Why I Added Authorized Users to My Amex Platinum Card To Share the Gift of Travel Perks

I know that I travel more than most. After all, my family positively faints whenever they hear that I’m home for a full month. That’s why it makes sense for me to have so many travel credit cards: I can pretty effectively use them and the benefits they provide, even when they have high annual fees.

While the same can’t be said of my family, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t enjoy travel perks when they’re on the road. That’s why I’ve added them as authorized users to one of my favorite travel cards: The Platinum Card^® from American Express. Let’s talk about why this makes sense.

Adding Authorized Users to My Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum card has a steep annual fee, ringing in at $695 per year (rates & fees). While I don’t mind paying for it (I do make sure to use all the credits it offers), it doesn’t make sense for a lot of people to hold. My sister, for example, travels just a few times per year and never needs a Saks Fifth Avenue statement credit.

However, she’s been slowly building up her stash of points and miles, especially since she’s seen how I travel. Instead of applying for her own card, I added her to my Amex Platinum card as an authorized user.

The fee isn’t something to just blow by; the cost for each additional Amex Platinum card is $195 (rates & fees). But the benefits make sense. While she doesn’t get her own set of statement credits, she does get many of the same travel benefits I do, including:

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status
• Hilton Honors Gold elite status
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit
• Access to Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings
• Airport lounge access

Note that, just like my account benefits, some of the benefits do require enrollment, so be sure to have your authorized users explore their American Express account and enroll in all applicable benefits to get the most out of their card.

These are all great perks, and together, they make the $195 worthwhile. This is especially true since my sister has started working at a Marriott hotel, which means that Marriott elite status is going to be important to her.

While she hasn’t used the Fine Hotels + Resorts program yet, it will provide value for her thanks to the elite status-like benefits it offers on hotel stays, such as complimentary breakfast and a $100 experience credit.

Plus, having her as an authorized user on my account helps build her credit. While she has a credit history now, she operated on a cash-only basis for a long time. Adding her to my account bolsters her credit, which means she’ll be able to qualify for some of the best travel credit cards around in the future.

Amex Platinum Card Lounge Access

My favorite benefit (and hers), though, is the airport lounge access provided to Amex Platinum card holders. I still remember the first time I took her to an airport lounge in San Fransisco (SFO) on our way to the Miraval Arizona Resort and Spa.

Comfy chairs and charging stations aside, what she really loved was the free food and drinks. And I get it. Anyone who’s bought food at eye-watering airport prices will understand the value of lounge access.

And honestly, the Amex Platinum card is the absolute best when it comes to providing airport lounge access. Not only does it grant you entry to its own American Express Centurion Lounges, but it also provides industry-leading access to other lounges via its Global Lounge Collection, including:

• Aspire Lounge
• Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta the same day)
• Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner
• Select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying Lufthansa the same day)
• Plaza Premium Lounges
• Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment)
• Select Virgin Clubhouses

This means that no matter where she goes, she’ll likely have access to an airport lounge. And now that her Marriott discount is active (and I’ve convinced her to start earning Ultimate Rewards points), she’s going to be traveling more now than ever.

Final Thoughts

It doesn’t always make sense for people to get high-end travel cards. It certainly doesn’t for my family members, who travel a handful of times per year but would end up with a net negative in value after paying the annual fee.

That’s why adding an authorized user is so helpful. Although it still costs $195 each year, my sister can enjoy many of the same travel perks as me without needing to open her own card.