How the Amex Platinum Changed My Travel Game: 5 Key Perks of the Card

Premium cards are all about the benefits. The Platinum Card^® from American Express, while not your average card, definitely has a high annual fee, but we fully believe that the benefits can level up your travel game by tenfold.

As long as you can take advantage of them, here’s a closer look at the 5 best benefits of the card that are well worth paying $895 annually (rates & fees).

Amex Platinum Card Overview

The fantastic Membership Rewards program coupled with a long list of benefits has long meant that the high annual fee could easily be eclipsed by the value you would get out of the Amex Platinum card.

Before we get into the details, just know that enrollment is required for many of these noted benefits. Here’s an overview of the card and current welcome bonus offer:

+ NEW BENEFITS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

APR

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Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than the Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection^®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club^® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
• More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
• More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card^® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card^®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
• More Value! $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
• New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card^®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card^®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

1. Annual Airline Fee Credit (Up to $200)

One of the easiest ways to get value out of your Amex Platinum card is by using the annual airline fee credit of up to $200.

To be eligible for the airline fee credit, you first need to choose a preferred airline. This can be done online through your card account or over the phone with American Express customer service.

Once you have chosen your airline, the airline fee credit will apply to qualifying purchases of airline incidentals with that airline. Just charge your purchase to your account and the statement credit will automatically appear. American Express states that the credit will appear in 2-4 weeks, but in practice, credits can appear within a few days.

However, there are limits as to what charges will qualify for the credit. Only incidental purchases will count, which includes:

• Checked baggage fees
• Overweight or oversize baggage fees
• Airport lounge day passes and annual memberships
• Seat assignment fees
• Inflight amenities (food, beverages, etc.)
• Inflight entertainment fees (excluding wireless internet)
• Pet fees
• Ticket change fees
• Phone reservation fees

American Express also specifically excludes certain charges from this benefit. Here are some examples of exclusions:

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

Your selected airline can be changed once a year in January, just in case your airline preferences change over time. Purchases on additional cardmember cards can also be credited, but only up to a total of $200 per year for all cards on the account.

2. Annual Uber Credit (Up to $200)

The Amex Platinum offers an annual Uber Cash credit, up to $200, for use only in the U.S. The Uber Credit is split up monthly, and you’ll lose any credit not used during each month.

Credits are loaded directly into your Uber account once you have linked your Amex Platinum card to that account as the payment method. You’ll receive a $15 credit each month and an additional $20 credit in December.

To make use of the credit in your Uber account, just select “Change Payment Method” when you are requesting a ride — you should be able to see and select your American Express credit to be used first. It is important that you take this step of selecting the American Express credit for payment. Otherwise, your Amex card will be charged; even though your credits are there, they will never be used.

If you live in an area served by Uber or regularly travel to one, this is a very useful benefit. It works great for trips to and from airports and getting around town. You should be able to get the full $200 in value from the Uber Credit.

Living in an area without frequent Uber service and only traveling a few times a year seriously lowers the value of this benefit. If this applies to you, you probably shouldn’t count on this $200 value as a part of your card. You might use only half or a quarter of it depending on your travel patterns.

Luckily, most of us travel a whole lot — so this $200 Uber Credit will be great! Just remember that this credit is only good for Uber rides in the U.S.

3. 5x Points on Flights and Hotels

One of your favorite things to do is travel, right? So why not earn 5x points when you book the main parts of your trip?

With your Amex Platinum card, you can earn 5x points on either airfare or hotel bookings (technically this is 4 bonus points per dollar plus the 1 point you earn on all spending). It’s important to note that there’s a limit to up to $500,000 on flight purchases per calendar year.

For airfare, you will earn 5x points for any flights booked directly with an airline and paid for with your Amex Platinum Card. In addition, you will earn 5x points for any flights that you book through AmexTravel.com, either online or over the phone. It’s worth noting that charter flights, private jet flights, and flights that are part of a tour package are excluded from this benefit.

For hotels, you must book through AmexTravel.com to earn the 5x points for your booking. To qualify, a hotel reservation must be prepaid and paid for with your Amex Platinum Card. Hotel group bookings, events, and Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings are excluded from this benefit.

If you need to change the reservation, you have to call AmexTravel.com to cancel and rebook the stay. Hotel stays that are booked or altered directly with the hotel will not earn the extra points.

4. Airport Lounge Access

Anything you can do to make air travel days more comfortable will certainly improve your trip experience. The Amex Platinum card helps you out with that by providing a variety of ways for you and your traveling companions to access airport lounges.

With either your card or the complimentary membership to Priority Pass Select that is available to each cardholder (enrollment required), you’ll have access to the following types of lounges:

• American Express Centurion Lounges
• American Express Lounges and Centurion Clubs
• Priority Pass ($399+ value)
• 10 visits to a Delta Sky Club ($495 value) on a same-day Delta flight with the ability to unlock unlimited visits through spend
• Escape Lounges ($40+/$120+ per visit value)

Each lounge type has different rules for access, so be sure to check the specifics of the lounge you want to visit before you go.

Depending on the location and type of lounge, amenities can include comfortable seating, free food, drinks, and shower rooms. That shower option sure does come in handy after a red-eye flight around the world. You can start your day feeling refreshed and ready to explore!

5. Automatic Hotel Elite Status

As long as you hold the Amex Platinum card, you are eligible to have automatic mid-tier elite status with both Hilton and Marriott. All you need to do is enroll in the benefits, and you will receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status.

Gold status with Hilton gets you the following benefits:

• 25% bonus on all points earned when staying at a Hilton portfolio hotel
• Fifth night free when booking an award stay of 5 nights or more
• Complimentary in-room internet
• Late checkout upon request
• 2 free bottles of water per stay
• Various benefits specific to the hotel brand you are staying with, including points bonuses and room upgrades

Having Marriott Gold elite status means you have the following benefits:

• 25% bonus on points earned on eligible stays
• Guaranteed lounge access/breakfast at available properties
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Complimentary room upgrade at check-in
• Enhanced internet access

The added perks of Gold status with these programs can certainly make your hotel stays (and therefore your overall travel experience) much more pleasant.

The Amex Platinum card also comes with Sterling status in the Leading Hotels of the World program (enrollment required).

Final Thoughts

The Amex Platinum card has been a game-changer for me as a frequent flyer, with exclusive lounge access, travel credits, elite status, and premium customer service. If these benefits weren’t enough, take a look at our post detailing even more valuable benefits of the Amex Platinum card.

Enjoy that relaxing drink in the lounge before your next flight!