How I Used My Amex Platinum To Plan a $7,000 Summer 2026 Vacation

Planning a dream trip to Greece doesn’t have to drain your wallet. When I applied for the Platinum Card^® from American Express, I was approved for the highest available welcome offer.

Once I earned the bonus offer, I put the card’s points, travel credits, and perks to the test by planning a $7,000 luxury vacation for just a fraction of the cost.

After years of collecting points and optimizing cards, I wanted to see just how far a premium card could take me. The Amex Platinum card surpassed my expectations to book a Greek getaway without spending nearly as much as I would have thought.

Huge Welcome Offer: Earn As High as 175K Points

Before applying for the Amex Platinum card, I saw the following welcome offer listed on the application page:

• Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 175,000 points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

I decided to go for it, and to my surprise, I was eligible for the maximum bonus offer of 175,000 points after meeting the minimum spend requirement. The best part is that once you see your personalized welcome offer, you can choose to proceed and open the account (which triggers a hard inquiry) or simply exit the application with no impact.

After meeting the spending requirement and spending on the card for 6 months, I was sitting on just over 220,000 Membership Rewards points — enough for a luxurious international trip if I played my cards right.

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

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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 card application.

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

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• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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With the right Amex transfer partner and a little timing, that balance could easily unlock a business class flight (or 2), or a high-end hotel stay worth several thousand dollars.

Since my wife and I have talked about returning to Greece ever since our honeymoon 15 years ago, this felt like the perfect opportunity. The goal was simple: book business-class flights to Athens and splurge on 1 night at a beautiful hotel before heading to the islands using the Amex Platinum card — easily worth its $895 annual fee (rates & fees).

Booking Business Class Flights to Greece With Emirates Miles

Because I’m based in South Florida and there aren’t any nonstop flights from Miami (MIA) or Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Athens, I knew I’d need to get creative with my routing. That’s where Amex’s Membership Rewards transfer partners really shine.

Since we wanted to travel to Greece, I made it a priority to fly directly from the U.S., rather than connecting through another European hub, such as London or Paris. Emirates operates a fifth-freedom flight from Newark (EWR) to Athens (ATH), which is one of the most comfortable and convenient ways to fly business class to Greece using points and miles.

Through Emirates Skywards, I found business class award space for 2 passengers at 87,000 miles each, totaling 174,000 Emirates miles. However, with Amex’s recently updated 5:4 transfer ratio, I had to transfer 218,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to Emirates.

I paid $433.50 in taxes and fees per person for this award, but considering that the same business class flight usually costs over $4,000 per ticket, that’s a trade-off I’ll gladly make any day.

I got nearly 3 cents per point in value, which is higher than what Upgraded Points values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece. That’s an excellent redemption value by any standard, especially for a flight in Emirates’ swanky business class.

Plus, I still had a few thousand points (and statement credits) to spare. I can already picture it: boarding an Emirates jet in Newark, sipping Champagne, and landing in Athens refreshed and ready to explore.

Using Amex Platinum Card’s Airline Fee Credit

Since our Emirates flight departed from Newark, I had to get us from South Florida to New York. That’s where another Amex Platinum card benefit came into play: the up to $200 airline incidental credit (enrollment required).

Each year, Amex Platinum cardholders can select 1 qualifying airline to apply credits toward incidentals, such as seat fees, checked bags, or onboard food. I chose JetBlue as my airline for 2025.

Amex terms state that airfare typically doesn’t qualify for the incidental credit. Still, in this case, my $277 JetBlue round-trip tickets were reimbursed using the $200 airline incidental credit fee, effectively reducing the total cost to $77, or about $38 per person. That’s hard to beat for a one-way flight to connect to an Emirates business-class experience.

I know this doesn’t always work for everyone, but it was a pleasant surprise that freed up more budget for my time in Greece.

Maximizing the Amex Platinum Card’s Hotel Credit in Athens

Before the trip, I knew we’d spend 1 night in Athens before continuing our Greek adventure of island-hopping by ferry to Naxos, a Cycladic island we’d always dreamed of visiting.

The Amex Platinum card’s up-to-$600 annual prepaid hotel credit is split into 2, up to $300 credits (1 from January to June and another from July to December). It applies to Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through AmexTravel.com (with a 2-night minimum for the latter).

I used my credit to reserve a 1-night stay at the King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens in the heart of Athens near Syntagma Square.

The total came to $395, but after applying the credit, my out-of-pocket cost was just $95. Fine Hotels + Resorts stays at this hotel include a $100 food and beverage credit. Between the up-to-$300 prepaid hotel credit and the food and beverage credit, I’m achieving immense value from this booking.

The booking also includes daily breakfast for 2, 12 p.m. check-in when available, and a 4 p.m. late checkout — all valuable when you’re fighting jet lag. After a long flight, we’ll spend our first evening in Greece sipping wine on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Acropolis — all made possible by planning and putting the Amex Platinum card’s benefits to work.

Final Cost vs. Retail Price

From the points and credits on the Amex Platinum card, I easily got more than $7,000 in total value. Here’s how it all breaks down:

• I transferred 218,000 Membership Rewards points to Emirates to book business class tickets from Newark to Athens, paying just $433.50 in taxes and fees. These would have been more than $7,000 had I paid cash.
• For our positioning flight from Fort Lauderdale to New York, I applied the up-to-$200 airline credit, bringing the total cost down to just $77 out of pocket.
• Then, I used part of my Fine Hotels + Resorts $300 prepaid credit (including $100 food and beverage credit) toward a 1-night stay at the King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Athens — reducing my out-of-pocket cost to about $85.

All in, I spent less than $1,000 in cash to plan a luxurious getaway worth over $7,000. Our trip includes business class flights on Emirates and a 5-star hotel stay in the heart of Athens.

Final Thoughts

I’ve carried dozens of travel cards over the years, but the Amex Platinum card is still my favorite — not just for its prestige, but for the incredible value it delivers when you actually put its perks to work.

By stacking a massive welcome offer, taking advantage of transfer partners, and utilizing valuable travel credits, I transformed a single new card into a luxury getaway worth well over $7,000, including Emirates lie-flat business class seats and a 5-star hotel stay with a rooftop view of the Acropolis.

With a little planning, the right card can take you further than you might expect.