representative named Eriko. The conversation includes the following messages: - Eriko: "Thank you Derek" - Eriko: "One moment please." - Eriko: "Thanks for waiting." A highlighted message from Eriko reads: "You can sure book the flight for your father and you will earn 50% Membership Rewards points back, however, it needs to be done with your selected airline which is 'Delta Airline' at the time." There is a text input field at the bottom for typing messages, with a "Send" button next to it. The chat window also has options to adjust text size and end the chat.

I screenshot the chat as evidence just in case, and proceeded with the flight booking!

Initially and as expected, the full cost amount in points was taken from my Membership Rewards account, but then just a couple days later I noticed the rebate post safely in my account!

The image shows a screenshot of an American Express Membership Rewards account page. The page displays the "Summary" tab under the "Activity Detail" section. The account holder's name is partially visible as "Derek S Winter." The time period selected is "From Sep 2016 to Present," and the activity filter is set to "All Activities." The table below shows two transactions: 1. On 03/08/2017, 15,308 points were earned with the description "50% Bonus on Pay With Points." 2. On 03/08/2017, 30,615 points were used with the description "Points for Airtran Tvl." The transactions are highlighted with a red border. The page also includes navigation options such as "Travel," "Gift Cards," and "Shopping" under the "Membership Rewards" section.
50% Points Rebate – Confirmed!

Final Thought

I let my dad know that I was able to book the above flights using my points. He asked me what I owed him in return, but before I replied he instructed me to “add it to his tab…”

While I am not sure if I will be compensated for my efforts and for the 15k in net Membership Rewards redeemed, I am sure about one thing! You CAN in fact earn the 50% rebate on Membership Reward points when booking eligible flights with points for you (as the cardholder), as well as for other non-cardholders!

There has been quite a lot of chatter regarding the Busi Platinum’s 50% rebate – some good (like Greg at Frequent Miler) and some more critical (like over at DoC)! I can only speak to my personal experience and can say that overall it has been very positive

What has been your experience with the 50% rebate so far!?

Happy Travels!

DW

The image shows a simple white line drawing of a paper airplane on a blue circular background.

5 Comments

  1. That’s great! So the airfare was $300 and you got it for 15k MR? Also, did you make sure its not basic economy?

    Reply

    1. Exactly! I wish the 50% back was in the form of instant discount to cut the initial cost, but I had the 30k points so the rebate served the same purpose in my case… And yes good point – when comparing prices I did pull up the Delta site to confirm the itinerary was Main Cabin.

      Reply

  2. I asked the same question on a phone call this morning as I was using 155k Amex points to book a trip for my in laws. I was told it was no problem.

    Reply

    1. Nice! Personally this makes the benefit much more valuable and allows me to really put my Membership Rewards to use!

      Reply

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