In January, American Express personal and business Platinum cardholders need to select their airline of choice for the upcoming year to receive their Air Travel Credit. This decision carries more weight than it might initially seem due to the limited uses of the credit and the rule that you cannot change airlines after your selection is set at the end of the month (or once you start using the credit). While this restriction is reportedly flexible at AMEX’s discretion, it’s not something you should count on.
How We’ve Used the Credit in the Past
Over my years as an AMEX Platinum Cardholder, I’ve selected several different airlines for my Air Travel Credit. Along the way, I’ve learned that each airline has unique ways to “creatively” spend the credit—methods that aren’t always how AMEX intended for the benefit to be used. For example, some airlines have methods that make it easy to earn the credit and save it for future flights. United Airlines, for instance, allows you to deposit funds into their Travel Bank. However, such methods are only helpful if you fly with that airline. And if you saw my list of flights from 2024, you’d know that United wasn’t on the itinerary.
In 2024, I selected American Airlines for my Air Travel Credit. While I didn’t spend the full $200, I came close:
- $79 – Lounge day pass
- $5.60 – Award ticket fee
- $26.61 x 2 – Seat selection fee
- $35 – Excess baggage fee
However, American Airlines has since eliminated flights to Austin, which was our main route with the carrier (we typically use that route 2-3 times per year). As a result, it doesn’t seem like American Airlines will fit into our travel plans this year, so it’s time to choose a different airline.
Considering Delta for 2025
Delta Air Lines is our favorite carrier, so selecting them might seem like the obvious choice. However, I’ve gone down this road before and discovered that Delta doesn’t make it easy to use the credit.
That said, I recently came across a potential workaround. There’s a method involving partial payment for airfare with gift cards that could make the credit usable with Delta. I haven’t personally tested this trick yet, but several sources, including this post from Frequent Miler, a Reddit thread, and a dedicated FlyerTalk discussion, confirm that this method has been effective for years. Some users have even reported success with it in 2025.
What Do You Think?
Am I crazy to pick Delta for my AMEX airline credit again? I didn’t know about this method the last time, so I’m thinking this would be a great way to make sure I can easily get the full $200 value.
For those of you who have used this trick with Delta, has it worked for you? If not, what other ways have you found to utilize the Air Travel Credit with Delta? Is there another airline you prefer? Share your experiences in the comments—I’m always looking for new tips to maximize this benefit!
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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