Reader Oleg asked if I’d create a page letting people know what has/hasn’t triggered the City National Bank Crystal Visa Infinite $250 airline credit. Before we get started, two important things to keep in mind:
- Authorized users also get this credit
- This benefit may be subject to taxation and/or Form 1099 reporting
The Full Fine Print
The full fine print for this benefit can be found on P56 of the guide to benefits. Here is what is important to know:
- Based on a calendar year (must post to your account during the calendar year, e.g before December 31st, 2016. This is different to the Chase Sapphire Reserve benefit as that requires it to post to your account before your December statement closes).
- They give the following examples of what is considered an incidental charge: incidental airline fee transactions made at eligible US Domestic Airline Carriers and include: ticket change/cancellation fees, checked baggage fees, inflight entertainment, onboard food and beverage charges, airport lounge membership fees and day passes, onboard wireless charges (excluding Gogo Wireless), and TSA Pre✓®membership application fee
What Triggers This Benefit?
Make sure you contribute to this section in the comments to make it more useful for everybody. Changes were made to this benefit on April 1st, 2016 so we are only including data points after that date. In general lower value fees/taxes seem to be reimbursed and others aren’t, but YMMV. American Airlines eGiftcards also seem to be a safe choice ($50 denomination).
- Alaska:
- Taxes: 1
- American Airlines:
- JetBlue:
- Award Fees: 1
- Southwest:
- United:
- Award fees: 1 ($48.66)
What Doesn’t Trigger This Benefit?
- Alaska:
- Gift cards: 1
- American Airlines:
- Physical gift card: 1 (dp of it working here)
- MPX: 1
- United Airlines:
- Gift registry: 1 (report of it working here and here if it’s under $75), 2
- Southwest:
does AA stll trigger on city national?
Anybody bought a AA gift card for $350 and got credit?
Just tried in September 2021, bought a couple $50 AA gift cards and got the full $350 credit,it took about 10 – 12 business days for the refund to hit.
I just called CNB. They told me that this benefit changed to primary card holder only when they bumped it from $250 to $350. So, we now get one $350 benefit. Additional cards do not get anything,
$350 AA purchase on 8/31/20. Posted on 9/2/20. Credit on 9/7/20.
$117.80 AA eGC purchase on 8/10, Travel Fee Rebate of $117.80 posted on 8/13.
I am also looking for the recent DP on AA gc purchase. Anyone?
Any recent DP for AA GC purchase credit within the last 30 days? Thanks.
Here is a recent DP: United inflight Wifi charge of $8.99 was correctly credited. Flight was on 3/11, Transaction Date is listed as 3/12, charge posted on 3/16, credit transaction listed as 3/15, and credit posted on 3/18.
Pleasantly surprised that 4x $58.05 United taxes on international award ticket was charged on 2/24 and reimbursed with the travel fee rebate on 2/28.
I am trying to buy an AA gift card today, and it is failing telling me it has a problem with my address. I tried at work and home (2 different networks); different browsers – Brave, Chrome, Firefox; two OS’s – Win10 and Linux. I even, accidentally, tried 2 different CCs as I unintentionally put in my US Bank Altitude Reserve number once.
I just bought a $100 AA GC late last week to use my PenFed Pathfinder credit and it worked fine. Has anyone else ran into issues recently? Or has anyone tried this week with success?
$175 AA purchased 2/19.
$175 travel fee rebate issued 2/25.
Paid $70 to pick some seats 2/20. Still waiting for reimbursement. Moral of the story…just buy GCs?