Amex To Launch New Travel App and Estimated Wait Times for Centurion Lounges

American Express is launching new travel-friendly features for those on the go.

On Thursday, September 18, AmexTravel.com will become available as a mobile app, offering a more convenient way to book trips while earning and redeeming Membership Rewards points. At the same time, the company will update its main American Express app to include estimated wait times for Centurion Lounges, helping travelers better plan their airport experience.

“Travelers want a simpler way to plan and book trips – all in one place – and the new Amex Travel App™ delivers just that,” said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel. “For over a century, Amex has been a trusted travel partner, and now we’re putting all the elements of creating unforgettable travel experiences – from discovering inspired destinations, to booking and trip management – directly into our Card Members’ hands.”

Here’s what you need to know about these exciting new developments.

New Amex Travel App

AmexTravel.com is a comprehensive portal for booking flights, hotels, rental cars, and more, and it’s accessible to eligible American Express cardholders. Now, American Express has extended that experience to a mobile app, available on iOS starting Thursday, September 18, and will be available on Android a few weeks later.

The new Amex Travel app mirrors the desktop platform in a more streamlined format, with built-in trip planning tools that let you create, save, and organize potential itineraries, all while offering the ability to book new travel.

As a reminder, certain cards give you access to booking Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts Collection or The Hotel Collection properties, which can be done on AmexTravel.com. It’s nice to see that cardholders will be able to book these luxury hotels on the go thanks to this new app.

Coming soon, American Express says that the Amex Travel app will also feature personalized hotel recommendations and even integrate card benefits to ensure a better experience.

Improvements to Amex Mobile App

Over at Amex’s main mobile app, the issuer will also add a few exciting updates on Thursday, September 18. Perhaps the most exciting (and long overdue) refresh is the launch of real-time, estimated wait times for Centurion lounges on the Amex app (iOS, Android).

Travelers can now plan accordingly and see if there’s enough time to visit the lounge before their flight, falling in line with Capital One’s user-friendly digital waitlist feature.

In addition, U.S. Amex consumer cardholders can now access a new “Amex Passport” feature on the app, allowing them to log their past and future travels to represent each country or region that they’ve visited internationally with digital stamps. These mementos can comprise of a favorite meal, activity, or attraction, and can be shared on social media to friends and family.

Earn Bonus Points on AmexTravel.com

Certain cards allow you to earn bonus Membership Rewards points for AmexTravel.com bookings, allowing you to earn as much as 5x points. This includes:

• The Platinum Card^® from American Express: Earn 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1x point) and 5x points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.
• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express: Earn 5x points on flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid short-term rentals booked on AmexTravel.com.
• American Express^® Gold Card: Earn 3x points on flights booked on AmexTravel.com and 2x points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.
• American Express^® Business Gold Card: Earn 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.

Best of all, you can redeem points for all or part of your trip on the AmexTravel.com website or the Amex Travel app.

Final Thoughts

Amex is rolling out huge new tech upgrades, including the launch of a dedicated Amex Travel app. The app is designed to make it easier for cardholders to book trips, earn or redeem points on reservations. Plus, updates to the main Amex app will now let you check estimated lounge wait times in advance.